I'm stuck reassembling my steering column. 66 vert, non adjustable column. I picked up, amongst many parts, a new steering tube as some of the retaining ring locking tabs were missing from the one I removed. Installed my new retaining ring on the tube. Snaked the turn signal wires through the protector. The turn signal looks to attach to the retaining ring (3 screws in the signal that align with 3 holes in the retaining ring). I neglected to take pictures of that connection and I can not find an assembly diagram of this. The retaining ring is not taped to receive the 3- turn signal screws. Were nuts used? I bagged all the parts I removed while taking the column and dash out, do not see 3 nuts that may have attached all this.
Anyone shed some light on what I am missing here?
Thanks as always.

 

The retaining ring has 3 holes tapped to accept the machine screws.

 

Duh, your correct sir, didn't notice that. You guy's are great with us novice mechanics, thanks again.

 

I'm back. Seems to me I have it all assembled correctly but I am concerned of one development. The turn signal switch is in and the "cone" is slid up toward the hub, the wires are through the cone relief. I have the shaft installed with the lower bearing in place and the spacer/spring/clamp snugged up. I indexed the hub to the shaft and it slides in the splines enough to engage (can not spin the hub on the shaft, hub/shaft index marks align). I painted a thin coat of anti seize on both the hub and shaft splines prior to getting this far. Now the column is out of the car, on my bench with the lower flat portion of the shaft clamped to my worm bench. I can tighten the nut, with washer, on the upper shaft some, enough that 2 threads are exposed proud to the nut. This leaves me with 1/4" gap between the hub and the cone. Now once it's all back in the car I can probably torque the nut down so as to reduce that space but before I get much further into this, does this seem reasonable? Having issues with my phone so no pix yet.

 

It seems you have the column together ok. Once you have it back in when threw your firewall you then slide the washer,spring and clamp on the shaft with the correct preload. If done correctly your gap should close up to 1/16 to 3/32 spacing. I just did this job also earlier this year.

 

C2Dude, I am thinking I will do this in the next year or so. Did you find some kind of "kit" for rebuilding the steering column, offered by the usual Corvette parts sellers? Or, do you have to order everything individually? Do you have a list of parts?

 

Hi Dave. The column job was one of those fortuitous mission creep things. I am installing a Vintage Air unit and I needed to pull my panel because the speedometer imploded this year. Also wanted to have Gary blueprint my steering gear box so "while I was at it" I pulled the column. As I have posted recently that was a good move. The lower bearing all but disintegrated, the upper bearing was heading in that direction as well. Loss of the lower bearing resulted in what was left sawing through about a third of the shaft. The lower column tube was rusted up and the lower bearing race had all but welded itself to the tube. So....much to do here. I essentially made a list of what needed replacing and purchased all of it from Zip and Paragon. This included the column tube, lower bearing and race, upper bearing, turn signal wiring protector, retainer ring and central shaft. All the parts that make up the column are available, just look through their sites. Search for and download the DZVette article on the rebuild process and take a lot of pictures as you do this. I missed a few and am currently having some difficulty reassembling it.

 

Just to follow up I went back down to the shop and pulled everything apart again (did this 4 times yesterday with no success). Confirmed that everything was assembled in the proper order and configuration. Decided to pull the new upper bearing and compare it to the one that came with the replacement directional switch I had installed 4 years back. The face lip of the new bearing is just a tad wider than the existing one which prevented it from nesting down within the switch. I had wanted to replace the upper bearing because it was bone dry but did actually spin freely. I decided to pack the old one with grease and reinstalled it. The brass ring that covers it now sits flush to the switch. Now all of this probably bought me 1/8" but when I reassembled the complete column the gap between the directional housing and the hub is down to about 1/8". Once it is back in the car connected to the rag and I torque it to spec that gap should close a bit more. Cannot say the bearing was the entire cause here but a win is a win.

Last task here is to tighten the spring up at the lower bearing. Much said here about the gap between the coils of that spring. Page 189 of my 66 AIM probably has that spec but the print on that page is unreadable. Does anyone have that and does one use a feeler gauge similar to the kind used on ignition points to set it?

Thanks again

 

 

So .010 to .030 is the spacing between the spring coils I am after. Not sure on the axial clamp movement text as I would think that's 0 after its tightened up. Thanks for the diagram, I'm still trying to accumulate these from various sources to augment my AIM. Now I have one more.

 

After you install the steering wheel and hub and tighten the nut at the hub, the lower spring is compressed to only allow .010-.030 movement of the steering shaft. This would be evident by pulling up on the steering wheel (axial movement). This also tensions the upper and lower bearings so they are seated, you will notice how smooth the shaft turns after the spring is compressed.

I hope this helps.