Specifications

Look at all the rubber washers and bushings for cracks, bulges and wear. The upper and lower
control arm bushings get pretty bad after 10-20 years. These are cheap to buy and labor is the
real price. If you can replace them yourself, do it. Also, using a spray-on rubber lube on
suspension points on a regular basis is cheap insurance – once you know they are in good shape.
The steering linkage is located forward of the front cross member. The P Chassis linkage is
illustrated below. Steering effort is transmitted to left- and right-hand adjustable tie rods through
a relay rod. The relay rod is connected to an idler arm on the right and to the pitman arm on the
left. The fit of the shafts in the linkage support assemblies should be tight with end play not
exceeding .003. If it exceeds .003 inches in either assembly, adjust to within 0 to .003 inches. Set
large lock nut torque cap to 25 ft. lbs. and then loosen 1/16 turn and tighten lock nut. If there is
side play, replace the bushings. Lube the linkage under 'normal' conditions every 7,500 miles or
every 3,000 miles if used in 'dusty' conditions. The “support assembly” in the illustration below
is also known as a “bellcrank”.
Many motorhomes sit in storage for a long time between use. That steering damper (it's really a
shock absorber) can accumulate rust on its horizontal exposed rod. If it does get heavily
rusted
and you just jump in after a long storage period and drive off, that rusty rod may rip up the seal
as soon as it moves inward. Good idea to check it and possibly clean it off. Turn the steering
wheel so as to extend the rod fully while you check it. If it's badly rusted, it's probably a good
idea to replace the damper. Same thing applies to the shocks. Think about some preventive
measures added to your pre-storage checklist to help prevent this situation. Check the damper
attachments to make sure they are tight. Rubber bushings should be replaced if they are worn,
cracked or crushed. Check for leaks or noisy operation(it's a shock absorber). In 1991 the GM
http://users.sisna.com/cebula/P-Chassis-AlignmentProcess.pdf 7 Version 0.7 –Sep 14, 2005