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Join Date: Nov 2022
Location: Missouri/Iowa
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Quote:
Originally Posted by KTL View Post
Here's an idea of what's needed to get the steering column tube out of the car. Only then can you work on it in a vise and drive out the bearing(s)




What needs to be removed in order to get the column out, you ask?

In the front trunk:

-Disconnect negative battery cable

-Fresh air vent beneath the windshield wipers (so you can remove the control box next).

-Fresh air control box and it's associated cables & hoses (an annoying job in and of itself)

-Steering shaft cover on the floor of the trunk. The guy @ Porsche who decided to use speed nuts for fastening this thing needs a punch in the head.

-Smuggler's box lid (helps with all the climbing around the trunk you'll be doing)

-Steering shaft u-joints @ the steering rack connection in the smuggler's box and @ the connection to the column shaft behind the dashboard. Good idea to use a permanent marker and mark the orientation of the shafts to the u-joints so you reinstall them the same way they came apart. By the way, you must completely remove the bolt in order to slide the joint off the shaft.

-Don't drop any bolts into the smuggler's box or you'll be taking out the evaporator assembly too............. Been there. Done that. I won't go into how you remove the evap. thing. Figure it out yourself for being such an idiot and dropping stuff into the hole like that........... If you have A/C that is working? Don't you dare take out that evap. assembly!

Inside the car:

-Steering wheel

-Steering column plastic covers

-Turn signal, windshield wiper, and cruise control (if applicable) stalks

-Tachometer (to get at the two upper shear bolts)

-Ignition switch cover. Spins right off.

-Dashboard lower kneepad. This is so you can get a good angle with your Dremel tool (for the upcoming ignition switch screws) and lets you later get at the steering wheel lock nut and threaded pin. Believe me. Removing this pad will save you some cursing. There's two nuts holding this pad in place. One one the far left behind the HVAC vent and one on the far right that is behind a bunch of wiring and really hard to get at with any sort of tool. 1/4 in. universal joint for your socket is your friend here.

-Lower left HVAC vent on the dashboard. This is so you can get at the nut that secures the knee pad. Be gentle. These are easy to break. You have to release the clips with a flathead screwdriver by putting the screwdriver in the slots of the vent and pushing to release the clips. Easier said than done!

-Two shear bolts/anti-theft screws for ignition switch. You need to slot these with a Dremel cutting wheel so you can back them out. They have blue threadlocking paste on them and you'll need to use a screwdriver bit on a ratchet to get them turning.

-Ignition switch assembly. Disconnect it's wire harness. After you remove the two screws, you must remove the nut and threaded pin which holds the steering wheel lock to the column tube. The nut comes off no problem. The trick is the threaded pin has a 5mm (or is it 4mm? can't remember) hex key opening in the end of it. Put the key in and turn the threaded pin out. Wiggle out the ignition switch, lock assembly.

-Three shear bolts holding the column into the dash. Two are in the tachometer hole and the last is underneath the dashboard. A pair of baby curved-jaw vise grips works great on the smooth heads.

Here's a picture of the shear bolts for the ignition switch (left) and steering column tube (right).



You can see how I slotted the ignition bolts. Look close at the other bolt and you can see the teeth marks from the baby vise grips. I love baby vise grip pliers.

After removing/disconnecting all the above crap, the column can be wiggled out.

Now you get to take the thing over to your vise and work on getting out the shaft & bearings. What fun this is, eh?



Old, old thread but wanted to say thanks to KTL for the small vice grips idea.

My 86 had a loose steering column and thought I was doomed with the three shear bolts holding it in (albeit, loosely) and found that they actually can be tightened, or removed, with small vice grips.

Tightened down and play was removed!

Thank god for these old threads!

Erik
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1986 911 Coupe
1986 911 Targa
Old 07-09-2025, 01:03 PM
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