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2025 C2 of the Year ('64-'66) Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '25
Another steering column post
I've been seeing a lot of posts on steering columns lately and I didn't want to hijack anyone's thread so I'll start this one.
My steering wheel feels pretty tight and is far from being loose or sloppy, but after reading the current posts and several older posts I've decided I'd also like to replace the shaft bearings. Part of the reason to replace bearings is my setup doesn't seem to use all of the correct parts:
The washer that supports the spring looks to be wrong, and I'm not sure what is going on with the bottom bearing, is there a race that's missing?
I like the technique FLYNAVY30 posted starting at #24 in this one: https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...-column-2.html
If I'm just replacing bearings/spring this looks a lot easier than pulling the column. Is there any downside to using this technique?
Agreed, I am not seeing a lower race and I'm not even sure he has a bearing there, don't think it would fit inside the tube. In my paranoid world, when I see something like that, I would absolutely pull the column and look to see what other things look suspect. Since I first posted pictures of my damaged 66 steering shaft there have been enough other members posting similar pictures that I am convinced that this is one of those pervasive safety related issues everyone should check. Pulling the column, assuming the shaft/rag joint coupling is not rusted together, takes about 20-30 minutes. Lastly I will tell you that my steering was fine, just a tad of 12:00-6"00 movement and no lateral slop. My lower bearing had disintegrated, the remnants has sawed through a third of my shaft like a lathe had at it and the upper bearing was bone dry and full of fine black powder presumably from the ball bearings. You can be surprised of what you find when you look so my advice is to look.
2025 C2 of the Year ('64-'66) Finalist - Unmodified
2025 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2023 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2022 C2 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
2021 C5 of the Year Finalist - Unmodified
St. Jude Donor '25
I pulled the steering shaft out using FLYNAVY30's technique - starting with post 24 here
My assembly was missing the bottom bearing adapter, the spring and the washer the spring pushes on. All of the ***** from the lower bearing were missing, and it came out in pieces. The shaft had a groove cut in it as others that I've seen posted on the forum have had. I received the replacement parts and installed them today. It's a pretty easy job, I'm glad I got in there and put it back together correctly with a new shaft. Thanks to the folks who previously posted about this issue. Without those posts I probably wouldn't have checked it, and would have been driving around with the grooved shaft.
Thanks for this post......planning on doing this next week during my first week of retirement. Have been searching for FlyNavy post and could not locate it.
Another steering column post
