stswartz

My 81 C3 has steering column issues. The steering wheel will move side to side about 1 1/2 inches and up and down over 2 inches pivoting at the tilt pivot. Is there an OEM replacement or can this one be rebuilt? any help is appreciated

TimAT

There are 4 screws that hold the lower tilt bowl to the upper mast jacket. They get loose and the steering wheel gets sloppy.

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/?cat=5

Everything you ever wanted to know about a steering column is in that link.

stswartz

thanks for the guidance

0Willcox Corvette

The issue could be something other than the four bolts in the bottom of the column and I think Jim used my picture to help illustrate this in one of his pages. If the lower tube is broken you can tighten the lower four bolts all you want and it won't change a thing. You could also have an issue in the lower section of the column where the three screws bolt down... but I doubt it...



Or your issue could be these three lower screws.. shown above.. but again I doubt it...

If you look at the top left picture below you can see the lower column plate is retained by the tube.... but when this tube tears you'll have to remove it and have it repaired.... The four bolts in this picture below are usually the culprit but... if they are left alone and the entire column wobbles, over time they will cause the jacket to tear as shown in A. below.



You can message Jim first and if you don't get an answer or can't figure it out I've had these columns apart for the last 30 years so I'm sure I can offer some assistance,,, just post back.

Willcox

mrvette

My late shark column in my '72 was reported to have been in a wreck back when I bought it in '95 or so....the 4 bolts are tight, but over the years it's wobbled a lot, and of course the ignition switch does not go acc position any more, not that I care, and the turn signal don't cancel on left turn, not that I care, but the right turn works fine.......I have made several feeble attempts over the years to find that wobble, but no go....hate to disable the car forever while waiting for parts.....

GENE

0Willcox Corvette

Gene,

Why not pull the column out and send it to me over the winter months.... I'm sure I can fix it. Oh wait a minute.. your in Florida... there isn't much of a winter there... lol... But if you wish the option is there. I can have it back to you in a couple of weeks.

Ernie

mrvette

Thanks man, but I should have dun that when it was nothing but raining 5 months straight last spring/summer.....shipping alone probably cost more than the parts, some day I tear into it, and see what's up, but the krazy part is, I remember ripping it down up north yet back in '95-96 or so.....found the 4 bolts loose, tightened them down and fixed all the rest of the complaints like above, plus my issues, but over the decades it's all back again.....

0Willcox Corvette

If the column wiggles left to right then most likely the issue is either the four bolts or the upper collar is torn. I put lock tight on the four bolts when I install them, if you don't they'll back off over time.

mrvette

IF that upper collar is aluminum, a buddy can weld it.....so that is the route I would go....

I need fix a lot of junk in that column, so once I start in, it's a project.....

DUB

On one occasion I actually had the steel that is a part of the main mast jacket tube....that holds the odd shaped nut plate that the four bolts for the tilt knuckle to screw into actually tore. It was fun to repair but I got it. Hopefully it is not that due to what it takes to tear the column down to that point to fix it.

DUB

0Willcox Corvette

The mast jacket that holds the flat plate is steel... easy fix if you have the thing apart. Like Dub said, that jacket can tear if the bolts are loose and that's how I got the picture I posted above. The customer drove this car for years with four loose bolts. We just V grooved the tear, filled it with weld and then ground it down so that it would hold the flat plate. I hate to say it but when you have all the neat tools and toys it's easy, when you don't it's a royal PITA finding someone to weld things.

Ernie

DUB

I AGREE...but repairing that tear in the mast jacket tube like your photo shows is still a ROYAL PAIN.

DUB

drspencer

Does the info in this link apply to C3 non-tilt steering columns, as well?

Thanks

0Willcox Corvette

Yes it is Dub... just part of the job... .

Diagnosing this issue means a complete tear down.... and as you know... I mean complete. Welding it is easy, the tear down is the time eater.

E

0Willcox Corvette

Nope.. Jim has other papers on the standard columns that will help you... I've not seen him on here for a while but if you have an issue he'll usually answer his email. If not post back.

Willcox

DUB

YEP....My eyes roll back into my head when I have to do this...which THANKFULLY I have had to do this only once for this torn metal so far. But I have completely torn down columns before and they are no picnic.

Heck even replacing the tilt pivot knuckle with a new one with fresh new pivot pins can be a challenge due to the lower bearing on the column and the integrity of the steering column shaft that is trying to slide through the lower bearing.

DUB

Street Rat

Private Message sent to thread starter

Craig

mrvette

My friend is a pro welder, Boilermakers union.....he can weld aluminum to concrete and make it stick.....

DUB

Not that this applies to the potential problem that has been discussed it his thread dealing with a torn mast jacket tube.

But I also know many certified welders who can weld anything....but when they go to do welding and body work like welding on a body panel. Due to them often times working with such thick metal most of the time...they seem to forget that they can easily warp body panels if they do not know what they are doing. They get into it too much in an area and do not consider the heat transfer. I have seen it MANY times. Perfectly new good panels destroyed due to incorrect welding. Or welding in holes in a body panel where stainless trim was and is now being removed to customize the car and those panels are buckled.

Does not always happen but it can. But on this mast jacket tube if it is needing to be welded...I would not really fear any major distortion because it is a tube and not a flat panel.

DUB