The steering wheel on my 84 TA suddenly became very loose. I removed the steering wheel and the spline that the wheel bolts to jiggles around something terrible. It has about half an inch slop in all directions. The steering still seems to function but I am afraid to drive the thing.

Anyone tell me what the likely cause is and where to look?

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Cosmik Debris

 

not 100% sure i understand your question or problem but i'll take a shot at it any way. look at the rag joint where the shaft joins the stearing box. look at the 3 (i think) screws that hold the stearing column together. they're way below the turn signal switch.

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-=ICON MOTORSPORTS=-
1st & 3rd

 

Thanks for having a go at this. The slop just seems to be in the top 6 inches or so of the splined shaft that the steering wheel bolts to. It doesn't seem to be the loose column problem that is common to these cars.

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Cosmik Debris

 

Hey Cosmik, I've had this problem before and I don't want to bring you down, but it was a bitch to fix. You have to take the steering wheel/column completely apart in order to get to six "star shaped" bolts (I'm not really sure of the technical term, but they look like a reverse Torx bit.) It was an all-day sucker, and I had to have a buddy help out because a couple of times I didn't have enough hands to hold everything together. Get a steering wheel puller, go slow, take notes (digital pictures if you can), and once you get to them you should lock-tite them. Unlike I. I'll probably have to do that gig again in another year or so...

Good luck,
Steve

 

Well, I've found the problem. There are two bearings in the steering column above the tilt steering knuckle. The lower one has disintegrated. When I took the column apart lots of ***** fell out. I have removed the whole column as I am unsure how to get the thing apart any further.

I think I am am about to become an expert.


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Cosmik Debris

 

Steve, maybe you can help. I have the column out of the car and I have removed the electrics and the plastic covers. I can see the reversed tork screws you mentioned through a hole in the housing. How the hell do you get the housing off???



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Cosmik Debris

 

Do you mean the housing going back the length of the shaft, ending somewhere underneath the console? If that is the housing you're talking about I actually had to cut mine. Wasn't real happy about it, but I could not find the way to remove it without. I just cut a slit in it, and pulled it off that way. Without actually having it in front of me, it's kind of hard to say for sure...

Steve

 

No, I actually meant the the housing right at the top of the column that contains the bearings and the tilt knuckle. I've managed to get it apart. For those interested you have to extract the swivel pins for the tilt steering (if you have tilt steering of course).

 

I'm so glad I don't have tilt! Maybe I'll keep this column for the next (v8) 3rd gen f-body I buy


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-Tom P (Hot rodded 1986 Firebird 2.8l) from http://www.f-body.net/mailbag/3rd/3rd_mailbag.html message boards
---Think your car could be pic of the week? Visit http://www.f-body.net for details!

 

Talk about PITA. You need at least 3 hands and preferably 4 for this job. I've had the complete thing apart and back together at least 3 times.

Grrrrrr.


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Cosmik Debris

 

Yeah, that is a serious no-sh!tter - every time I thought I had it back together some other part would intrude upon my vision, requiring me to tear it apart again. Did you lock-tite those bolts?

Steve

 

I've got the whole thing back together and in the car finally. I lock-tited everything. I can do the whole thing blind folded now. The ignition switch is a bit flakey. The rod that operates the switch wants to jump out sometimes but it works. I NEVER want to do this again.


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Cosmik Debris