Sloppy Steering/stiff Suspension

[jro909]

My 04 seems to have sloppy steering, uneven roads,bumps,wind all force me to fight the wheel and i have no idea if this is comes with the territory or what. Also my suspension is stiff as hell, its like driving a one ton with danas over bumps....i just don't know if i should be looking for something wrong or just grow to live with it?

[tanked_darren]

My 04 seems to have sloppy steering, uneven roads,bumps,wind all force me to fight the wheel and i have no idea if this is comes with the territory or what. Also my suspension is stiff as hell, its like driving a one ton with danas over bumps....i just don't know if i should be looking for something wrong or just grow to live with it?

 

I have to hold my wheel on the freeway in crosswinds. Maybe those bilstiens you got have something to do with the stiffness? You should test drive a used truck like yours to compare!

[jro909]

i thought about that, i have driven other people's gmt-800s but they were z71s and extended cabs and the ride was alot softer and the rotating ball seemed to be alot better then my rack and pinion...the bilsteins are nice but if its cold they make the truck ride like a freight train

[Garrett Street]

My truck rides terrible too. But mines due to the solid body lift, 33" mud tires and torsion bar crank. I wouldn't think yours would be that bad. I'm guessing it's your bilstein shocks and Grabber tires.

[jro909]

i can live with the stiffness, i don't mind it unless i'm on a horrible road...any ideas on the steering?

[landmine]

I had a similar problem with the steering on my 04. Checked everything just like you are supposed to. One day I decided to unhook one of the outer tie rods and found out the inside one was shot. Replaced all four and now my steering is tighter than it was when I bought the truck. As far as the stiff ride mine was ok till I swapped out the Delco shocks for some Monroes. Now it's stiff enough to rattle your teeth out. I've heard the Bilsteins are even worse.

[K1500Tech]

You may have a worn idler arm and pitman arm.

[jwhjr]

My 04 was behaving the same way and my first thought was idler or pitman arm. It ended up being the intermediate steering shaft. I replaced it and it was like driving a brand new truck again. It took about 20 minutes to swap it out.

[ChevyTech77]

You may have a worn idler arm and pitman arm.

I believe the truck in question is a 2WD. Therefore, it has rack and pinion steering.

 

General tires and Bilstein HD shocks are your ride issue. Compound the overkill shocks and stiff General

tires with sensitive rack and pinion steering and there's "all over the place" feel.

[exracer]

money is on a worn tie rod or 2.....

[jro909]

the suspension is tight according to the tech...yes i'm afraid chevytech may have hit it on the head

 

 

thanks guys for the replys

[K1500Tech]

You may have a worn idler arm and pitman arm.

I believe the truck in question is a 2WD. Therefore, it has rack and pinion steering.

 

General tires and Bilstein HD shocks are your ride issue. Compound the overkill shocks and stiff General

tires with sensitive rack and pinion steering and there's "all over the place" feel.

 

 

I didnt know it was 2wd it wasn't in the post

[jro909]

my bad, sorry yes it is 2wd....i coulden't afford 4x4 when i got it it was 4.8 with 4x4 or 5.3 with no 4x4...and i won't pass up the bigger motor