I need to find a new steering column from a manual quick! cuz I have to drive for work soon, I can only borrow my mom's car for a couple days, anyone know where I can get one in really good condition. mine is totatally broken I can like pull the steering wheel two inches off the end of the shaft. and since it's doing that it has broblems staying running, because it turns off the ignition when it tilts to the left. it scared the holy crap out of me a couple times, cuz it turned off and then back on and backfired! it was the loudest backfire i've ever heard in my life it sounded like my gas tank exploded, which is scary because without my muffler on, my exhaust exits right underneath my gas tank! Help me somebody!! I gotta figure out something soon.

 

Sorry bout your luck bro, the best thing I can say is boneyards. I got one for my car at a boneyard with tilt and cruise for like $50. Just start calling places. I think I got mine in Tacoma. Good luck man!

 

Did the four bolts that hold the titlt mechanism in place loosen up? It may be able to be fixed. The same thing happend to my 89. If that is the case it is an easy fix but it requires some special tools.

 

that's where it seems to be broken at. how do I get that plastic cover off so I can see what's wrong with it? I can't get it off.

 

You have to pull the steeringwheel, remove the lock plate, horn and turn signal switch and pretty much all of the guts to get to the bolts. There is no way to just pull the trim piece off.

 

dang it, I guess I'm off to get a puller tomorrow, I needed one anyway to switch the pulley from my old ps pump to the new one anyway. so that's not a big deal hopefully it's only loose that would be awesome cuz I really don't wanna pay $90 for a new column. you said that you need a special tool to tighten the bolts again. what kind of a special tool?? is it expensive?

 

Here is a list of tools you will need and where you may find them. Steering wheel puller, lock plate remover, pivot pin puller, and a inverted torx socket for the bolts T-40 I think. The wheel puller and lock plate remover I found at schucks, the only place I know for the pivot pin puller is the MAC tool dealer, and the inverted torx you could go for chraftsman. Don't sweat the pivot pin puller if you can't get one. You can get around it with a small fine thread bolt, plires and small hammer. Don't forget to get some loc-tite for the bolts so you only have to do this once. I have done this quiet a bit in the past 6 months so how else can I help? I don't think we are too close but I can do it for you if you can make it to my place.

 

I should be able to do it. I've done complicated stuff before. just not anything with the steering column. I think the biggest problem I might run into is buying all the tools I need. and finding a ride to schucks. thanks for the offer though, but it's a five hour drive.

 

well good luck then and if you need help you can e-mail me. It really is easy if you are mechanicly inclined. Once you get the lock plate off it is like a jigsaw puzzle. Take your time and you will get it. Just to confirm it is the bolts loose here is what mine did when they came loose. The high beams quit working and you could rock the wheel in a circle and the whole upper coulmn would move. It will also tilt down too far when loose.

Rich

oh yah don't forget the loc-tite.

 

Dude, I honestly would save myself the trouble and just find another column at a junkyard.....all those tools are gonna cost you over the price of a used column anyway. I tried to get in a fix mine too.....it was a pain in the ***! It was easier to buy another one and swap it out!! but, if you got the time and patience...knock yourself out dude!:lala:

 

thanks for your help man, and yes that's exactly what's wrong, it was loose one side before, but now it's soo loose that I can pull the upper coumn a half an inch out of the lower part, and that causes problems with my ignition switch. and I can see where the bright switch is disconnected too.


gibby all the yards around here are dry, when it comes to thirdgen parts, the only one I could find was for $90 on e-bay and I'm not to sure about buying crap on ebay. plus I hope the tools don't cost $90 all together but if they do and I can fix it still it will be worth it, cuz then I won't have to wait a week to get my new column.

thank you for both of your suggestions, I really appreciate the way people help each other on here. it's nice to be able to talk to people who are willing to help. and not patronize.

thanks.

Rob

 

Hey Rob, I just saw a couple columns on ebay....

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/ebayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1848332172&r=0&t=0

I have done lot's of business on ebay, and have yet to have a prob. Both these auctions are from someone that is a "power seller" which I can garauntee they won't screw you over. The only prob is the shipping...I think there was a flat rate?? Just check em out and decide on what you wanna do.

Roger

 

I might have a steering column available. It's tilt without cruise. See my other post about parting out the car.

 

Get a manual if you don't have one. I did mine and I wouldn't say that it was easy. I like to think that I am fairly mechanically inclined, but mine was a head scratcher. Watch for the bearings and keep them in one piece, I spent a hour digging the BB's out of my carpet so I could reuse them. Just go slow and pay close attention to where each piece goes. It's easy to take apart and it will be a lot easier to put together if you know right where each piece came from.

 

This is a fairly common problem with GM so it is my opinion it is better to fix your own, loc-tite the bolts so it don't happen again. You may pay $100 for a coulmn and then six months down the road it loosens up on you. If you loc-tite the bolts I will lay money on it that it is fixed for good.

 

If Lance doesn't end up buying mine, you can.

 

well I took the steering column out today, bought a steering wheel puller and now the column is almost disassembled, except on of the pins at the pivot point is giving me trouble, but I will take care of that tomorrow but I can now see the bolts you where talking about and it has just come loose so hopefully as soon as I can get that thing out of there I can get it fixed all up. on another note I ran into a problem with switching the power steering pump pulley from the old pump to the new pump, the dang pulley just slides right on the shaft of the new pump, all the way down, so I guess I'm gonna have to find a new pulley too, dammmmmmmmit! what else can go wrong. well I'll let you guys know what happens tomorrow. hopefully all good news.

 

Don't ever ask that question while the car is still apart!!

 

oh i'm sure something will I'll probably break another screw in the pin on the shaft and have to drill that one out too! lol

 

You took the column out? It could have stayed in the car.

 

yeah i know, but I already had it half out anyway, so I figured why not just take it out and make it easier to work on. that and I figured if ti was broken I would already have it out and I wouldn't have to worry about that later.

 

was your car a manual?

 

Power Steering.

 

no i mean is it a stick?

 

Nope, it's an auto... why would that matter about the steering column?

 

the auto columns don't have the lock release switch (can't think of a better term).

anyway, it's the little lever near the ignition switch that allows you to lock the steering column when you shut the car off.

i'm not sure if you need it or not in the stick application, but i'd put a stick column back in, just to be safe.

 

My steering column locks automatically when I shut the car off.