Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

My steering wheel is coming loose and wiggling alot at the part where you can adjust it up or down.

How can I tighten that up? I cant see a place to get in there to tighten what I hope is a bolt.

subliminal

iTrader: (1)

Its a fairly comming problem, mine does the same thing. From what Ive read there is something in there that gets loos and you have to take the whole steering column apart to fix it.

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

well Im sure someone has had the same problem and been able to fix it. Maybe someone will chime in and let us know how to get in there and what to tighten. I dont feel like paying to have Chevy dealer fix it when I can do it myself...

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

holy crap, I just found the way to fix it using the search button. That seems like a lot of work just to get to those botls.

The guy that put in my delay turn signal lever should be able to fix it, right?

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

It involves pulling the wheel, locking plate, turn signal switch and lever, hazard switch, ignition cylinder(paying attention to the warning buzzer clips), and column cover(paying attention to the brights rod). It sounds scary, lol, but it's not.

Once you get back that far, you'll see the bolts that you'll have to tighten. They're torx-head, but a hex-head socket will work. But when you reassemble it all, pay close attention to the thin rod that contols the brights. It fits in sync with the column cover as you reinstall it.

There's a tech article in the 'general repair' section that goes into detail.

Edit: lol, that was good timing. you found it.

br()bert

mine does it too, Your right it does seem like alot of work. Thats the reason why im not fixing it. Ill just end up puttin a straight coloum in it one day.

Duck

If the steering wheel loosness is ignored, will the steering column eventually separate? Like you're going around a mountain curve and then off the cliff in an instant?

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

I don't remember who it was, but someone recently posted(maybe a month ago) that happened to him. Well, not off a cliff, lol. He obviously survived whatever happened to him.

Duck

Messed up the attachment, see following email....

Duck

The tech article is detailed, but could use some 3-views.

Which of the items here is the one with four bolts to tighten?

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

I sure don't remember so many parts in there, lol! Now I see why people are intimidated by it. But it's really not as scary as that exploded view makes it look.

From what I can tell from that pic, #52 are the bolts to tighten, and they'll secure #54 to #55. But to see and reach them, you'll go through #37 with a long thin, either nut driver or socket extension, and just tighten the crap out of them!

I've read of some guys removing the bolts and putting loctite on the threads so they don't come loose again(because they probably will). But if you're gonna try getting them out, be sure you've got a strong magnetic extension on them, cause if you drop it down into the column, you'll have a lot more work to do!

KBeez

Hey my column is loose at the front, like right behind the steering wheel. The part of the wheel which actually turns. It moves forward and backward, as well as side to side and up and down. What can I do for this?

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

The trouble with exploded views like the above pic is that they tend to make assemblies seem a lot larger(in this case, longer) than they are. Believe it or not, nearly every part you see in that pic, when assembled, fits inside of part number 18(the column cover). And the joint in question is about 4" behind the wheel, at the back edge of that column cover(behind the ignition cylinder). That's where the tilt mechanism is and where the four bolts inside loosen up.

So if that's where yours is flopping around, then your problem is the same, but maybe you(or me/us) are just describing it differently. But if yours isn't flopping there, but the shaft itself is flopping around from somewhere inside the column, then I don't know what that problem might be. I've heard there's a part deep inside the column that can break and allow the shaft to move around. If that's the case, then hopefully someone who knows will read through this topic.

But take a close look at yours again just to be sure. I'm still thinking your problem is the same as the others.

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

So is it hard to take apart and put back together? seems like alot of small parts that can easily be lost or end up down in the shaft.

I guess I'll give it a try this weekend and just take my time and see how far I can get.


Taking anything apart is easy, its just the putting together the right way that a find hard looking at the diagrams.

I heard Vader haas pictures that he took when he did this to his steering....I wish he would post them.

bluroc

http://home.t-online.de/home/O_Scholz/steering.html
Try the above link. Its on a GM column and should basically be the same. Very good illustartions.

Wishmaster's87IROC

iTrader: (4)

LAFireboyd

iTrader: (3)

LOL! It's not that bad--really! You'll see when you do it.

That's a good article bluroc, nicely illustrated. I wish I'd had that a few years ago! My Haynes manual was useless, so I went to a junkyard and just started taking things apart 'til I got it, lol.

Good luck guys, and have fun!

dr1

mine is doing the same, its not the tilt thats loose on mine either

Drew

iTrader: (58)

I've done about 5 of these GM columns. Its not all that difficult only time consuming. It requires apprx $50 worth of specialized tools.

The bolts are the usual cause, but I've also had one or two that were loose because the pivot pins (28 in the diagram) were backing out. Tapped them back in place with a hammer, and they were 100%. Also, its pretty easy to strip the screws, they thread into cheap pot metal or aluminum. Don't overtorque them or your column will become a really nice boat anchor.

90-up cars also have the ignition coil for the airbag in the column, check a GM service manual for precautions so the SIR system doesn't get pissed off.

KBeez

anybody know a fix for me and dr1's problem? (bump)

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Exactly how much harder is this going to be since I also have to replace #56 in that above pic, the lower column bowl/shroud thing? Mine looks like someone pulled it apart with a pair of pliers (to get at a broken wire actually.. ) and I would rather not do this if it will be easier to drop in a junkyard column (I do like a challenge though... maybe I'll keep this one as a spare? )

BigNg

I knew if I searched long enough, I'd find what I was looking for. I can kind of see where mine is ummm, rather broken. I'm wondering If I should go and experiment trying to take one out at the wrecker and then install it in mine, or should I just bite the bullet and get a whole new column?

Duck

When the steering column on my '87 IROC was about to fall off, I finally decided to fix it myself, rather than pay someone else a couple hundred dollars. It was a hard choice, since the parts in the column are so densely packed and are all weirdly-shaped.

Using Vader's and others instructions made into an illustrated book sitting on the seat next to me, I followed the directions and amazingly, was able to fix it in one weekend.

Here's a few tips based on my experience -- the job is very doable, although quite intimidating; there is no need to completely separate the joint, as a socket and extension can be poked though the assembled unit to the torx bolts; get the plate removal tool shown below, it will save you from blowing your brains out in frustration; when the buzzer contacts were removed a very small contact inside the hole came down preventing reinsertion until manually pushed back up; and finally, be patient and layout the parts in order exactly as they were removed so the replacement process goes more easily.

I consolidated the project info along with content from Vader, Oliver Scholz and others into a PDF guidebook of 1.35 megs, it is located on my duck-page --

http://www.geocities.com/luckyducky_...ing_column.pdf

There's also a button to access the file.

And yes, I would do this job again, it's not that horrid...

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

Yeah... and I'd like to add something in case someone has to change the bowl like I did:

You have to remove the steering shaft and the plates where the Torx bolts are (actually what the Torx bolts hold together) and then the bowl just pulls right off.

It's not all that hard, but don't forget about the upper bearing race and retainer when installing the lock plate... I bent mine..

phess11

Probably a dumb question, but does this only apply to tilt steering columns, or are all at risk of getting loose?

thanks,
phil

Duck

I've never heard of non-tilt column torx bolts coming loose.

Duck

Hmm, as I recall, the ball bearing race and retainer are held in place by a spring. The lock plate remover pushes the lock plate only far enough in to take the pressure off the locking clip, which when removed enables the plate to come forward and off. There's like half-inch of more travel to impact the bearing... so normally there's not much risk of bending the bearing retainer.

Maverick H1L

iTrader: (8)

There's a metal cone-like piece that holds the inner bearing race in place, or is supposed to, that locates itself under the spring and centers the spring on the shaft. That little doohickey came loose on me and I didn't realize it until the lock plate was bent...