Shake and shimmy in a 1997 Silverado. They replaced the pitman arm and steering arm yesterday and 2 wheel aliignment.

the arm and shaft have timing mark or index mark
and must be set that way first
then last the steering set right.
that is proper order
and if was wrong before you, then you get to be the guy doing it right now.

check your front half shafts

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I'm guesing you have had your tires balanced and wheels aligned. If this does not help, then you have a broken belt in one of your front tires.

Idler arm and or pitman arm most common.could also be excessive play in steering gear box.Tie rods/center link but usually its my first 2 choices go bad bothe of them idler and pitman common wear parts.

Pitman arm and tie rod ends and bail joints.The three main causes of front end shake after hitting a bump.There's so much slop that when you hit a bump it shakes violently from one end of the slop to the other.Very dangerous!You need to get this fixed now!
Get someone to turn the steering wheel while holding onto a front wheel and just watch for stuff that moves.Turn left and right and you'll see what's the worst for wear.The connections at the steering box arm(Pitman) and at the wheels(Tie rods) will be what moves the worst.Hope this helps?Autozone has a kit for the pitman for $100,probably be $600 at a shop.

you will have to remove the steering gear box to change the pitman arm. the idler arm is on the other side by the passenger wheel. one nut and two bolts going threw fender take it off.

jack up and support van passenger side first with wheels straight remove wheel unbolt idler arm from center link and using a fork designed for removing front end parts some auto stores let u borrow / loan u fork remove idler arm unbolt (2) from frame replace and bolt in new one replace wheel other side wheels straight jack and remove wheel mark pitman at steer box so u can transfer mark to new pitman unbolt and us fork to remove pitman from center link us pulley to remove pitman transfer marks to new arm align up replace bolt up replace wheel done

Alignment has alot to do with the tires not shimmying.. Like zero toe setting. Loose componants like tie rod ends and the idler ar worn. You can ck for excess front end play by holding the front and back of the wheel and pushing and pulling on it, like rocking it. OR have someone rock the steering while you watch where the play is from underneath. By rocking I mean turn the steering wheel back and forth. Look at all th joints and pivot points for excess play, which is, movement not immediate to the rest of the steering system. Tire balance is very important. Wheel hop is a sign of a bad tire and it overtaxes the shock absorber. Shocks don't cause shimmy because they are a vertical movement controlA shimmy is lateral or side to side.Wheel balance weights must be spit. If a 2 oz. weight is needed to balance the tire, Oe once should be on the inside of the wheel and one ounce on the outside directly across from each outher.. Loose wheel brgs will cause shimmy, but they would not last long. Caster setting on the wheel alignment will also cause shimmy. Like on a shopping car. too much caster causes the wheel to start fluttering and is very hard on other componants. This may be why you have worn tie rod ends and a bad pitman arm. Worn control arm bushings and ball joints directly affect titre wear and can only be feltwhen the front end hits a dip and detected by side wear on the tire edges. Summary: replace the tie rod end and have the car aligned. Good Luck, -Ned_ sorry about the book

popped off ??? you mean the bolt broke or the joint came apart... if the arm is broken you need to replace it again.... steering isn't something you want to patch up

Robert

IT MAYBE YOUR FRONT END STABLIZER BAR