Jam421

I had a local shop do state inspection + get me summer ready on what I thought might include a turn signal light replacement. In the end it was the Turn Signal Assembly inside the steering column. Good news is all my signals work great & are much brighter.
Bad news is halfway through a turn in either direction it's a metal to metal sounding squeal. It's due back in the shop next week. Seeking advice to share with my local shop who already feels he'll need to take it all apart again. Oh well. Test drive next time bud..
I'm assuming the lock down nut should be backed off 1/2 turn or so?

L78racer

probably need to put some white grease on the horn contact button on the switch and the horn contact ring which slides on the button when turning the wheel.

65GGvert

You should not back off the nut that holds the steering hub on. They just need to look and see where it's rubbing and fix that

toddalin

Mine has a plastic sounding squeal when turning and doesn't do it when the car is stone cold.

Frankie the Fink

I agree. That top nut should be torqued (25 ft lbs IIRC) and left alone or you'll have a Three Stooges moment someday.

Easy Rhino

One of the more aggravating early problems on my driver '65 was an annoying squeal every time I turned the steering wheel.

When I pulled and rebuilt the column, both top and bottom bearings were bone dry and shot.

DUB

I had the lower bearing on a 1964 be so bad that it actually ate into the shaft and it had to be replaced.

This is where I would be looking. But I also would not adhere to the information above. I would remove the hub so I can see what is going on.

But I do this stuff for a living and pulling the hub is a no-brainer for me and often times I am a glutton for punishment.

I also have checked to make sure the shaft clamp and spring that are on the firewall side of the steering column are doing their job and adjusted correctly and the 'in and out' play of the steering wheel is minimal of almost non existent.

DUB

Easy Rhino

Since you brought it up, my steering shaft was so grooved from the lower bearing failure that I, too, had to replace my shaft. My old shaft is an artifact evidencing 50 year old cars need stuff replaced, even if you think it's a non-wearing part.

My entire lower bearing and spring/clamp tensioner system came out/off in crumbs.

hugh9222

I had to replace my steering shaft because someone welded the flex joint to the steering shaft. Once out I was surprised that see that the screw that was holding the turning switch in place was too long and I had ground a significant grove in the shaft, but I did not have any noise coming from it. Your switch what messed with and a too long of screw might be your problem.

Jam421

Thanks Fellas....
Car is scheduled to go back end of this week to see why it's suddenly squealing. This was never an issue before the turn signal assembly replacement. Meanwhile....I'm not driving it for fear of creating any abnormal wear.

Jam421

Uugh...I brought the C2 back for the loud squealing steering shaft after they installed a turn signal assembly. My "assumption" was take apart, put back together proper tolerances no charge. WRONG. He told me the steering shaft is not true(bent) because folks pull on it over 50yrs or lean hard as they get in/out + the collar is out of round. Therefore, it doesn't go back together "the same" each time so price to me $100! The loud squeal is gone BUT it still squeaks each time I get thru more than 1/2 turn. C'mon Man!
I can see where the collar between wheel & column is not = distance all around but THEN I asked:
"Did you re-torque the lock down at 25#?" He says: "We didn't need a Tq wrench as we know roughly what is 25#'s".

BIGGEST REGRETS! I brought it to this particular shop for annual inspection knowing the RFturn signal didn't blink & RR was dim. Had I known this would've involved disassembly of steering column the car would've gone to the custom shop that built a dozen C1/C2 restos & modified my C2 with Hurst 5 speed drive line & BP 383 stroker. There I know it would've been done right with no excuses. Based on the advice here on the forum I believe it's best for me to make that trip & pay for this steering column to be inspected for safety. Uugh!

64SilverbluePhx

Sounds like your two best options are take it to the custom shop...or do it yourself. All the info is here in the forum. I did mine, (due to right brake light going out) following posts w instructions and advice here. Now it is almost like having power steering. And it surprised me by how quiet it is. No squeaks or rattles. Just very easy steering. I have pics of what I found inside...and replaced all of the parts except my steering wheel and hub. It wasn't hard to do as it is just screws, nuts and bolts. I saved some $ by doing it myself and have had the experience of taking it apart 3 times LOL to get it just the way I wanted it. The properly painted steering column, turn signal housing and steering wheel hub add beauty to the cockpit too.

DUB

Did you put a new steering column shaft in???

DUB

Frankie the Fink

Many do not use a torque wrench for a lot of things on here....I got made a bit of fun of when a picture appeared of me using one. So I'll say the shop prob did the nut by feel and that may well be OK. As to the bent steering shaft - I'm skeptical on that one....it would take on hell of a lot of force to bend that solid steel shaft. In my front end crash I pushed on the steering wheel hard enough to bend its steel spokes and nothing happened to the shaft....

As stated, you can take it to the custom shop (its prob an hour job at most as I'm betting its something put together improperly) or get out your tools and the shop documentation and strap it on yourself.

64SilverbluePhx

DUB, Yes a new shaft and shaft jacket, couplers, rag joint etc.. The old shaft had gouges carved in it! And the turn signal wires were bare in many areas...the prongs on the column jacket had been hacked off at some time in the past, causing the turn signal housing to rotate...alot!

Frankie - I did use a torque wrench. :-) Although I think my Craftsman torque wrench from (going out of business) Sears may not be working right...so I erred on the side of caution. 25 lbs was the lowest setting. And it didn't give me the handle feel when it should have clicked like my long handled one does at 120 lbs when torquing wheel nuts.

DUB

Not that what I think matters here. I would pull the column out of the car and set it up in a jig I have and work on it at my workbench so I can spin the steering wheel and check it out.

KNOWING that the spring and clamp that are used on this column on the firewall side to set the GAP between the hub and column jacket may be loose or too tight or who knows what.

Also making sure the column is set at the correct angle in relation to the rag joint can be a possible theory. But I doubt that the angel is off that much especially with a new shaft and lower bearing in it.

DUB