I'm in the process of tearing my T&T column to pieces and run into a snafu. I have removed most of the pieces in the upper end and accordind to the Haynes manual next step should be sliding out the steering shaft. It will not budge. I hate it when one simple line in manual means hours of head scratching :reddevil

There isn't too many details about the lower end of the column in the manual but I opened it up as much as I could and it seems that the lower bearings inner race is rusted solid with the shaft preventing the shaft from sliding out. Is the shaft supposed to slide through the bearing or have I misunderstood it completely?? Any hints for getting that bearing loose?? I have started a WD40 treatment on it but so far no luck.

rgds Tomi

 

OK, by shaft I presume you mean that rod with the star wheel in the end that goes to the tele wheel round lever....that shaft should slide out...but in fact it's nice that it's stuck...there is a lever looking like a woodruff key in bottom of it...a steel wedge...with a 1/4" dia steel rod pushed by the star wheel screw...locking the inner tele shaft to the outer hollow shaft that is then into the universal joint you can't see now....
you are looking at a locking star wheel about 4" in daimeter with a ring under great pressure in the middle around the hollow shaft....that needs to be pressed down and released....I just take a pipe, but out the side of it, and slip over the assembly and a washer with a bolt into end of the shaft...tighten it all down..and that releases the snap ring...you are fighting a tuff spring in the bottom side of the locking wheel...

ok, the bearings you referr to are behind the turn signal switch,

the top bearings are two races...top and bottom about 4" apart....these are the upper bearings....there is one additional bearing at bottom in engine compartment....the top two bearings have 'keepers' in there to keep the ***** separate, and they used plastic which dries out and breaks after years...

GENE

 

Sorry for my bad terminology, I actually mean the three feet long main axle that has splines at both ends and the joint at the tilting point... I have allready removed everything to the point where the column tilts.

My problem is with the part where the tilt pivot pins go into, one hole has gone oval causing slop. I hope to find a replacement part from another GM column. Anyway I need to get the whole axle out to be able to remove that part. Yeah, I need to do this on the spare part column too...

rgds Tomi



[Modified by Tomi72, 3:54 PM 3/19/2002]

 

The steering shaft should be just a light press fit through the lower bearing on the column. I think that you have the correct approach with the WD-40. Be sure to regrease everything after soaking with the WD-40.

BTW I wrote some papers on tearing down and reassembling the T&T column. It seems that you are already further than my papers describe. Nevertheless, there may still be a few hints as to how to reassemble your column that you might find helpful.
Go to http://www.corvettefaq.com and look under Suspension and Steering. The papers are:
Tilt & Telescoping Blowup Pic
Tilt & Telescoping Disassembly Instructions
Tilt & Telescoping Disassembly Pics 1, 2, & 3.

Also I have another paper that describes where to find steering column parts for your T&T column. Same websight:
Steering Column Replacement Parts

 

Thanks, I'll keep trying with WD-40.

I have been reading your articles all along this project, they are great!

rgds Tomi