The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Driveline Lots of slop in steering wheel 53 GMC

Hi

I have a 53 GMC 9300 pickup. When the truck is on the ground and steering wheel straight I can turn the steering wheel over a quarter of a turn each way before the tires move.

Just seems like a lot of movement. Is there any suggestions as to how I can eliminate the slop ?

First you need shake down the whole system & see where the slop is comeing from. Have someone turn the strg. wheel back & forth while you watch for play in the strg. joints. The problem is probably mostly in the strg. gear its self. A small amount can be adjusted but any more then that it will have to be pulled & o-hauled. Jack up the front end & check the wheel brgs., kingpins tie rod ends & drag link. Any looseness will need to be repaired to be safe & fit to drive.

Thanks

Most, if not all the slack seems to be in the steering box. Is it better to try and find an after market replacement or have it rebuilt if possible ?

Follow the advice by "Wrenchbender Ret." to make sure that you don't have a dangerous problem. If everything checks out, then try adjusting the steering box using info in the Chevrolet Shop Manual. I assume that the GMC box is the same.

> 1954 Shop Manual

Here is a recent post on the subject ...
< Stovebolt

You MUST disconnect the Pittman arm to adjust the steering box. Advance AutoParts will loan a Pittman arm puller to you for free.

I bought this fish scale to measure the drag in the steering:
> WalMart fish scale

I hardly drove my truck for ten years because the steering had a quarter turn of play. Then I read my Shop Manual and followed the directions. Now it's a pleasure to drive. No play in the steering.

If the simple adjustment doesn't work, you may need to rebuild the steering box. I'm sure that other forum members can help you.
> Chervrolet Steering Box manual

They are not that hard to rebuild. A used one will not be perfect & a reman is very expensive. Dont try to disasemble the ball nut. It generally is not nesesary. If some of the major components are bad it may be best to get a used one & rebuild it.

Thanks for all the information. I'll give it a try on the weekend and let you know how it goes.

I have the same problem with my 56 half-ton. I went through everything, and determined that all the play was in the steering box. I adjusted the steering gear according to the manual and got it so it was really nice to drive. But after driving the truck for a few weeks, the freeplay returned. My kingpins, bearings, and tie rod ends are OK. I'll be rebuilding the box at some point. A rebuild kit from Classic Chevy Parts is currently going for $64.