Steering loose on 95 k1500 suburban

[mistaake]

When I first got the burb I took it to my mechanics to get it inspected. They said that the inner and outer tie rods as well as idler arm and pitman arm need to be replaced. But it would cost a lot of money, so I want to try to do it myself. If I am unsuccessful it's not my daily driver so I can just take it there after all.

I would like to know what the potential problems could be. The steering has a lot of play in it. It sort of wanders all over the road. The shop said the wheel itself is moving in ways it shouldn't due to the parts I mentioned above. The tires are completely worn out but before I replace them I want the front end to be tight. It's also not very enjoyable to drive right now!

First off, could I replace those four parts myself? It doesn't look so difficult - the most complex thing I have ever done beyond an oil change is replacing the starter on a 1983 Chevy C20. I don't have a blowtorch or grease gun. I will buy a grease gun, but I hope I won't need the blowtorch! I foudn a video for a 96 Silverado but I'm assuming it's the same: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvrrmVjXD0M

Next up, are these the correct parts I will need? It seems like people have many different opinion about ACDelco vs Moog. It seems that "Advantage" is ACDelco's cheap ones and "Professional" is their better parts, but both will be an improvement and I would like to save money as much as possible. If I wanted to spend a lot of money on this I would have the shop do it!

Inner Tie Rod (2): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006N94UD0/
Outer Tie Rod (2): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006N950M0/
Pitman (1): http://www.amazon.com/ACDelco-46C0045A-Advantage-Pitman-Arm/dp/B006N95QP6/
Idler (1): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006N9I2OS/

In the Amazon reviews for the Pitman somebody mentioned that part was difficult to replace. Should I bother, or will replacing the other three parts fix my wandering/loose steering/wheel movement issue? Perhaps my power steering is broken? It seems to turn OK but if I am driving I can move the steering wheel a fair amount left and right without the truck wandering more than it already is.

Thank you in advance for your advice - I really appreciate it.

 

[21Actual]

Parts look good except the Idler part you listed is only the bracket. You need the arm aswell.

Delco parts are fine, nothing wrong with them. I personally only use Moog for front end componenets. Just preference, Moog parts have never let me down.

Also, the pitman arm is probably not the best job for a novice do it yourselfer. 99% of the time a puller is needed, and quite often they still fight. Have to be somewhat carefull as you cant really beat on it to remove it as it is connected directly to the steering box. All of the Pitmans ive done I cut a slit in the collar of the arm with a tourch to release enough pressure to remove it.

Also, depending on Mileaage, the stering box is likely worn and needs the be tightened up a bit, or replaced.

 

[rosco]

I replaced those same parts on my 98 4wd Sub a few months ago. The tie rods were easy, the pitman and idler arms were a little more difficult, but not bad if you have some mechanical knowledge. If I remember, a pickle fork and pitman arm puller combined were around $30 at O'Reilley. I purchased mine, but the store I went to also had them to rent, so there's no permanent commitment. I had a LOT of trouble getting the idler arm to separate from the center link, but since I had the tie rods off anyhow, I took the idler arm assembly off, with center link attached, and was finally able to hammer on it to get it loose. You would have to remove the steering box and idler arm assembly anyway to get the puller on it. The front diff gets in the way. What I would recommend is after you separate the tie rods, remove the idler assembly and steering box before you try to separate those from the center link. Just pay close attention when removing the steering box so your steering wheel lines up straight. Use a paint marker if you need to make some marks to help.

Sorry for the long winded post, just trying to give you the best information I can give.

 

[mistaake]

Replaced all that stuff, still having problems, new thread here:

http://www.gmt400.com/forum/showthread.php?32064-1995-Suburban-K1500-steering-sucks