Thanks, so the Moog bushings are your answer

 

I've been wondering about the intermediate steering shaft. It's original and 192000 on the car. I looked on ebay and they're selling brand new ones for like $50. I'm a little skeptical of such a cheap price. I feel like even a low mileage used OEM is a better bet than one of these cheap ones. I'm 50 years old and i've learned quite a few good lessons but I will check with the other old timers on here!

I ordered the K201285 Moog bushings. They're not that hard to do with the right tool, which I ordered on Amazon. Will put them in the original control arms and when the weather is nice i'll just swap them out. An hour max since i'm familiar with the procedure.

Dropped tire psi to 28 tonight when i left work. VERY nice ride but also a nice shimmy as well. Will probably get a road force balance on the front tires at least, depends what they charge.

Do they still not have seperate bushings for the steering rack? A few years ago I put a new rack in just because you couldn't get the bushings. Is this still the case?

 

No bushings for the steering rack.

 

Where would you put bushings on the rack?

 

You don’t, you simply replace the rack!

As for the intermediate steering shaft, it’s best to cut it out when you replace it, get a new GM shaft, the cheap ones on Amazon and EBay are known to fail, and a lesson I learned early in life, never use used steering or brake components!!

 

I think the OE are no longer available.

 

You’re right several GM sites show 25834100 as discontinued! So it’s Dorman to the rescue!!

 

Why would you cut it out versus just unbolting it and pulling it through the firewall?

 

Because the slide portion of the shaft seizes up with corrosion. Pounding on the yokes to collapse it just damages the input shaft to the steering rack and the power steering motor

 

Thanks Oldblue! Mine moves freely though. I had it off when i dropped the subframe for the trans rebuild. Is the fact that it moves freely any indication of whether its good or bad?

On another note, my Problem solver bushings came. Man, they are beastly! I hope they perform like how they look! There is a VERY distinct bevel on one edge and i'm assuming that is the side you press into the arm, obviously! I would not be surprised at how many people still press them in wrong though.

Also, drivers side rear axle beam bushing is shot. I have play and a distinct rattle kind of sound when i move it back and forth with the pry bar. It's not terrible but it will only get worse so it's getting replaced. I'm doing the other side as well even though I can not reproduce the same symptoms on that side. I have insulators to put in for the coils too.

won't get to it this weekend but I'll keep ya all updated!