Steering column bushing ordered...any tips?

[Harpo]

Free factory steering wheel Bushing

[tperazzo]

Good work Harpo!

Those round head bolts are shear bolts.

I don't know this for sure, but I presume the factory used these to assure the steering system was torqued correctly with evidence.
The bolt heads shear at a known torque.

I decided to leave mine in there and did the bearing replacement in situ.

Was your column painted black originally?

It looks nice black!

[KTL]

Tom,

I think the shear bolts are an anti-theft measure? The ignition lock has similar, but smaller, bolts with heads that also twist off when fully tightened.

[tperazzo]

Originally Posted by KTL

Tom,

I think the shear bolts are an anti-theft measure? The ignition lock has similar, but smaller, bolts with heads that also twist off when fully tightened.

Good thought. I pity the fool who steals a car with the steering wheel in his/her lap.

[Harpo]

Just seemed like a good idea to paint it black

[kltarga72]

Just finished replacing the bushing. Noticed a few weeks back that suddenly I had vertical movement in the steering wheel. Easy job, no issues but it took me about a half hour from start to finish. Thirty seven year government man I work slow and take breaks.

Lash

Lash

[fallingat120mph]

Originally Posted by KTL

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

[KTL]

Originally Posted by fallingat120mph

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

Erik,

Glad to see the info I shared was helpful. The mini vise grips are a great rescue tool. Whoever invented vise grips is a godsend.

Thanks for the thanks!

[r55forme]

Not to hijack the thread, just had a related question--my steering column had been messed with when I got the car. The turn signal cancellation was removed and the bushing was a bit crumbled.

I replaced my bushing with a rennline one, but I have not been able to figure out what the snap ring is for. Mine fits loosely on the groove, and removiing it or leaving it makes no difference. My steering wheel does make a friction sounding as something is rubbing so I was wondering what the purpose of that snap ring was.

Thanks!

[KTL]

The snap ring/circlip acts as a stop for the steering wheel hub

I happened to have a spare steering column assembly on the shelf in my basement and checked the fit of the steering wheel on the column shaft. The wheel hub is definitely stopped by the circlip

[KTL]

But honestly the steering wheel hub is also stopped by the end of the shaft where the splines end. The shaft is larger diameter there, so the hub can’t go any further. I think the circlip just prevents the hub from damage when you tighten the main nut for the steering wheel? Because without the circlip, the hub could push past the end of the male splines on the shaft? I’m not entirely sure on that belief because I didn’t take any measurements

[r55forme]

Thank you Kevin, that makes complete sense now that I see your picture. I have a Momo hub and it makes a slight grinding noise as I go around, and the clip itself is deformed. I had put grease on that point but now that I've seen your picture I will try putting a new clip on and see if that sorts it all out. Thank you!

[fallingat120mph]

Originally Posted by KTL

But honestly the steering wheel hub is also stopped by the end of the shaft where the splines end. The shaft is larger diameter there, so the hub can’t go any further. I think the circlip just prevents the hub from damage when you tighten the main nut for the steering wheel? Because without the circlip, the hub could push past the end of the male splines on the shaft? I’m not entirely sure on that belief because I didn’t take any measurements

Originally Posted by r55forme

Thank you Kevin, that makes complete sense now that I see your picture. I have a Momo hub and it makes a slight grinding noise as I go around, and the clip itself is deformed. I had put grease on that point but now that I've seen your picture I will try putting a new clip on and see if that sorts it all out. Thank you!

Good stuff! Who would have thunk' all these years later...KTL (Kevin) is still answering such unique questions...If you are ever driving through Missouri first drink is on me!


Nicely done sir!

Erik

[KTL]

Ain’t dead yet. Still rolling along in life but not able to play with the car like I used to do. Life DEFINITELY gets in the way for me much more than it ever did years ago!

Maybe someday I’ll find some time to get back to reassembling my eternal Humpty Dumpty project in pieces all over the garage & basement?

[fallingat120mph]

Originally Posted by KTL

Ain’t dead yet. Still rolling along in life but not able to play with the car like I used to do. Life DEFINITELY gets in the way for me much more than it ever did years ago!

Maybe someday I’ll find some time to get back to reassembling my eternal Humpty Dumpty project in pieces all over the garage & basement?

Well, your vice grip advice got me from Weston, MO to OKC for the Porsche Parade. I even removed the HVAC to check on everything and knew it had to be those 'damn' bolts.

When the first one turned a bit with some very small vice grips I knew I had learned something new that day...


Keep on Truckin' my friend!

Erik