bensbaby

I have a 88 gta
230k

the last couple years and this year its getting a sloppy steering wheel
it passed a safety 2 years ago and had nothing like tie rods

could it be my steering shaft is bad
??

its very very minor and I notice it the faster I go and try to control the wheel while im driving

where do I get a new one
does anyone have the info on the astro van steering shaft swap?

tealman92

Sounds like your steering box is worn out.

bensbaby

how do I know for sure?

if I jack up m car both fronts sides and wiggle the wheels that will tell me tierods are bad etc
but what about center link and the idler arm and the other stuff

if I wiggle the rim sideways how do I know for sure
I guess if its tight then it has to be the steering box or the steering shaft??

am I right saying that

tealman92

Leave it on the ground. Have someone start the car and start to slowly turn the wheel as you look at the pitman arm. Once you see movement have them hold the wheel in that position. Then go look at the steering wheel and see how much the moved it.

bensbaby

if its on the ground how do I watch the pitman arm
I thought it needed to be up on ramps?
I have only worked on normal steering racks cars before

im srry that's all my exp.

tealman92

Its clearly seen in the engine bay with the hood up

sofakingdom

iTrader: (1)

First thing you need to do is, locate the actual slack or lost motion.

With the engine not running but the key in the Off position, have your assistant sit in the driver's seat and shake the steering wheel from side to side enough to take up the play in each direction, while you lay up under and/or hover over the car and watch every piece of the steering system and look for one piece that moves but the next piece in the chain doesn't.

The pieces to look at are: the "rag joint" where the steering shaft connects to the gear; the gear itself (the shaft that goes to the wheel turns but the shaft coming out the bottom doesn't); the joint in the center link that the Pitman arm (the arm mounted to the bottom of the gear) attaches to; and the 4 tie rod ends.

You may also find that the ball joints or the strut mounts, or even the struts themselves, are the source of the play. Those are the things that actually hold the wheel to the car. They're not exactly part of the "steering" as such, but they have a profound effect on it.