Well, foolishly I thought I'd be able to sort this out myself and made rather a large mess of my column. I'm now in need of a new one but haven't the slightest where to start. I just got off the phone with hawks and they said that while they have columns they can't guarantee that the one they send me won't have the same problem. I've searched and searched for an aftermarket new column but so far have been unsuccessful. So, how has everyone else who has a 90-92 with an air bag and tilt sorted this problem out?

 

Um. What's the "infamous seven o'clock column" problem?

If it is the steering wheel not centered, that can be addressed at the tie rods.

 

It's when you put pressure on the wheel that the column shifts to the seven o'clock position

 

I assume the steering column is tightly mounted to the dash and firewall. By process of elimination, that means the problem is the steering shaft is loose / not properly supported in the column housing.

 

It's funny that you mention that. I haven't done any research on it because it never really bothered me, but I have the same problem. I didn't know that it was a common occurrence.

 

It's my understanding that it happens to all 90-92 f body cars. Something to do with how the redesigned the tilt to work with the new airbags.

 

Pressure on the steering wheel? towards the firewall?

 

I just got the parts to fix my b4c what happens is the piviot pin holes wear and allow the column to move

 

the gm part number for the tilt housing is 26017468 its still a good part number mine should up

 

I just checked mine and it does this too, but it's not just to the 7 it's anyway down. It is because of the way the pins and the hooks are made for the tilt. I have recently taken apart one of these columns repeatedly for another reason. Any tilt column is going to do that.
Also I think the spring that pushes the column is not at the 12 o clock position and why it shifts to the 7 more naturally than to the 4 o clock

 

Unless you're moving the tilt every time you get in the car there is no reason for the pins to ever wear out.

 

i would disargee i have 3 camaros and a column out of a forth and all are worn the same at the pivot pins i got lucky on the first two and found used columns but still disassembled the old ones and sure enough the pivot pins will almost fall out of the hole when i take the one apart from my b4c i will take pictures and clearly show the holes are ovaled out.

 

That means someone was adjusting the column frequently. I have several columns and I recently took one apart to weld a new firewall flange on the end. I kept forgetting parts so I had it apart about 20 times. Came from a relatively high mile 4th gen. The pins were VERY tight despite me taking it apart repeatedly, yes I mean removing the pins over and over. It does this 7 o'clock as stated and the pins had little to no slop when I had the tension spring out. I have another one apart in the basement without pin wear and I had another one that I took apart and trashed because it had broke plastics. None of them had pin wear.

 

Is this what you were trying to do? Tilt column fix?

 

Pin wear also results from people pulling themselves in & out of the car by the steering wheel.

 

will have pics up soon,when i took the column apart i could pull the pins out by hand and on the new housing i really had to hammer them in i have built alot of columns in my life as a tech for 15 years and these by far were the tightest fit as i said before if you have a 90-92 column that will pull down by the housing and it will fix the issue its expensive but works