Telesccoping column
Thread Starter
Cruising
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
Telesccoping column
1969 conv/4-speed: tilt/telescoping column; The tilt works fine but the telescope will not lock into place. The wheel moves up and down easily. I'm doing a resto mod, front to back, inside and out, top to bottom but I have no idea where to start on the telescoping problem. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Can I do it myself or do I need outside help? Thanks.
Racer
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 420
Likes: 6
From: Springfield Missouri
This is something you can easily do yourself.
First, remove the horn button and contact. Then, remove the 2 screws that hold the tele lock ring to the star screw. Then, with a large Phillips screwdriver, see if you can tighten the star screw. Don't overdo it, but you want it to be good and snug. Then reinstall the screws for the lock ring and see if you can unlock and re-lock the tele function.
Odds are you just need to tighten that screw. I had to do mine maybe a third of a turn to stop it from slipping.
If that does not cure your slipping problem, it's probably something deeper in the column. If that is the case take a look at Jim Shea's papers: he's more or less the go-to guru of steering here.
First, remove the horn button and contact. Then, remove the 2 screws that hold the tele lock ring to the star screw. Then, with a large Phillips screwdriver, see if you can tighten the star screw. Don't overdo it, but you want it to be good and snug. Then reinstall the screws for the lock ring and see if you can unlock and re-lock the tele function.
Odds are you just need to tighten that screw. I had to do mine maybe a third of a turn to stop it from slipping.
If that does not cure your slipping problem, it's probably something deeper in the column. If that is the case take a look at Jim Shea's papers: he's more or less the go-to guru of steering here.
Last edited by Kris Tunetso; Apr 10, 2015 at 11:10 AM.
Race Director
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 12,708
Likes: 329
From: Scottsdale Arizona
Having had to do this a large number of times while repairing my horn, I found that one trick to adjusting the star screw quickly was to put the locking lever half way (between the "adjust" setting and the "locked" setting). Tighten the star scew just to the point that the telescope stops moving. Snug everything back up and you should be very close.
