Hi all - I just recently bought a 2002 LS 2 door, 2wd with a 5 speed. It has 153,000 on it. When I bought it I could tell the steering was looser than I was used to. I drive a semi for a living and had a cavalier, so that is what I was comparing it to.

Anyway, after some diagnosis from a friend it seemed there was play in the steering box and the shocks were shot. I was able to turn the wheel slightly side to side without any output from the box. There was no play in the ball joints or tie rod ends/idler arm/etc. Also, when I go around turns the body rolled what I thought was excessively and when you pushed down on the bumper there was excessive bouncing.

Anyway, so I bought shocks and a steering box and put the fronts on yesterday along with the steering box. I still have not had time to do the rears. To my surprise, the play is still in the steering wheel just like before and the ride does not appear to have firmed up much.

Could it be that the problem is all in the rear and will be worked out when I replace those, or is just normal and I am not used to how a small SUV rides?

Thanks.
-Sean.

 

usually my way of checking it out is have someone sit in the truck with it running and move the wheel back and forth and lay under the front end to see where the slack is. the box should be tight. or have just a hair of play especially if its new. check the idler arm too that little booger always goes out on these trucks

 

Yeah, we've done that already. The idler arm has already been replaced before I bought it and everything is tight from the box forward. The rag joint is fine too. The play really is from the input of the steering box to the output at the pitman shaft.

I just put new front brake calipers, rotors, and pads on it today as well as a set of rear shocks. I put front shocks on when I changed the steering box. So it now has 2 monroe sensa-track's on the front, and 2 sensa-track load leveller shocks in back, a reman steering box, and new brakes up front. I also had the tires rebalanced and an alignment done last night.

It seems the biggest changes have come from the alignment and tire balance, along with the rear shocks. Since replacing those the looseness in the suspension is all but gone. There is now just the play in the steering box. I am just going to deal with it until I can afford to take another shot at it... unless someone has any advice.

Sean.

 

That's strange. I got 2 s10s and both of them are pretty tight and are both old and beat up

 

My 97 has the same problem. I replace the steering gear and it helped some, and then the idler arm and it helped more. But there is still a little play. I took a look at the steering column where it bolts on to the stearing gear input and that rubber circle peice seems to be shot. The peice that restricts you from moving your tires any more when you botttom out the tires from moving all the way to one side.