I am trying to replace my dimmer switch and also see why my column can be pulled down and left when locked. After removing airbag and steering wheel, I cannot find how to remove the trim. 1992 coupe. I thought the trim was supposed to be the easy part. :rolleyes:

 

Here is a website that will help show you how to get into the steering column.
http://www.chevyasylum.com/column/tiltcol.html

 

To get the upper column trim collar off, you'll have to remove the control stalk (it just pulls out when everything is in the "off" position), then things get hard.

You have to lower the hush panel and the reinforcing panel under the dash then unplug the connectors for the turn signal switch and the ignition switch. Then you have to buy a lock plate compressor and remove the lock plate. Then you have to thread the harness wires up through the column. Then you have to pull the buzzer switch. Then you have to take the lock cylinder and hazard button off. When all of that is removed, there are four torx bolts that you have to unbolt to take the trim cup off, exposing the tilt core.

Once you have the trim cup in your hand, you can replace the dimmer switch by pushing out the 1/4" slip fit dowel that holds it in place and lets it pivot.

Then you'll find out that the reason your wheel is pulling down and left is that the cast-steel tilt core has been stretched at the yoke where the pivot pins go through the upper core and lower core, and can usually only be fixed by putting bushings in the pin holes, or flat-out replacing the whole steering column.

It's far too much effort just to replace the trim. It took me two days of actual work to replace my worn column with a salvage column, and my car sat in the garage for five weeks while I was waiting for parts.

I put a tech tip about this in the C4 Tech Tips section.

 

http://mywebpages.comcast.net/corvet...t/column01.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/corvet...t/column02.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/corvet...t/column03.jpg
http://mywebpages.comcast.net/corvet...t/column04.jpg


[Modified by Matt Black, 1:02 AM 5/14/2003]

 

Matt, do you have pics of how the pivot pins have stretched out tje holes. If mine is the same could bushings (metal or rubber?) held in place maybe with J B weld give me at least some help? Thanks, Tom

 

I don't have any pictures, because it doesn't really show up as visibly 'ovaled' - I could have put a pair of calipers against the hole to show the stretch, but didn't make the effort.

But when you have the pin in your hand, and put it into the yoke, you'll be able to shake the pins back and forth pretty obviously, where a pristine yoke is a loose slip fit with no back-and-forth play.

If you buy the kit and take the column to a machine shop, they can pick up the hole and ream or jig mill the hole to accept the kit bushing, but that still means removing the column from the car and partially disassembling it.

If you coated the pins with mold release, then filled the hole with JB weld or epoxy resin, put a pin in the hole, then dressed it up after the epoxy hardened, that might last as a repair for anywhere from no time at all to years. I bet the hardened compound would crack and come back out, though.