I posted before about an alignment issue I had getting the steering box and the steering shaft aligned. (new steering box and mast jacket and bearings) I resolved that issue (mostly by getting everything loose and also by re-shimming the body down a bit.) The steering shaft now points right at the input shaft of the steering box however now I have a problem at the other end.

Where the hub meets the the housing that covers the directional switch the parts don't align well. I have a gap on the top and a much smaller gap on the bottom. The gaps are not so bad but the hub actually seems to sit lower that the housing by maybe 1/3 of an inch...a noticeable amount. It functions fine, the wheel will turn no problem and never rubs the housing nor does it change relative alignment (wobble) like I would expect if say the shaft was bent. It is almost like the bearings are not centered in the mast.....I don't see how that can be but it is the only thing I can thing of. Is there some more adjustment I can make to make this look better? I'd like to close up the upper gap and get the hub and housing more aligned. I note also some slight play in the wheel, not alot but if I grab and pull it I can move it some...like looseness in the bearings...but even if I pulled up hard it would not move enough to correct or really change the the above alignment irregularity.

Any Ideas?
Thanks in advance
Darren

 

Darren - it would be my guess that the directional switch housing is somehow cocked a little on the column tube. This would explain why the hub seems to rotate without any wobble and doesn't change in relation to the housing. Unfortunately my memory isn't good enough, and my shop manual isn't clear enough, for me to remember how the housing is secured to the tube. Hopefully someone will chime in who has had their column apart recently.

Dan

 

Dan,

That sounds promising....since I just had the column apart I think I know how it goes.....I will pull the hub, maybe somehow the the housing is not evenly attached...as I recall there are screws that go though the plastic switch assembly and into the housing, pinching the locking collar of the steering tube....maybe something is not seated right.

 

hmmm, well I can't find anything amiss in the housing mount. It is rock solid and doesn't appear to be angled. I also see no way to alter its angle by design though doing so would probably correct the problem. I may try a few small washers here and there to induce a slight angle but am not too confident..and sigh there goes my perfectly painted column all this sliding in and out has trashed the paint, I'll have to try to fix it in place once I resolve the problem as I have never been able to slide that collar on without messing the paint.

 

Hmmm - sorry that didn't help any - it seemed to make sense. I think the bearing on this fits into the turnsignal switch assembly. If the switch housing is on straight then somehow the switch isn't alighed or centered to the tube and housing since it centers the shaft and hub. Is there any adjustment or slop in the screws that attach the switch to the column?

Dan