I'm a blazer newbie.. Just got a `93 s-10 4x4 4door.. Approx 200k miles


I am about to swap out the front drivers ball-joint(s), but while looking at it, a friend and I kicked off a new issue...

Now when it's driving, the steering is loose, and hard to keep straight. Fine adjustments don't work well and are delayed, acts like it is drunk .. .

Any thoughts/suggestions on what to look at?

 

Worn steering components. You have a PITMAN ARM that is attached to the steering box (the IDLER ARM is the same on the other side with no steering box) that has a little balljoint that connects to the DRAGLINK which has INNER TIE ROD joints on the inside and OUTER TIE RODS on the ends that connect to the STEERING KNUCKLE/HUB ASSEMBLY, between the inner and outer tide rod ends is a collar for adjusting alignment dont take this off or move it unless you are changing the ends -- In that case you want to turn the new ones in as many rotations as you took the old ones out. None of the little joints should have any play in them. They will wiggle yes, but have no play side to side or up and down and should be fairly tight. If there is a little movement in any of those components then they should be replaced while you do your balljoint. Easy way to check them out is have someone else steer the wheel side to side till it gets hard with the engine off while you get under and look at the components for play. You might find that grabbing onto the connection while the steering is being shaken will let you feel a clunking inside the joint instead of seeing it. Make sure to give them all a squeeze TOWARD where they bolt in to check for play in the shaft too. That will take care of inspecting your steering assembly.

Have a little peek at the condition of your front shocks and tires as well. The shocks will look all oily if they are leaking, and very rusty if they have already leaked and are dead. Do a bounce test on the front end too. Shocks should take the bounce of the front end in one down/up. If it goes down then up then down again, they are probably toast.

 

One other thing to look at is the rear springs... if the rear end of the truck is too saggy, you can get loose steering like this. Happened to me in my '88. A new leaf in each rear spring cured the steering.

 

Thanks for the tips! Hopefully I'll be able to get working on it soon, eager to be able to drive it without worrying again .. heh

Any other thoughts are appreciated as well!