Steering Column Woes
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Madison al
St. Jude Contributor
Steering Column Woes
I have gotten all of the parts and I am trying to rebuild the top end of my steering column. I went to corvettefaq and printed everything out and tried to follow the instructions. Even with the spring out I dont have enough room to get the canceling cam, the lock, and retainer on the shaft. I have tried until I am blue in the face and I cannot get it all to go back together. I am very frustrated with it. Can anyone give me any guidance? Has the steering colum shaft shifted down? :confused:
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 193
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From: Bloomington IN
Re: Steering Column Woes (RLaFarge)
I had the same problem not two days ago. I had to pull the inner shaft out/up about 1 inch to give enough room for the cam, lock and retainer.
It's what I had to do, not sure it Jim Shea would agree, but it's fine. Oh yeah, make sure you have the cam positioned correctly with the signal switch or your signals won't work. I've got to tear mine back down for that reason.
Good Luck
It's what I had to do, not sure it Jim Shea would agree, but it's fine. Oh yeah, make sure you have the cam positioned correctly with the signal switch or your signals won't work. I've got to tear mine back down for that reason.
Good Luck
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 163
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From: Madison al
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Steering Column Woes (midwest-vette)
THANK YOU for the help.... Two more questions for ya.
Question 1. How did you pull the shaft up.
Question 2. Which way do the ears on the cam face, Driver or passenger side?
Question 1. How did you pull the shaft up.
Question 2. Which way do the ears on the cam face, Driver or passenger side?
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
Re: Steering Column Woes (RLaFarge)
From D&R Paper #3 (The Horn Contact is also know as the cancelling cam.)
Reassembly - Horn Contact and Shaft Lock
Place the upper bearing preload spring, the horn contact carrier, and the lock plate onto the upper end of the shaft. Note, the steering shaft yoke #44 has two flats on opposite sides of the open end. The flats are not equal in length. Assemble the horn contact carrier so that its flat matches the long flat on the shaft yoke assy. Also, the hub on the shaft lock plate is raised on one side. The raised section should be pointing toward you as the shaft lock plate is assembled on the shaft yoke.
Tha above instructions should help.
Reassembly - Horn Contact and Shaft Lock
Place the upper bearing preload spring, the horn contact carrier, and the lock plate onto the upper end of the shaft. Note, the steering shaft yoke #44 has two flats on opposite sides of the open end. The flats are not equal in length. Assemble the horn contact carrier so that its flat matches the long flat on the shaft yoke assy. Also, the hub on the shaft lock plate is raised on one side. The raised section should be pointing toward you as the shaft lock plate is assembled on the shaft yoke.
Tha above instructions should help.
Instructor
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 193
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From: Bloomington IN
Re: Steering Column Woes (RLaFarge)
The shaft just slides in and out, at least mine did. Try just pulling out on the threaded part of the shaft it should slide completely out and there is a keyway that keeps it aligned.
As far as the ears - I think they align with the springs in the turn signal switch. I've still got to pull mine back apart to get it right.
(By the way - Jim Shea helped me through almost the entire process, he really knows this stuff...) Thanks again Jim.
As far as the ears - I think they align with the springs in the turn signal switch. I've still got to pull mine back apart to get it right.
(By the way - Jim Shea helped me through almost the entire process, he really knows this stuff...) Thanks again Jim.
Thread Starter
Instructor
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From: Madison al
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Steering Column Woes (midwest-vette)
That part comes out with no problem. How about the sleeve the teleshaft slides into? That is the one that I am having all of the problems getting the stuff on to. When I put the cancel cam, and the lock there is not enough room to get the retaining clip on the shaft at all. This is the retaining clip that holds the telescoping shaft in place.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 844
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From: Central KY
Re: Steering Column Woes (RLaFarge)
My novice 2 cents: From looking at Jim Shea's paper - you had to press in to relieve tension and get that clip out. Perhaps you also need to press in on the parts surrounding the shaft to place the clip back in?
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Mar 2002
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From: Madison al
St. Jude Contributor
Re: Steering Column Woes (djcwardog)
That is with the spring in place. I am trying without the spring in place and all off the parts will not fit on the shaft with enough room to put on the retaining clip. That is what has be so flustred. They should fit so I am wondering if it possible for that part of shaft to shift downward.
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Instructor
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 193
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From: Bloomington IN
Re: Steering Column Woes (RLaFarge)
OH, now I see what your doing. No that part won't shift down. Are you sure you have the part that your working with (upper) connected and seated with the next section down. There are some interlocking parts at the top (looking down on the column) sort of like grooves that lock togther - if I remember right the two needed a little bit of twisting and it fell together. (Sorry this is not very scientific sounding). Also make sure you have the uppering bearing shoved all the way down (towards the floor pan). I used a small thin screwdriver to push it back.
If you can't get it together with the spring out something isn't right. Of course you know that. That c-clip/ring is tough just using thumbs. Once you get to that point and if you don't have a compression tool - press the lock down and have someone line up the clip, get a large blade screwdriver and press it in using the inside of the column to pry from - just give the screwdriver a twist and it should catch a lip enough to get it going in.
If you can't get it together with the spring out something isn't right. Of course you know that. That c-clip/ring is tough just using thumbs. Once you get to that point and if you don't have a compression tool - press the lock down and have someone line up the clip, get a large blade screwdriver and press it in using the inside of the column to pry from - just give the screwdriver a twist and it should catch a lip enough to get it going in.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
Re: Steering Column Woes (midwest-vette)
Did you lock the upper shaft in place with the star screw or a 5/16-18 UNC set screw before trying to compress the lock plate and horn contact against the spring?