Hello all,

Maybe I'm totally missing something here, but I am having a heck of a hard time trying to get a new steering column installed into my '89 RS. My trouble is with the joint between the steering column itself and the upper intermediate shaft. I removed the old column, and I had to give the old colum some pretty serious twists and tugs before I could get the old column out of this joint, but it did come out. Now, I can't get the new column in. I have it all mounted up as per the shop manual, but I can't get the male stem on the steering column with the hole for the bolt/nut combo into the female receiver on the upper shaft. It starts to go, but then just gets stuck like it doesn't fit - if I try and turn the 'wheel', both pieces turn, so it is started, but won't go any more. Of course, there is no room to maneuver whatsoever in the space there to get a really good grip on anything, and going from uinderneath is a little better, but still a hell of an awkward angle. I have also white-lithium-greased the hell of out both pieces, but no real difference. It looks like one side is flat, while the other is rounded, and there is a notch on the internediate shaft where it looks like the flat side would go.

Has anyone successfully done this, and were there any tricks you used to get these two parts to mate up? I have been without the car since April-ish (LONG story). and am so close to finally getting it back on the road...

Thanks in advance,

Sean

 

I dont recall if there is any sort of keyed portion or not, but it is a real pita to get them to mate up. Make sure they actually will fit together first, and if it looks like they will, push harder...

Oh, BTW, the intermediate shaft does telescope, so pull it back if its iterfering with the column install.

 

I just finished doing this actually. The only difference though, is that I totally rebuilt my column, so most of my parts were off. I beat the crap out of the end of the shaft with a hammer......after the shaft slid in, I put the bolt back in. Then I continued to put the column back tock together. I dunno if this helps in your case though.

I also used the red bearing grease to help it slide in. Not too sure if it was that or the hammer.......maybe both.

 

It may be easier to install the column first and then hook the intermediate shaft back up.

 

Thanks to all for the quick responses...dimented24, I actually got the intermediate shaft to telescope back, and I can get it to go forward just until it starts to mate with the column (which is already installed and secured to the underdash bolts, as well as the firewall screws to make sure it is at the right angle, thought maybe that was the problem). The shop manual says that there is a spring somewhere in there, but everything is covered - I can;t see it, it seems more like a hydraulic strut than a spring, because it has no interest in moviong one way or the other on it's own. I'm going to look into trying to remove the lower shaft/column and bang it with a hammer - I'm assuming I just unbolt at the first bolt I see down the line? Are there any places (on the steering column ) I should not bang on with a hammer that are fragile, etc.?
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MJH91, Would red bearing grease be any different than the white lithium grease I already tried? Not trying to be sarcastic or anything there, it is a serious question... if there is a difference I will definitely try it. Thanks, Sean

 

Oh I don't know if it would be any different that white lithium grease. I was just telling you what I used. I had my buddy over the engine bay directing me, and then i beat it with a hammer. I also put a vise grip on the intermediate shaft to keep it from pushing in and out.

 

The bolt has a tendancy to pinch it down, making install a little more difficult. I dont think anything more extreme then some grease and pushing should be needed. Rock it around a little, it should go back on. Swearing is optional, but helps.

Id also avoid beating on the intermediate shaft. Dont want to damage anything. I had a u-joint go out on my blazer and a serious lack of steering=no fun.