New Parts Steering Still Sloppy

[Dillier23]

Good evening folks. I have recently acquired a 98 K2400 4x4 with 203,000 miles on it. Had the dealership put the following new parts on as it needed them replaced.

 

Tie Rods - Inner and Outer

Pitman Arm

Idler Arm

Ball Joints - Upper and Lower

Left wheel bearing

Alignment

 

The steering was still not as good as I thought it should be but they kept telling me this was normal on this truck with 200,000+ miles, so I went ahead and replaced these parts as well.

 

Steering gear box

Steering position sensor (the sensor under the dash that controls the solenoid on the VSS)

Rag Joint

Tires are good and have been balanced.

 

All this has gotten me a decent driving truck, but I can't believe there is still a bit of slop in the steering wheel. There is about a 1/2 to 3/4 of an inch of free play in the wheel and the truck seems to overcorrect when driving down the road. The speed doesn't seem to change the amount of side to side movement in the wheel, nor does is affect the ability of the truck to drive a straignt line. It has not driven a straight line since I've had it.

 

My question is: What else is there that can be changed to make this thing drive like a new truck and track staight down the road? One thing I am noticing is when the truck is pushed, like pulling a trailer or driving faster on the interstate, the power steering will act like it's starting to fail with much lest assist and bit of a growl when the truck is sitting still and the rpms are down. Is it possible that a lack of power steering pressure is causing the steering issues?

[1997SierraSLT]

it's the ECM I believe that causes the steering issues on these 97'-99' models. The ECM ultimately controls the amount of line pressure developed by the power steering pump through the solenoid valve located at the back of the pump.

 

At a standstill, you should have very light steering effort and as you speed up, the amount of steering effort should increase.

[2018GMC]

You can disconnect the electrical plug on the bottom of the power steering pump. Be advised this will change your pump to full assist mode and you will have a over boosted steering at slow and highway speeds. If this helps it's a problem with the speed sensing variable steering system. A lot of people leave it disconnected so they have the same boost all the time instead of the iffy variable assist.

 

First Check your serpentine belt tensioner. Mine had little to no temsion and it was affecting my power steering. Belt slippage.

[2018GMC]

After my new steering box, Idler and pitman. My 200k 97 k1500 drives like new. There is a small amount of play in the wheel but it tracks straight. It's the ol recirculating ball steering system not rack and pinion so a small amount of play is as good as it gets.

[nikita]

Look very carefully at the frame near where the steering box bolts on. Not a GM truck, but my plumber had this issue with a Dodge Ram van with very high mileage and it turned out that there was a crack in the subframe member where the steering box attached. When it is up on the lift with tires off the ground, there is not enough force on the parts to flex the frame and reveal the problem to you or your mechanic unless you are looking for it.

[GLSierra13]

Yup... check the frame. Could be a crack and flexing enough to feel the play in the wheel. It could also be in your tires. Tires with a bad internal belt can cause a funny feeling in the steering wheel. Maybe rotate your tires front to back to see if you get any different results.