steering wheel bearing quik-fix sleeve

[Paul Crowther]

I notice my steering wheel has gotten the up and down play common to steering wheel bearing failure.

Pelican has a bearing sleeve meant to make an easy repair of it if the bearing is not totally shot.

I think I'll give it a try. Any experience out there with this simple fix??

Paul

[Paul Crowther]

I have to remember to say which car...the 82SC

[rouxroux]

Originally Posted by Paul Crowther

I think I'll give it a try. Any experience out there with this simple fix??

Paul

You answered your own question! Easy, simple...get the metal sleeve and tap it in...you'll have it in & fixed in no time!

[BZ911SC]

Same car as you, did the fix in about 20 minutes. Everything is back to normal.

[islandbreeze]

+ 1 on the too easy fix. 2 yrs now... No issues.

[ned903]

I am actually in the process of replacing the sleve on my '87 coupe as we speak. I had to stop to go get a 1/2" extension. Seems straight forward enough, but I have read a couple of posting recently saying you need to lubricate the metal sleve. Anyone have any thoughts or specifics on this?

[Miguel Antonett]

Easy fix. Go for it!

Remove the steering wheel, clean the steering shaft from the broken plastic one, and insert the new sleeve. Tap it all around while is going in to make it "leveled".

[msk1986911]

Based on prior posts (by minds brighter than mine), be sure and use a good lubricant when you install the sleeve.

[ned903]

Thanks, guys. I'm back home with the extension. I hope to finish this and a couple of other things up tonight.

[ned903]

Ok, finished!!

This all leads to another question. During the last six months I have replaced (or had replaced) the plastic gears in the odometer drive, plastic parts in the shift linkage and now the steering bushing. It is like the entire car is de-plasticizing! What will go next?

[brighton911]

I too had the usual bearing failure on my 86. I had read the threads about lubricating the sleeve but wondered why you would need to lubricate the sleeve when it's purpose is replace the material from the failed plastic ring, not act a bearing itself. SO, when I had my apart, I installed the sleeve and realized the fit between the bearing and the sleeve was not tight enough so the sleeve was rotating on the steerimg shaft, hence the perceived need for lubrication on the sleeve. I shimmed the sleeve on two sides with .002 feeler gauge material and the bearing was now acting as it should. Perfect repair for very few dollars!

[dfink]

Originally Posted by ned903

Ok, finished!!

This all leads to another question. During the last six months I have replaced (or had replaced) the plastic gears in the odometer drive, plastic parts in the shift linkage and now the steering bushing. It is like the entire car is de-plasticizing! What will go next?

Do you really want the list. Pretty much every piece of rubber on my 85 was shot. I now have an 84 in the same situation.

Here a few of the good ones.
Fuel lines both front to the pump and in the engine compartment
All the vacuum lines especially the one stepped connectors for the PVC and brake booster.
The front and rear sway bar bushing
The rear spring plate bushings
The rubber boots on the CV joints
The rubber boots on the tie rods
The engine and transmission mounts
The throttle connector after the firewall before the bellcrank on the tranny
The rubber on the clutch center
brake lines
dust boots on the brake calipers
spark plug wires
oil line lines to where flexible meets hard

Have a nice day........

[mthomas58]

Originally Posted by brighton911

I too had the usual bearing failure on my 86. I had read the threads about lubricating the sleeve but wondered why you would need to lubricate the sleeve when it's purpose is replace the material from the failed plastic ring, not act a bearing itself. SO, when I had my apart, I installed the sleeve and realized the fit between the bearing and the sleeve was not tight enough so the sleeve was rotating on the steerimg shaft, hence the perceived need for lubrication on the sleeve. I shimmed the sleeve on two sides with .002 feeler gauge material and the bearing was now acting as it should. Perfect repair for very few dollars!

I had this problem a year ago and fixed mine with the no cost rattle can top....cut the center section out, leaving a small lip on top, slit the side and tap in place. There is a thread out there somewhere on this. If I can find it I'll post the link.

Referenced here but not the thread I was thinking of....thought there was one with a pic of the sleeve made out of the rattle can top.

Steering column bushing ordered...any tips?

[ramonesfreak]

Originally Posted by brighton911

I too had the usual bearing failure on my 86. I had read the threads about lubricating the sleeve but wondered why you would need to lubricate the sleeve when it's purpose is replace the material from the failed plastic ring, not act a bearing itself. SO, when I had my apart, I installed the sleeve and realized the fit between the bearing and the sleeve was not tight enough so the sleeve was rotating on the steerimg shaft, hence the perceived need for lubrication on the sleeve. I shimmed the sleeve on two sides with .002 feeler gauge material and the bearing was now acting as it should. Perfect repair for very few dollars!

thank you for the .002 feel gauge tip. ive been trying for weeks now to find an appropriate shim. tried every flat plastic thing i could get my hands on and all were too thick

without a shim, my wheel still has a slight, but extremely annoying bit of play and rattle when on rough roads.

the bottom line is, the replacement sleeve is slightly too thin and doesnt appropriately fill in the gap that is left when the old plastic is gone

[Oh Haha]

I replaced the sleeve a couple of months ago but still had up and down slop at the wheel. I wasn't happy but figured I'd live with it and maybe replace the bearing this winter. Well, this morning I ran across this thread and took another look at my slop. I inserted a .005 shim in beside the replacement sleeve so I know that is good. Still had the up/down slop when the wheel was on. AAARRGGHH!!


I found that my slop was at the wheel hub itself. I would have to assume that it is just from taking the wheel on and off over the years. I took 2 pieces of fishing line and laid them in the splines of the steering shaft and bolted the wheel back on.

TaDah!!No slop at all!!!

I don't know that this won't be the solution for everybody but for the cost you can't hurt anything by checking it out.

[ramonesfreak]

not exactly clear on the wheel hub problem

i know mine is with the shim itself.

with the shim installed, and the wheel NOT on .... I can grab the steering shaft and wiggle it a bit. it doesnt take much effort to see that the play is coming from the shim being too thin

i guess this is better than having worn splines?

[ramonesfreak]

I just took a 0.10 feeler gauge and stuck it between the shaft and the sleeve. WOW !! now my steering is tight.

0.10 is a pretty thick gauge...so Im concerned and confused.

Im going to try to order the black replacement sleeve mentioned in another thread and see if its a tighter fit than the silver colored one I received from PP last May 2007.

Im wondering - are there two versions of the sleeve? and why is mine silver colored?

[Mysterytrain]

Correct me if I'm wrong but shouldn't the inner race of the bearing fit tightly around the steering column so that all of the turning movement is provided by the ball bearings? I've used the quick fix sleave but noticed that it spins in place and the actual ball bearing movement is minimal. In the end i replaced the bearing. The hot ticket would be a press fit nylon or plastic replacement sleeve.

[ramonesfreak]

you are correct. it is supposed to be tight and this was the topic of John Walker's thread a few months ago I believe

mine was spinning, and backing its way out and, not quite tight enough to eliminate up/down play.... which is why put the 0.10 size shim in between the shaft and sleeve

did you replace the bearing yourself?

[ramonesfreak]

reference
JW's thread
problems arising with metal steering bushing