C1500 Steering

dps1500 · January 24, 2002

I've got a 98 Chev C1500 with about 52k miles. Lately, I've noticed that the steering jerks every once in a while like the tire caught a line in the road and tried to follow it. I've checked the wheels and steering linkage and everything seems to be reasonably tight. There are a couple of possibilities that I'm questioning. The tires are original, and that could be it, but I've never experienced anything like this before with any other vehicles I've owned. I also considered that the power steering pump might have a problem, but it seems to be related to groves/cracks in the road.

Anybody got any ideas?

thanks

chevy4x4trucks · January 24, 2002

Welcome to the forum. I think that with 52,000 on miles on the stock tires it may be time to replace them. I would try that and maybe a front end allignment. If that doesn't do the trick I'd start checking your power steering pump.

CapnDean · January 24, 2002

You got 52K out of a set of tires on a truck?

Jeez.....I usually run over a beer bottle by then!

Dean

Shaners · January 24, 2002

Jack the truck up in the front, and grab a tire and try to rock it from top to bottom. If it has any in and out movement you'll be needing new ball joints.

01z71 · January 24, 2002

I had the same problem with my '98 K1500. Both of my brother's had it too. (We all leased '98 Pickup's at once.) It is some kind of a steering sensitivity sensor. It was prone to going bad on the '98's. I think there was a TSB on it. It was replaced at the time anyway under warranty and never occurred again while we had our trucks.

Funny thing was it happened to all 3 of our trucks within 2 weeks of each other. :notice:

It was definitely a strange feeling when it happened.

jar0023 · January 25, 2002

It's your EVO (electric variable orifice) sensor. I just changed mine on my '97 Tahoe and the difference was like night and day. Part cost me $35 bucks from dealer and took less than 30 mins to intall. The sensor is at the end of your steering shaft, just inside the firewall where the intermediate shaft bolts up. Undo one bolt on intermediate shaft, disconnect sensor from harness (connection is on top of column), pull sensor off end of column, reverse process.

TxDoc · January 25, 2002

I think jar is on target. HE may be the one who provided me with the help below! I had the same problem on a 97. I would be in at the apex of a corner and all of a sudden, it felt like I ran over some ball bearings! It was intermittent and always sudden.

Here is the help I got. Hope it helps you.

"P/N 26064468

It's located at the bottom of the steering column, under the dash. GM says it takes 1 hour to install. The sensor I listed above is for a '97 Tahoe, which I would assume to be the same thing as you GMC. The symptoms you described fit with what this Tahoe is doing. I got the sensor for about 35 bucks at the local dealership. I haven't tried to install the switch yet, but I hope it takes care of the problem"

okjeep · March 19, 2002

Does the EVO control the steering ratio? Will it's failure cause the steering to be faster/slower or not to sound dumb, just plain wrong? Is there a trouble code for it for diagnosis? HELPPP!