serious binding problem with low speed turns

[kokopelli85]

so i'm a new member here and i could really use a few suggestions. i took a good long time last night poorin thru the c/k and the silverado forums but after awhile the posts began running together on the screen and i still did not feel i had my answer.
what i've got is a completely stock 97 z71 silverado with a 350 engine, automatic trans, and 240,000 miles. i've had it 2 or 3 months and it's performed great (on the road and in the mud) till recently.
what it has started doing is, when i'm barely moving and try to turn either direction in drive or reverse it's as if the front end of the vehicle is binding and i have to gas it to push thru the turn. when i'm moving i can't really tell there's a problem.
my first thought was the steering knuckle (gear box, w/e lol) and started with replacing it with a used one that was in good condition plus a new power steering pump (pump wasn't my idea but still did it). some one said it was as if the truck body was trying to climb on the tires but there are no rub marks on the truck or tires so we know this isn't the case. also the ball joints were in pretty sad shape so i found a donor 99 z71 tahoe and swapped over the sway bar linkages, control arms with good ball joints intact, and torsion bars... wasn't sure it would fit but they were all a beautiful match when sitting next to the original parts.
after all this the problem persists. is there anything i may have missed? i did see a post about a similar problem which some one mentioned transfer case fluid that caught my intrest and quickly got off topic w/o much detail. could it really be that simple? i also unplugged the steering speed sensor (evo sensor i think) just for laughs... didn't laugh. so any way, i know this was a long post and if you have made it this far i thank you for your time and also in advance for any knowledge you may wish to share.

[maxwedge]

Welcome to AF sounds like it is in 4wd, get it off the ground and see if the ft diff or axles are engaged/binding.

[kokopelli85]

Originally Posted by maxwedge

Welcome to AF sounds like it is in 4wd, get it off the ground and see if the ft diff or axles are engaged/binding.

thanks for the welcome and the suggestion... i hate to say it but this morning after i posted and left for work i noticed the four wheel drive light come on... i don't know why the light wasn't on but i remembered one of the clowns that hang at my friends body shop (who worked the pedal while i bled my breaks) where i did the work askin right after the test drive if i had tried 4x4 out during the run kinda laughin... i called and asked if he had actually done that to me. he did. i'm just glad i hadn't driven much and he hadn't hit 4L. but no harm no foul, all is well thanks agin

[j cAT]

Originally Posted by kokopelli85

thanks for the welcome and the suggestion... i hate to say it but this morning after i posted and left for work i noticed the four wheel drive light come on... i don't know why the light wasn't on but i remembered one of the clowns that hang at my friends body shop (who worked the pedal while i bled my breaks) where i did the work askin right after the test drive if i had tried 4x4 out during the run kinda laughin... i called and asked if he had actually done that to me. he did. i'm just glad i hadn't driven much and he hadn't hit 4L. but no harm no foul, all is well thanks agin

If this were not in 4wd with your description of steering being hard to turn this is usually the steering box...

looks like just someone messing with ya...good luck..

[jyount]

It would've been better if it were in 4l, easy to find when you are redlined at 35 miles an hour!!!! Funny trick, but holy crap did you go through alot of parts swapping to hit a button, wow, butt kicking in order? LOL

[kokopelli85]

Originally Posted by jyount

It would've been better if it were in 4l, easy to find when you are redlined at 35 miles an hour!!!! Funny trick, but holy crap did you go through alot of parts swapping to hit a button, wow, butt kicking in order? LOL

no butt kicking, it wasn't in 4wd before i did all the work. trust me, that was the first thing i checked originally. it was either the steering box or the fact that all the ball joints were shot to hell. i changed out the gear box and control arms, etc at same time so not sure which it was. i just didn't think to check the 4wd drive leavin the shop when it hadn't been the problem before, lol. still can't believe he got me like that tho. spent a couple days thinkin i had made the problem slightly worse! sad story to tell but it was just too funny not to share...