crazy amounts of loosness in my steering column...

[Shomsky462]

something in my steering column is extremely loose... the whole steering wheel/blinker assembly wobbles around a lot.

you know where it pivots for the tilt wheel? well thats where the loosness is.

how can i tighten it? what do i have to do?

Thanks
-Shomsky

 

[tbburg]

Assuming you have the early XJ with the GM style tilt column. The tilt joint is probably broken. No way to tighten it up. Sorry.

I changed one out once. It's not that hard. took a couple hours(changing the joint without replacing the whole column.) I think you can use the column joint from any GM car with a similar style column.

 

[Shomsky462]

i got a 91 limited.

it started to slowly get worse and worse though...

do i need to worry about my steering column breaking in half goin down the freeway or am i ok?

how do i get to the joint?

thank you for such a quick response

 

[XJeepified]

GM columns had a nasty habit of letting the torx head bolts (which secure the tilt frame to the column whole) back out/loosen over time. If you're fortunate, this will be the case, and you need only tear down the column (which requires special tools) and remove/install each bolt with locktite, one at a time.

 

[heepey]

GM columns had a nasty habit of letting the torx head bolts (which secure the tilt frame to the column whole) back out/loosen over time. If you're fortunate, this will be the case, and you need only tear down the column (which requires special tools) and remove/install each bolt with locktite, one at a time.

mostly it takes time to pull the steering wheel off, turn signal switch loose and pull the tilt column pivot pins out, then use a 1/4" torx socket and extension to reach down to the bolts that hold the tilt unit on.
The pin puller should be less than $10 and the lock plate remover about $20.
I did lots of these in the body shop when they were more common in all GM cars.

 

[Shomsky462]

sweet. thanks for all the quick reply's everyone

that helped a lot
-Shomsky

 

[mccastlej]

You don't really need the lock plate remover. Push in on it, and have someone else pry the clip off of the shaft if you can't do it yourself. It's an easy fix, should take about 1/2 hour to 1 hour at most. Make sure to use the RED loctite on those bolts when you tighten them up. The pivot pin removal tool is easy to find at your local auto store. It's for a GM/Saginaw steering column. Do some google searching for the GM/Saginaw tilt steering column and you're likely to find some pictures of someone pulling one apart.

 

[Cox89XJ]

Some of these computer nerds can look it up and post a link. There is a write up on the computer for a Chevy Elcomino that is the same as our steering column. I did mine a couple of years ago. You will need to get some lock tight for the bolt threads. I think the red lock tight is what I used. It took me about six hours to disasemble put lock tight on the threads of the 4 loose bolts and put it back together, but I'm old and slow. I think labor for a shop to do it will run around $150. or so. It's not hard to do just lay every thing in order that you remove it. You will need some pullers and a torx head socket. The link on the computer will tell you what size. I work with some computer nerds and wish I was one. Hope someone can post the link.

 

[Cox89XJ]

http://elcaminocentral.com/article95.html
I just found the link by Google. HTH. The time had run out and it would not let me edit my above post. I may become a computer nerd after all. LOL

 

[Maz]

Yes, I know. I am bringing a dead thread up.
For this job, what kind of loctite should one use? Any how2 related to this topic casually mentions to use some kind of loctite to lock-in the threads, but which kind?

what number? what strength? what color?

 

[RaccoonJoe]

Use the red loc-tite, and good luck to ya. I pulled mine all apart, only to find out that I couldn't get ahold of a pivot pin puller. Ended up swapping out the whole column.


And yes, it's something to worry about. Apparently I got lucky when mine finally let go...the steering wheel dropped into my lap, but I could still steer. I've heard reports of those bolts falling out and getting into the shaft, and not allowing you to steer at all.....

 

[dizzymac]

Also...when you put it all back together pay special attention to your wires.Do not lich them or you'll be tearing it all apart again the fix the short.

 

[Maz]

Thanks for the replies.

Mine starts getting [FONT=&quot]wobbly[/FONT] about every 2-3 years. I know all about the bolts falling out, the wire situation, etc. I have my mechanic take it apart and tighten the 3-4 bolts in there, since I don't have the tools to do it myself. He is very careful and meticulous. I am heading over again this Saturday and I am going to ask him to put some locktite on the threads. He is against it, but will do it if I want him to. I bought a tube of the blue 242 locktite since it is the removable kind, just in case.