Steering 1986 B2000 like twisting a stump out of the ground!

I have had my 1986 B2000 since April of 2011. Soon after I bought it, I replaced tie rods, ball joints and idler arm to hopefully cure the wandering problem and I hoped it would also help reduce steering effort, which seems heavier than it should be. The new front end components did make it track straight but the steering is still an armful.

So, dear B-Series drivers, my question is....Is this normal? Is your B-Series hard to steer also? I mean, I have had non-assist cars and trucks before, including a 1971 Ford F-250 Camper Special with a 360 V8, and non have been as hard to steer as my faithful little Mazda.

I'm thinking about a power steering conversion for it, but financially this will not be possible for another year or so.

Could it be the steering gearbox itself causing the issue? Or is this just something to get used to?

(1986 B2000 Cab Plus, c1990 2.2 engine, stock carb (for now), 5 speed; all stock except a 2" drop with blocks in back and adjusted torsion in front.)

I have two manual steering boxes sitting in my garage. One cannot be turned by hand, while the other turns freely. I have not taken the stiff one apart to see why, but I suspect the grease may have dried out.

When I had the power steering belt off my B2200 (for a week) I could hardly tell, didn't seem like an issue. But I couldn't find out if leaving it that way would accelerate wear, so I bought a lifetime rebuilt PS pump.

Mine is kinda hard to steer but its not that bad. Have the alignment checked, it can make a huge difference to a vehicle that doesn't have power steering.

Yes, the non-PS trucks actually have fairly light steering - buy guess id your steering box is improperly adjusted.

A P.S. conversion in these trucks is so simple and should be cheap too, you only need the pump and bracket, the idler pulley and the box with lines, you could go to a pick and pull and get everything for less than $100 - or maybe on here for $50-75?

Can you give me any tips on how to adjust the steering box? That seems like a good place for me to start.....adjustment and some new grease would be a good place to start.

Thanks....I will do that. I know mine is out somewhat because of the way that tires are wearing.

That's helpful to know. I had a 1990 B2200 years ago with manual steering and I don't remember it being very hard to steer. But I was stronger then, and my memory of it has faded.

I didn't even think about the grease...that would be a good thing for me to check first.

My truck is a 2 hander to steer in parking lots or while stopped, but I have wider tires than stock on the front, and they also have a larger offset (tires stick out the fender slightly), so that will probably make a difference.