Steering shaft

bigdogxx · January 4, 2006

Got it replaced yesterday after only 9k on the truck but i must say man what a difference, steering is nice and tight again.

They told me this is the revised shaft and should hold up longer to which i replied those shafts were redesigned before this truck was even made so that kind of thru that thought out the window! I warned them though as soon as i feel the slightest bit of play chevy gets to throw a new one on and ill be dammed if i ever pay one cent for something that is 100% going to fail within a few thousand miles!

Overall im happy with the first service i had on the truck they also had to replace a pitman arm seal and gave it a alignment, i would rate it as a good first experience trip to the service dept.

bushhog · January 4, 2006

Got it replaced yesterday after only 9k on the truck but i must say man what a difference, steering is nice and tight again.

They told me this is the revised shaft and should hold up longer to which i replied those shafts were redesigned before this truck was even made so that kind of thru that thought out the window! I warned them though as soon as i feel the slightest bit of play chevy gets to throw a new one on and ill be dammed if i ever pay one cent for something that is 100% going to fail within a few thousand miles!

I just had my 2nd replacement shaft installed yesterday at the dealer also. The 1st one was replaced at 38K mi. in Fed 04 - the 2nd replaced at 52K mi. yesterday. I wonder if the 1st replacement shaft was not the correct shaft. They definitely replaced the shaft both times.

No charge by GM thank goodness.

ericag02 · January 4, 2006

Got it replaced yesterday after only 9k on the truck but i must say man what a difference, steering is nice and tight again.

They told me this is the revised shaft and should hold up longer to which i replied those shafts were redesigned before this truck was even made so that kind of thru that thought out the window! I warned them though as soon as i feel the slightest bit of play chevy gets to throw a new one on and ill be dammed if i ever pay one cent for something that is 100% going to fail within a few thousand miles!

Overall im happy with the first service i had on the truck they also had to replace a pitman arm seal and gave it a alignment, i would rate it as a good first experience trip to the service dept.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I had mine replaced at around 9,000 miles as well. It would have been 6,000 miles, but they didn't "believe" me when I described the situation and blamed it on my brush guard. It's much better now, and like you, we'll see how long this "new" column actually lasts.

IDGBZ71 · January 4, 2006

I've had a second one in for awhile now and its making the noise dealer didn't find anything wrong with it now its out of my extended warrenty and now they found something wrong and of course its gonna cost me.

Smitty00Z71 · January 4, 2006

what does this fix? I have a 05 CC Z71 and have a thumping feeling sometimes in the stearing wheel , especially when turning.

pm26 · January 5, 2006

Are you serious? They are using a crappy part like this on new trucks? Now I am beginning to regret I ever gought this '06 truck. If i have to replace steering components in 10K miles, this thing goes up for sale.

Does the '06 use the same shaft? When exatly did they "redesign" it and how? And hwat was the problem with the old design?

KEVPOPPAPUMP · January 5, 2006

So the occasional thumping feeling in the steering wheel while turning is not normal? I just figured the steering on my truck was very feely. There is no slack at all but that thumping is a little suspect for a new truck. It kind of reminds me of having bad CV joints on my old Honda.

bigdogxx · January 5, 2006

Are you serious? They are using a crappy part like this on new trucks? Now I am beginning to regret I ever gought this '06 truck. If i have to replace steering components in 10K miles, this thing goes up for sale.

Does the '06 use the same shaft? When exatly did they "redesign" it and how? And hwat was the problem with the old design?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This comes to no shock to me i knew that these shafts were junk when i bought the truck just thought they would go a little longer then 9k.Oh well all is tight now and the clunk is gone, and kev and smitty yes what you are felling is probably steering shaft clunk.

ericag02 · January 5, 2006

Are you serious? They are using a crappy part like this on new trucks? Now I am beginning to regret I ever gought this '06 truck. If i have to replace steering components in 10K miles, this thing goes up for sale.

Does the '06 use the same shaft? When exatly did they "redesign" it and how? And hwat was the problem with the old design?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This comes to no shock to me i knew that these shafts were junk when i bought the truck just thought they would go a little longer then 9k.Oh well all is tight now and the clunk is gone, and kev and smitty yes what you are felling is probably steering shaft clunk.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I tend to agree...the pop you're feeling is the early onset of "steering shaft clunk". It only gets worse. The steering will start to have that feeling more and more (most obvious when doing parking lot manuveurs). Then it will become real loose, and viola! You get a new shaft from the dealership.

Here's the TSB about it on the '03s and before (although my '04 experienced the exact same thing)

TSB for Intermediate Steering Shaft Clunk

seadoons · January 5, 2006

For each of you that say you feel a popping in your steering wheel - this is what the problem is coming from. It is not normal. I just had mine replaced at 80K under my GMPP extended warranty. I park in a parking garage at work - I drive through it every day about 10 miles per hour and have to make several gradual 180 degree turns. This was when I really noticed it - because I would hold the steering wheel in the same turned position while moving. It got really annoying.

They replaced the intermediate steering shaft and all is good - for now!

fossil · January 9, 2006

I had mine done the other day and they also replaced a bearing in the steering wheel. This was done under extended warranty.

seadoons · January 9, 2006

I had mine done the other day and they also replaced a bearing in the steering wheel. This was done under extended warranty.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What did they replace the bearing in the steering wheel for? I had the shaft replaced - which fixed one problem. But I can also hear a popping noise still while I am turning the wheel - like when backing out of a parking spot or something. I know it is something to do with the steering wheel itself - nothing mechanical under the hood.