PO homemade steering bushing terror

[GaryinNE]

I bought the Rennline bushing to get rid of a little play. I find a sheet metal looking bushing pounded in the column with no way to grab and pull out. It appears I have three choices:
-Leave it and deal with the play
-Remove the shaft and bearing to remove the bushing
-Push the bushing through.

The question is, if I push the bush through will it just ride harmlessly on the lower bearing?

It appears to be a solid ring of steel so it should not get caught in the lower bearing or jammed between the shaft and housing.

What do you all think?

[GaryinNE]

[echecsqueen]

Looks like your po and my pos were buddies.

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[Mixed76]

That's some pretty sweet git 'er dun right there

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[gomezoneill]

Drill a hole in the center then screw in a sheet metal screw then use a pair of dykes to pry it out.

[Mixed76]

What do the dykes do to help?

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[walt]

Could you dremel a small notch in the end then try and spin in out, of course depending on how tight that thing is shoved in there.

[GaryinNE]

To narrow for a sheet metal screw but did think about trying to drill a hole. It appears to be a single sheet of metal.

To tight a space for a Dremel. It's not that tight, hence the steering wheel wobble.

It is loose enough to push through.

That is my delimma. If I push it through will it cause steering shaft trouble??

[LUFTKUL]

Can you get the front of the car on blocks, maybe take the wheels off as well and get the hub back on to rock the steering shaft back and forth while trying to grip a piece of it? Maybe as the shaft turns a part of it may rise up to be able to grab onto it and pull?

[walt]

Looks like a gap in the pic. Is it possible using a piece of stiff wire to make a small hook then fish it down there and try pulling. 2 gaps 180 degrees apart might work. Just throwing it out there.

[jpnovak]

I would assume that it is a "split" bushing/shim and not an overlap version. Get some MIG welding wire and push through the gap all the way through the steering column. Then bend a J hook in the end and slowly pull back until you can grab the lower edge of your "shim". This might allow you to pull up enough to lift out the shim. If the gap on the "split" is large enough you might be able to pre-bend the J-hook and not go all the way through the column.

Patience will be key here.

[brcorp]

Option 1 - get a pair of needle nose vise grips, grab the accessible edge and twist/rotate and pull.

Option 2 - get a Harbor Freight Stud Welder Dent Puller, weld a stud to the accessible edge and twist/rotate and pull.

Good Luck!!

[gomezoneill]

Originally Posted by Mixed76

What do the dykes do to help?

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Wire cutting pliers. Diagonal cutters. AKA dykes.

https://www.google.com/search?q=wire+cutting+pliers+dykes&client=firefox-b-1-d&tbm=isch&source=iu&ictx=1&fir=678f_GZDdfXm9M%253A%252CvHRe3VP9k6cj8M%252C%25 2Fm%252F06y28c&vet=1&usg=AI4_-kTq8p0ibRnl3si2ejbvZpfC4x8XIw&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiWl5eXqevoAhWBY80KHVs-A5AQ_B0wGXoECAQQAw#imgrc=678f_GZDdfXm9M:

[E Sully]

Originally Posted by uwanna

The problem with the floating plastic bits is they lodge in the recess that is cut in the shaft for the lock plunger to go into. When I had my problems, the wheel would lock till I jerked the wheel quite hard,
which I assumed caused the plastic bit to break up, freeing the the shaft. Does that sound like your problem? If so, you'll have to remove the tamper proof bolts that hold on the ignition lock unit then crawl under the dash and free up the lock unit. It's real tight quarters and a pain in the AZZ. Then I would bang on the steering tube to allow the bits to fall down the tube, but first I would remove all the leftover pieces of the bushing above from under the wheel. Anyway, that's what I did and it worked for me
YMMV! Good luck!

Something like this is why I would not push the sleeve down.

[GaryinNE]

Lots of good thoughts. I appreciate the feedback. I am not sure with as little space exists in between the shaft and the bearing that it can be gotten out - But I will try the suggestions and see. No need to give up yet.

"The problem with the floating plastic bits is they lodge in the recess that is cut in the shaft for the lock plunger to go into...... "
Something like this is why I would not push the sleeve down.

Thanks Ed. That is what I was wondering. Hard for me to know what is in the column waiting for FOD and putting me in the ditch.

Argh.........

[Fairview]

Just brainstorming with you a bit... could you cut a strip of thin sheet metal, slide it between the homemade shim and the steering shaft, then take your wire welder and carefully see if you can spot weld them together? Then you’d have something to pull on to remove it.

I can think of interesting ways this could go terribly wrong! But it might work.

Good luck, we are rooting for you.

[GaryinNE]

Looking at this pic from this thread " Steering shaft removal w/o removing column! " it seems the crappy sheet metal bushing might just fall down and ride on the lock catch casting.



I might have to try that if all y'alls ideas don't work to get it out. Worst case I pull the shaft and replace the bearing.

[yelcab1]

Pull the shaft and replace the bearing. It is not the end of the world.

[Bill Douglas]

Originally Posted by gomezoneill

Wire cutting pliers. Diagonal cutters. AKA dykes.

Thanks for explaining THAT. The only dykes I know would probably lose their temper and start smashing it with a hammer.

[pkabush]

Originally Posted by Fairview

Just brainstorming with you a bit... could you cut a strip of thin sheet metal, slide it between the homemade shim and the steering shaft, then take your wire welder and carefully see if you can spot weld them together? Then you’d have something to pull on to remove it.

I can think of interesting ways this could go terribly wrong! But it might work.

Good luck, we are rooting for you.

I like this idea. Especially if you could slide some thin copper on one, or better yet both sides of the offending shim.