68' tele steering column, need guru help!
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 12
From: wichita kansas
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 12
From: wichita kansas
well, i got the entire column apart last night, the shaft is now completely out of the housing....i'm cleaning it all up the parts, (and ordering a couple of new little things) then i can put it all back together. the lower bearing seems to be in great shape, i'm just gonna clean it up and pack some grease in it...thanks everyone! Rick
Thread Starter
Drifting
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 1,369
Likes: 12
From: wichita kansas
The steering shaft is made in two pieces. The lower is hollow with a formed end that is about half way up the steering column jacket. The upper end of the shaft is solid and is closely formed so that it can slide into the hollow lower shaft. Where the two shafts overlap, there is also injected plastic that holds them in place to a design length.
If you have some up and down motion of the lower shaft, I would assume that the lower column bearing is in very bad shape and needs to be replaced.
If you can slide that plastic spacer a couple inches, it would seem that it still must be corrosion of the shaft that is holding it up. I would think that adding some oil to the shaft and working the spacer back and forth (that one or two inches) on the shaft has to either break down the metal corrosion or will hone the plastic spacer to a larger inside diameter. You still don't want to hammer the spacer off of the shaft.
BTW, this information may be helpful. Since you have a telescoping steering column these two dimensions may be helpful.
Overall length of steering shaft with upper end retracted: 36.34 inches
Overall lenght of steering shaft with upper end extended: 39.34 inches
If the overall lengths are greater or smaller than these dimensions, that would been that the plastic injection is broken and the two shafts are not at their design length. One last comment, the fact that the plastic injection may be broken does not mean any type of safety problem. The overlap of the two shafts is generous and the worst that could happen would be a minor amount of looseness being felt in the steering wheel rim.
Jim
If you have some up and down motion of the lower shaft, I would assume that the lower column bearing is in very bad shape and needs to be replaced.
If you can slide that plastic spacer a couple inches, it would seem that it still must be corrosion of the shaft that is holding it up. I would think that adding some oil to the shaft and working the spacer back and forth (that one or two inches) on the shaft has to either break down the metal corrosion or will hone the plastic spacer to a larger inside diameter. You still don't want to hammer the spacer off of the shaft.
BTW, this information may be helpful. Since you have a telescoping steering column these two dimensions may be helpful.
Overall length of steering shaft with upper end retracted: 36.34 inches
Overall lenght of steering shaft with upper end extended: 39.34 inches
If the overall lengths are greater or smaller than these dimensions, that would been that the plastic injection is broken and the two shafts are not at their design length. One last comment, the fact that the plastic injection may be broken does not mean any type of safety problem. The overlap of the two shafts is generous and the worst that could happen would be a minor amount of looseness being felt in the steering wheel rim.
Jim
