Any idea on how to sharpen up the steering feel on a '95 GMC truck?

I guess going through the stock steering and suspension might be a good idea (it's done 240k) but is there anything that can be done to improve the steering feel of the rather boat-like steering on this truck?

Check all the linkage, pitman arm, etc. You may also be able to adjust the play in the steering gear, which may or may not require taking it out of the truck.

trade it in on a miata?

In the next generation GM truck, there is a part in the steering linkage that wears every 50-60k or so and causes the steering to be really sloppy... can't be more specific as I don't care to work on newer stuff, but my local wrench (grudgingly) routinely replaces these and it really tightens stuff up.

I didn't have that issue on my GM's of your generation (so it's likely not part of your issue) but I wanted to mention it to the possible benefit of anyone reading the thread and wondering the same thing about their '99+

Except for the brakes and the nicely programmed tow/haul transmission setting, I much prefered the previous generation of GM to the 2002 I have now.

Edit: One additional thought... using LT tires vice P tires on those 90's GM's made a HUGE difference in the steering... the P's were always very loose and floaty...

Bill

FWIW - on my '99 Dakota I did new shocks, urethane bushings, a rebuilt rack and a set of Kumho LT tires and it drove like a car afterwards.

Someone with strong GM-fu here once eluded to swapping steering boxes with...an F-body maybe? Here's hoping they have their ears on.

while it would be easy to bolt in damn near any Saginaw steering box from any GM car, truck, or van built since the late 70's, i can't imagine a tight ratio Camaro steering box in a truck like that- it would be kind of twitchy and really not pleasant to drive, i'd think. the '79 3/4 ton chassis under my 87 GMC body is just perfect with over 4 turns lock to lock..

as already mentioned, check all the wear items- tie rods, ball joints, Pitman and idler arms. if they are kind of loose, shoot some grease into them and see if that helps. hell, shoot some grease in them even if they feel tight.. you know, since you are under there already..

check the rag joint where the steering shaft hooks up to the steering box- they get sloppy when they get old. the newer trucks used a u-joint setup in place of the rag joint, but i don't know when they made the change. i know 95 Suburbans have it, but i'm not sure about the earlier trucks.

real truck tires will also help a lot- some people get cheap when it's time to get tires and they just get some P rated (passenger car) tires that are the same size, then they run them at 30psi for some stupid reason and wonder why it feels like they are piloting a yacht. those are the tires that look flat all the time. get some LT (light truck) rated tires and run them up at about 45-55 psi like the door sticker says..

probably needs a moog heavy duty idler arm and pitman arm. i end up doing that to all of mine, except my 90 3500. i have put almost 40k on it since i got it(108k now) and it is still nice and tight.

After replacimg every suspension piece (balljoints, tire rods, pitman.idler, draglink, sway bar bushings, endlinks),I would step up to some 17x8 wheels and 255/50/17 tires...... Worked wonders on my 93 Ext Cab Shortbed.