The Trans has the famed loose steering wheel problems and I was wondering of anyone online that has quality replacements?

 

Given that you will have to perform quite a bit of disassembly to replace the column, and there is no certainty that a replacement column would be any better, it would make sense to simply repair the column you have.

Bery commonly, the loose parts can be found in the upper bearing and tilt mechanism universal swivel areas, and are quite easy to repair. Perform a search and you should find lots of threads detailing the procedures.

 

I've already read every thread I can find. Problem is, the guy that owned the car before pulled it apart and couldn't fix it in shop class. Now maybe he didn't know what to look for, but he was telling me about how you need the torx sockets... That shop teacher is pretty sharp too and told him he'd be better off with a junker column...


The car steers fine also, just the wobble where the column goes into the dash.

Thanks

 

Well, in that case...

Your car will be a little easier if there is no VATS wiring and SIR coil/wiring/gas bag. If you have VATS, there are only two more wires that need to be handled. With SIR, you have an entire additional procedure to remove and reassemble the system. You really should have a service manual in hand for that procedure.

Start by centering the steering wheel, so that the wheel can be replaced in exactly the same position on the shaft easily. The steering shaft is both marked and keyed, but centering the wheel makes the job easier to "eyeball", and keeps the turn signal cancelling cam out of the way in later steps.

Next, remove the hazard flasher **** on the lower right side of the steering column. There should be a small (#0) Phillips screw holding the **** in place. Find the release clip or bolts for the horn sounder pad and remove it. As the pad is removed from the wheel, unplug the horn wire from the connector on the pad. Remove the horn sounder wire and the insulator that guides the wire through the steering wheel. The insulating sleeve needs to be pushed inward slightly, twisted ¼ turn anticlockwise, and removed from the wheel. There is a light spring in the sleeve, so make sure all the parts are removed together.

Remove the safety clip from the steering shaft, then remove the nut. You might have to have an assistant help hold the wheel while you turn the nut loose. Install the bolts from your steering wheel puller into the tapped holes in the wheel, and turn the puller screw to release the wheel from the steering shaft.

Depress the notched wheel locking plate and remove the locking ring located at the center of the plate. There is a special tool for holding the wheel locking plate while the snap ring is removed, and it will be worth the $15.00 you'll pay for it. It can be done without the tool, but it is an exercise in frustration unless you are an octopus. I've done it several times using the "Armstrong" method, now I have the tool and use the "Brainstrong" method instead.



When the wheel locking plate is removed, you can look at the left lower side of the turn signal switch and see a pan head Phillips screw that hold the turn signal lever in place. Remove this screw and plate, then move the lever out of the way. There are three more pan head screws that hold the turn signal/hazard lamp switch to the upper column. Remove those and lift the turn signal switch out of the way. You may need to feed some extra wire from under the column to allow the switch to clear the steering shaft and move out of the way completely.



Once the turn signal/hazard switch base is out of the way, you should see another pan head screw on the upper right side of the column. This screw holds the lock cylinder in place. Before you remove the lock cylinder, make sure you hold the plastic/metal foil contact assembly in place so you don't lose it down the column when the lock is removed. This switch assembly is what actuates the key warning buzzer/chime. If you have VATS, there should be an additional pair of wires to umplug and feed down along the column.



Remove the column tilt release lever by unscrewing it. Set it nearby since you will need to reinstall it after the upper bowl trim jacket is removed. Remove the turn signal / multifunction lever shaft by carefully pulling it out of the switch. Unplug the cruise control wire harness (if equipped). Remove the remaining upper bowl trim screws and lift the upper bowl off the column. Find the column tilt release lever and thread it back in hand tight for now.

Remove the upper steering shaft bearing nut and retainer clip. Remove the upper bearing set. Remove the actuator rod link from the rack/sector that operates with the lock cylinder. Disconnect the link from the clip in the lower column.



Remove the balance spring cap with a #2 or larger Phillips driver or larger square drive. This will allow the upper column fall to the lowest tilt position.

Remove the pivot pins from either side of the upper column using an 8-32 screw and nuts as a puller.



Once the pins are removed, operate the column tilt release lever and remove the upper column half. Note the routing of the ignition switch linkage rod(s) when you remove the upper column half. Tilt the upper stub shaft and universal joint to allow the joint to be separated.

At this point, you should be viewing the top of the lower column half and four Torx cap screws. Remove these screws one at a time, clean the threads, and apply a light coating of LocTite 242 or an equivalent medium strength removable thread locker. Tighten the bolts by hand until all four are reinstalled. Torque these bolts to 80 in/lb.

Reassemble the upper column half in reverse order. Take time to clean and grease all the moving parts so you can have another ten years of reliable operation. Every moving part, including the turn signal switch and cancelling cam, should be cleaned and lubricated with white lithium grease.

When assembly is complete, torque the steering wheel nut to 35 ft/lb. There are already enough loose nuts behind steering wheels on our roadways....

There is a possibility that some of the pan head screws are Torx instead of Phillips. I believe this was more common on 1985 and later cars, but your's may have them as well.

There is also a very remote possibility that your car has an inflatable restraint, in which case you'll need to disconnect the battery and insulate all connections before you start. You should also have a service manual to detail the proper procedure for removing and re-centering the triggering coil and pickup for the SIR. You don't want to have that done incorrectly.

(Before anyone starts to argue about having an air bag on an older car, I know that some GM vehicles had SIR systems as early as 1977. My mother had a '77 Toronado with an air bag, but back then GM called it the "Air Cushion Restraint System" - almost 15 years before the SIR was standard on many cars. GM knew that the air bags sucked eggs back then, and they know that they still suck. But no one can reason with the government when they get involved in our personal lives. Gimme a five point any day. )

 

Incidentally, when you get to the point of the problem, you should be looking at something like this:

 

And why should he bother to get a manual, when Vader is in the house?

 

Thanks, except in that last pic shouldn't there be the 4 torx showing?

How much, worst case including tool rental/buy, fixing the stock parts, could this cost me. I have a bad feeling its not the torx bolts, and its something more costly or something I know less about.

Thanks again, and bless your knowledgable-ness

***Edited to say I'm pretty sure the source of the movement is deeper than what it looks in the last pic, could the actual attachment to the firewall be loose?***

pic of the car

 

Stolen pic, would the torx bolts cause the problem here?

When I look at the 2 pictures the only thing I can think of is that the torx are long bolts, unless the 2 columns are completely different?

Pic is of where the movement is

 

that is where the picture vader posted is at the point where the column tilts

 

Yes. If that is the point of looseness, the four bolts holding the lower tilt joint to the lower column are probably loose.

The photo posted has four red arrows, which indicate the positions of the Torx cap screws. In that photo, they have been removed for an application of Loctite before reassembly. Don't simply tighten your screws, but apply a threadlocker, or you'll be back in there soon to do it all over again.

 

Ok so thats good news. If that is the point of the wobble, worst case what could be wrong? Bolts and bearings? I'm assuming whatever it is will be easily repairable, but want to know what I may be looking at.

thanks again guys

 

I replaced the column in my buddy's '87 TA last year and it was actually much easier than I thought it would be. We checked out the column at the wrecking yard before purchasing it to make sure it was in good working order. The installation was quite straight forward.

 

just talking to my buddy and.....


Me: did you see something like that

Him: i think that was different setup then mine. or i just didn't get that far.

Me: how far did you get?

Me: past the blinker setup?

Him: yea


This is in response to me sending him the picture of the 4 torx. I'm assuming he got stuck before them and I have my problem in sight. He has owned the car for the past 2 years or so, and is a good friend of mine.