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I’ve been communicating to several guys on the forum re: upper bearing replacement. I only have one last puzzling question hoping someone can clarify it for me. I Dremeled out the old bearing from the housing. I will drill and put 3 set screws in the housing to hold the new bearing. My confusion is about the collar that was left on the upper shaft that I removed. If it’s part of the old bearing, how did it play a part behind the housing if the old bearing was pressed in the housing held by the lip I had to grind off to get the old bearing out? No one has been able to answer this question so far. Pic included. Old collar left on shaft Old collar removed from shaft Bearing extracted from housing
Was it used as a stop and wasn’t part of the original bearing? I don’t think so. Because I have to many loose bearings left after the front bearings fell out. It must of had bearings in the back too. I don’t know!!!This might be answered when I receive the new bearing.
As I place the old bearing back on the shaft, I see that collar in question was in fact the back half of the bearing and came to a stop at the snap ring grooved into the column and also had small roller bearings in it sandwiched behind the front bearing. Does that make sense?
Ok, new bearing came as as expected it answered the big question. That collar that was left on the steering shaft was in fact the back half of the steering bearing. That half is spot welded in 6 places (like a star)to the back of the front half of the complete bearing. It all makes sense now and will slide right back in its home position. All I have to do is drill 3 holes in the bearing housing and tap the holes for set screws to hold the new bearing in place. The peened over lip was removed to get the old bearing out. All good to go for reassembly.
This is how I will hold the new bearing in the housing. Drilled and tapped for 3 10-32 set screws to hold the bearing in place after grinding down the peened over lip.
One puzzling steering column question
Dennis