Steering Shaft?

[mistaake]

Me again, another GMT400, another sloppy steering situation.

Gearbox was replaced a little over a year ago, I have the receipt from the previous owner. I have to do some testing but I suspect the shaft is the problem, not the box. If I grab the shaft from under the hood and turn it, it goes pretty far before the pitman arm moves at all. All I gotta do is move that plastic cover out of the way and see if it's the box or the joint. If the box is bad I'll save up for a Redhead or Bluetop. I'm sick of reman Cardone junk steering boxes.

Dorman makes a replacement shaft (part number 425-185) for about $180.

My questions:

1. I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE DORMAN. I've had terrible luck with them in the past. But is this product OK? Anyone tried it? Or do I go the jeep shaft route.

2. You don't have to remove the gearbox to change it, right? I wouldn't think so, but in some of the YouTube videos I watched on the subject did involve removal of the gearbox, some didn't.

Thanks for any input.

PS: this is my new truck, definitely a little nicer looking than the Suburban I sold my friend a few months back (that he's still driving with a bad fuel pump, bad tranny, and bad cats, these things are TOUGH!!)....

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[Jack Schneider]

Shaft is super easy to remove. Look at the XJ shaft upgrade write up in the suspension threads and it’ll show you how

 

[skylark]

If it is a 95+ you can't safely use the jeep shaft. There is an extra joint inside that causes issues.

 

[Jack Schneider]

If it is a 95+ you can't safely use the jeep shaft. There is an extra joint inside that causes issues.

I was just using that post as a tool to remove it not necessarily To use a Jeep shaft

 

[454cid]

If it's not the box, I'd suspect the rag joint. Unfortunately, after I replaced my rag joint the steering wheel isn't clocked right. I'll revisit it again eventually, as the reman box I have is starting to get sloppy.

 

[mistaake]

If it is a 95+ you can't safely use the jeep shaft. There is an extra joint inside that causes issues.

Thanks for warning me I was about to go to the junkyard and get one lol

 

[mistaake]

If it's not the box, I'd suspect the rag joint. Unfortunately, after I replaced my rag joint the steering wheel isn't clocked right. I'll revisit it again eventually, as the reman box I have is starting to get sloppy.

Yeah seems all the reman steering gears by Cardone are junk, no matter whether it says Cardone or ACDelco or Napa or MasterPro on the box.

 

[c1500deathtrap]

I just welded a xj u joint to the gm shaft.

 

[c1500deathtrap]

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Picture is from a year or so ago, the u joint has a nub on it after you gring out the welds from the jeep shaft that is a good interference fit into the end of the gm shaft. welds are really just for security.

 

[Mike Napolitano]

Me again, another GMT400, another sloppy steering situation.

Gearbox was replaced a little over a year ago, I have the receipt from the previous owner. I have to do some testing but I suspect the shaft is the problem, not the box. If I grab the shaft from under the hood and turn it, it goes pretty far before the pitman arm moves at all. All I gotta do is move that plastic cover out of the way and see if it's the box or the joint. If the box is bad I'll save up for a Redhead or Bluetop. I'm sick of reman Cardone junk steering boxes.

Dorman makes a replacement shaft (part number 425-185) for about $180.

My questions:

1. I HATE HATE HATE HATE HATE DORMAN. I've had terrible luck with them in the past. But is this product OK? Anyone tried it? Or do I go the jeep shaft route.

2. You don't have to remove the gearbox to change it, right? I wouldn't think so, but in some of the YouTube videos I watched on the subject did involve removal of the gearbox, some didn't.

Thanks for any input.

PS: this is my new truck, definitely a little nicer looking than the Suburban I sold my friend a few months back (that he's still driving with a bad fuel pump, bad tranny, and bad cats, these things are TOUGH!!)....

You must be registered for see images attach

You do not have to remove the gearbox. The lower part of steering shaft is collapsible. I just replaced my steering shaft with a good used one from eBay