Steering wheel moves up and down

[keyraa]

I drove my car the other day and I noticed that the steering wheel seems loose. It moves up and down vertically about a quarter of an inch. I do not remember it being this way, but I have not driven the car in a while, so it probably was and I did not notice. Anyway, is this normal? If not, how do I tighten it up?

[Flat Six]

Bunch of threads on this; search and you'll find. Likely Mitch Leland's bushing is your answer.

[john walker's workshop]

928 347 739 02 steel bushing. lube with good grease before installation. takes about 5 minutes with steering wheel off.

[matt gineo]

I replaced mine last week, bought the part from Pelican for under $20 Mine had lots of play, now is tight as new.

Here's the directions from our host
During a recent day of spirited driving, I noticed that the steering column in my 911 was noisy—I could hear it even while wearing a helmet. This is a symptom of a failing steering column top bearing. Up and down play in the steering wheel is another symptom. Replacement of this bearing requires removal and disassembly of the steering column, a lengthy procedure. Fortunately, there is an easy, inexpensive, quick fix.
The part that actually fails is a white plastic bushing inside the bearing (Figure 1). It begins to crack and disintegrate, and causes noise and unwanted play. The repair part is a slotted metal bushing that is simply driven into the top of the steering column (Figure 2). The metal bushing replaces the plastic one, and provides a permanent quality repair.

To begin, take off the horn pad. On early 4-spoke wheels, push in and turn the horn ring to disengage it. On later 3-spoke wheels, a firm tug will unsnap the horn pad; there is one snap on each spoke. Just don’t pull too hard—the horn wire is connected to the horn pad. Next, take off the 27mm nut that holds the steering wheel to the shaft. Position the wheel so it is exactly level, and pull it off (this makes reinstalling it easier).

Remove the C-clip on the steering column shaft (Figure 3). Place the new bushing on the shaft, and drive it into place (a long socket works well for this job—I use a hard plastic-faced mallet to prevent ruining the socket) (Figure 4). It takes several hefty taps to get the bushing started. The socket may bottom out against the steering shaft before the bushing if fully seated. If so, use a piece of hardwood or a ¾ inch plastic pipe coupler to tap the bushing in until its flange seats against the bearing.

Reinstall the C-clip, steering wheel, and horn pad. Now you are ready to enjoy quiet, precise steering again.

For all your parts needs, call us toll-free at 1-888-280-7799.

Hope this helps,
Bob Tindel
bob@pelicanparts.com

[keyraa]

Thanks everyone for the replies. I will check out the bushing.

[motogman]

Yep - that is likely the problem. I had the same last summer.

A tip... when you go to remove the steering wheel mark the position of the wheel on the spline before you pull it off. I did not and did not get the wheel in the right position and had to redo (not a big deal but better to avoid).

[Mitch Leland]

Originally Posted by keyraa

I drove my car the other day and I noticed that the steering wheel seems loose. It moves up and down vertically about a quarter of an inch. I do not remember it being this way, but I have not driven the car in a while, so it probably was and I did not notice. Anyway, is this normal? If not, how do I tighten it up?

Spend $9.00 more and get a better and a long time solution to the upper steering bushing. The metal ones can rattle and if you read enough postings on the subject you'll see where some members couldn't remove the metal bushing.

My bushing that Pelican Parts handles is made out of MDS (self lubricating nylon) Nylon. It is removable and has more contact area with the steering shaft. I'm not sure if it's a 15 minute job, but no more than 20 minutes... good directions w/ pictures are included.

Pelican Parts No.: PEL-ML-STR

[will hung]

I can vouch for Mitch's bushing. It fixed my loose steering wheel, was easy to install, and made a huge difference to the feel of the steering of my car. Much more solid and direct feeling.

[SoCalSK8r]

I just installed this bushing on my '84 and it's solid as new now. 2 of the 3 clips on the bumper pad broke so i just ordered those from our host.

I used an impact wrench to remove the nut. I took the suggestion to use a 1" diameter PVC tube with cap to set the new bushing. I think it took about 30 mins but without the impact wrench it would be a pain. I bought a cheap impact gun from Harbor Freight when I put coil overs in my other car and I think it's been handy on so many occasions.