'88 K5 Silverado. I drive it back and forth to work each day. Yesterday it started, today it got much worse. It moves side-to-side just fine, but when I move it front-to-back it is loose. Also, it won't go into Park like it did before, I have to move it around for a while to get it into Park.

The steering column is like quantum physics to me, something I don't know anything about and am afraid to mess with. Any ideas/suggestions/words of wisdom are greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

 

Look under the dash you shoud find a carrier under there that the shift cable runs through. A bolt could have possibly wiggled its way out of the carrier. Also look around on your driver side floor for a little bolt about 3/4 of an inch long.

 

Thank you Juggalo. Can you help me find where this bolt is (or should be). I took the access plates off, but I don't see anything resembling a cable. Hell, I have the factory service manual and it's coverage of this area is not encouraging.

Any help is appreciated.

Thanks

 

Interesting when baby blazer guys answer full size questions... There is no cable in the shift column of a full size.

The column shift is a shaft that rotates a lever on the other side of the firewall. That rotating point is connected to a set of linkage that will move the selector on the side of the transmission. The problem could be in your column or you may be missing something under the vehicle. Check the easy stuff first.

Get a buddy and some wheel chocks or some good blocks of wood and wedge them on both sides of the tires. Make sure the blazer is on level ground and set the parking brake. Turn the key so you can move the shift lever back and forth but don't turn the vehicle on.

Open the hood and identify the shift linkage at the base of the steering column near the firewall. You might have your buddy wiggle the lever so it is super easy to spot. Now see how it moves as he moves the lever back and forth. Crawl under and look at the whole linkage and note where the connection points are, where the adjustment screw is, where the pivot points are and how the transmission is being actuated. Everything should be pretty level and square, if it is not or it is loose or wiggling then you might have found your problem.

On your steering column you are probably looking at a bushing rebuild which is not that hard but has a lot of steps which means you had best keep everything in place. Question, is it a tilt column? I'm guessing the Silverado package came with it but I'm not 100% on all of them.

 

70-k5 is right. & about when little blazer guys answer full size truck questions, I was about to ask when full-size trucks got a shifter cable for the columns.lol. I however have an 81 GMC one ton and a 97 chevy blazer

 

Thank you for the clarification guys. I was really feeling dumb looking at the manual, looking at what I had.....

So I did as you suggested 70-K5. It's in the column, oh and it is tilt. Get this - there is a dude who put videos online of how to disassemble/reassemble GM tilt steering columns. You pay $5/video if you feel like you only need parts (12 videos total), or you buy it all on DVD for $34. I am about to run around the thriving metropolis of Ramona, CA and find some tools I don't have (Steering wheel puller, etc) and then tackle this job. I figure if I get in trouble I will just watch the video(s) I need to watch.......and/or come on here and plea for assistance.

Thanks everyone.