In my 91 GTA I am have problems with the with the steering column, pretty sure that the u joint in the column is ****ed, the tilt still works and all the functions still work

Should I replace then u joint or just put a whole new column in?

And can I use a non air bag non VATS column without any problems? Thanks

 

You didn't detail exactly what the issue is... If the wheel feels loose- slops a bit side to side, up and down- it could be the screws are coming loose in the column. That is my problem. Go to to this link http://www.cascadecrew.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=9248 for a great tutorial.

As to a non-vats column as a replacement: the column isn't the issue- the computer is. If it doesn't register a vats compliment key in the ignition, it won't allow the engine to fire. Simple as that.
If you do decide to swap out the column as you describe, you need to bypass the vats. Here's how: measure the resistance across the chip in your current key with an ohmmeter. That is the resistance the vats module must see to allow the computer to fire the engine. Go to Radio Shack and buy sufficient resisters to duplicate the resistance you found in the chip. Looking under the steering column, you will find two thin white wires that finish at a connector that plugs into an orange wire. Those white wires come down from the ignition tumbler. Deep breath(might pay to go to the junk yard and get one!) disconnect that connector and cut the white wires. That connector with the two cut white wires is your key. Solder together the connectors you bought and then solder them to the two white wires, forming a completed curcuit. You now have a vats bypass. Plug the connector back into the orange wire and try starting the car. If it starts, which it should(!), you can go ahead and swap columns. Just be advised that now anyone can steal your car. No such thing as a free lunch...

 

Ah my bad, the car steers fine, but you can rock the wheel up and down and side to side and the wheel and upper part of the column move with it, so that's why I think that the u joint for the tilt has gone for ****

I had a 89 formula and I changed the column out because I had broke the turn signal switch (dukes of hazard), anyways, the column I put in was a non vats when the car had vats, and the car ran until I took her to the wreaker, but i had a bad run with the vats relay, they would get so hot they would almost melt the kick panel, so should I just try and see if re&re the column and run a non vats and see what happens? And btw my 89 was a TBI 305

 

column is fine, ujoint is fine, screws are loose

https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...-steering.html

 

 

 

The most common cause is the screws as has been pointed out by other posters, on mine though it was the lower bearing that had disintegrated.

 

I had the loose screw issue a year ago, took it apart, tightened it up and put in thermo locktite, now a year later I get rejected for loose steering. It does not wiggle side to side but if I pull kind of hard down on the wheel if moves down about an inch or so. If I adjust the tilt all the way down I get zero slop. So is it my tilt mechanism that is bad, the spring may be old? Bearings? I am really at a loss

 

I had the same problem in my '87 IROC when I bought it. I totally removed the column from the car and found that only one of the four bolts was still there. Tightened all four backup with thermal loctite and greased the ujoint. You don't have to remove the column, but since I was already going to do the jeep steering shaft mod and dynomat my interior, it made since for me. It took me the better part of a night to fix mine right, but I did have some people over and beers kept showing up on my work bench lol!

 

so if it is not the loose screws what else is it. Mine is only loose up and down but does not wiggle at all with the tilt set all the way down and locked in place.
so that suggests the spring or the bearings but so far no one in the world has posted that as a problem

 

If you look a little further up this thread you will see that I posted about the lower bearing.

 

I found this on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-CHEVY-CADILLAC-PONTIAC-TILT-STEERING-COLUMN-UPPER-BEARING-KIT-GBODY-ETC/271111757889?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.RVI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20191%26meid%3D5571778053846452791%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D9059%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D131141066204but nothing labeled lower bearing

 

I found this on ebay
http://www.ebay.com/itm/GM-CHEVY-CADILLAC-PONTIAC-TILT-STEERING-COLUMN-UPPER-BEARING-KIT-GBODY-ETC/271111757889?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111000%26algo%3DREC.RVI%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20191%26meid%3D5571778053846452791%26pid%3D100033%26prg%3D9059%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D4%26sd%3D131141066204but nothing labeled lower bearing

 

The kit I got, and I live in New Zealand, had both upper and lower bearings, and a few other bits and pieces as well.