loose tilt steering fix...

[DetroitIron]

looking for the thread that walked through the fix for sloppy tilt wheel...can anybody remember/repost a link to it? I'm done to the white plastic turn signal/hazard mechanisn and can't get enough slack in the wiress to pull out/over the threaded steering post...please help?

[nbpro]

1989 GM Tilt Steering Wheel Repair



The problem you are refering to is very common, especially when the driver has a little extra added weight and grabs the wheel to get into the vehicle.
With you tightening two bolts, it will be loose again very shortly.
Here is what you need to do so that it is fixed for good.
Remove steering wheel. Remove lock plate. Remove turn signal screws, pivot and 4 way flasher button. Remove 3 #50 torx screws and loosen upper lock housing cover.
Remove lower duct from dash--(not fun) by removing 7mm (9/32 head screw. Wiggle the vent around until it comes out. There is a clip that attaches to the lower shift bowl that controls the position of the shift indicator. Don't forget to slide this off or you will brak the cable! Remove the 15 mm nuts that attach the steering column bracket to the dash. Remove the wiper delay module from brackey. Remove the 4 13mm head scews attaching the bracket to the column. Remove plastic sleeve holding wires to column. You may not have to disconnect any wire connectors if you have clearance. If you need to disconnect t/s switch, note how it is attached into its holder on the steering column. Now, back at the top of the steering column. Lift the key buzzer out. The retainer will probably stay in place until you remove the cover. Watch for it when you remove the cover. Its black, made of spring steel and is folded in half. Next, use a # 20 torx driver to remove the ignition lock cylinder retainer screw. Remove cylinder. Take both hands and pull cover far enough so that it can hang free and out of your way. You will find a spring with a silver head w/ a square hole. Make sure the column is in the full up position. Just take the tilt lever and pull towards you and the tilt will go into the full up position. Take a #2 phillips and insert into the square hole, push down and turn counter clockwise. Remove the cap and the spring.
Take the little plastic lever that will have grease on it from the tilt area and set it to the side for now. This lever controls the bright lights and is known as a high beam actuator. Next--remove the spring from the upper shaft. Remove the bearing retainer by inserting an awl into one of the holes on the retainer. If you don't get this off at this time, no big deal. Then you need a couple of 10x24 threaded hardened screws. You will need to take a dykes or wire cutters with something the can be pivoted on such as a wrench (or a Snap-on pivot tool remover) and thread into the pivot screws. You need to pull these pivot pins out!
Once the pivot pins are removed Tilt the bearing housing upward and with both hands a lttle to the left. Br careful because the ignition lock rack (toothed) with a loop around the ignition lock cylinder actuator rod. Let the housing hang loose. You are now looking at 4 inverted torx headeed bolts. You have two options here. You can either tignten or remove one at a time and put lock tight on the threads. I always just tightened them and never had one come back. To tighten these I use a 1/4" nut driver that has a nut end towards the handle. I would tighten with aq wrench until the nut driver would slip off the head of the screw. Once tightened I would check all 4 bolts again. Now to put back together: Grab the housing and look at the left side. You will see a spring that one end inserts into the geared sector. Turn this sector far enough that you can get the big toothe in the rack to line up with the big notch in the sector. Once you have the rack installed with the sector you may have to make sure that spring is still in the groove of the sector. If not, grab with needle nose, pull and move it until you het it into the groove. On the left side of the steering column is a groove that the ignition actuator lever slides in. Gently pull the actuator until it is in the RUN position in which the dash lights come on and the heater blower works. You will also see a rod that fits next to the actuator rod. It will be bent to the left. Now, with the rack attached get the bent rod to fir through the left side of the housing. You will be attaching the bearing housing just opposite as to how you removed it. Make sure the loop of the rack fits around the endo of the ignition actuator rod. Wiggle from the left to the full tilt position while pulling on the tilt lever. You will see at the top where the rack tilt shoes need to meet to put the housing on. Once the housing is tilted downward and upward, you will see that it is lined up. Hopefully, no ball bearings dropped out. There are two cages-one upper, one lower. If the have fallen out you will need to take the housing back off and reinsert with vasoline. Once the housing is on pull the tilt lever to rock the bearing housing in place so that you can insert the tilt pins. Push the tilt pins in by hand. Insert the upper bearing race, retainer and spring on the upper shadt. Keep tention on the spring with your hand. Take a hammer and hit the pins in so they are flush. Before doing this however either take the lock cylinder or a needle nose on the ignition lock shaft on the right of the steering column and make sure the engine starts and that the steering wheel locking pin comes forwards. Turn to the LOCK position. To the left you willsee the bent rod protruding throug the left side of the bearing housing. The otherv end fits into the hole in the high beam actuator down the left side of the column. Once attached, you can push and hear a click. Insert the tilt spring in the full up position depress cap and rotate clockwise. You will have a cap that has a groobe on the left side by the tilt lever. You will need to find the high beam actuator and put vasoline on the groove. Slide the actuator up on the cap with the curved end facing downward.
Hold the cap in place on the housing. If you hold the cover, you should be able to push on the actuator and hear a click. Now, while holding that tilt cover on install the upper housing cover, lining up the tilt cap and the steering wheel locking pin. Take an awl and align acuator in housing. You will then find the cover fits perfectly. Find your key buzzer retainer spring and set it to the side. Pull the column wiring through to make sure there is no binding. Install the three # 50 torx bolts and tighten. Install ignition lock cylinder (now would be the time to change if worn out in which key comes out in any position. Install # 20 retainer bolt after rotating ignition lock to fit in housing. Put ignition lock in off position. Take a little dab of vasoline and put it on the end of the awl. Insert into key buzzer hole. Push up on little clip on lock cyl. Take retainer spring and key buzzer with open end down, squeeze and insert into hole. Instal turn signal switch and pivot. The pivot ball fits into a groove. Once lined up, set it in place. A large head phillips holds in place. Install 4 way. Install lock plate and cancel cam. Make sure both return springs on T/S are good. The lock plate is broacked and only fits one way with the upper shaft. Install lock plate tool and crank down wiggling the tool. You are trying to get the bearing to seat. Do not force! If the plate will not go down far enough to expose the groove in the shaft the bearing is not seated. Grab the lock plate tool and move back and forth. You will hear a snap and the bearing is now seated. Install snap ring. Once tou have bolted the steering column to the dash, hold the brake and put the trans in nuetral. Take the shift indicator cable and clip on in the center of nuetral. That will line the indicator up. Then its just a matter of installing the stuff at the bottom and the steering wheel. Line up the notch on the wheel with the notch on the shaft. Instaal horn wire and horn pad.
Sounds complicated, but should not take over an hour with no experience.
kits http://shop.ebay.com/items/gm%20stee...GID=4730599012
Good Luck!!!

[RandyP]

http://www.buickperformance.com/tilt...lumnwobble.htm
http://www.fieros.de/en/articles/steering.html
http://www.chevyasylum.com/column/tiltcol.html

Pictures always help me.

[nbpro]

Yeah, me too. To hell with instructionsthe , just look at the .pictures

[RandyP]

The lock plate removal tool is very cheap at napa/oreilly/autozone, well worth the few $$ to get and aid in the column dismantle process.

[78 Chevyrado]

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/sm...?topic=12525.0

[nbpro]

Kenny good link (aka)78 Chevyrado

[DetroitIron]

Thanks very much...that is the one I was looking for...

[DetroitIron]

WOW...Thanks all for the quick reply...I hoped I would get something while I moved on to another mini project...I just came in from replacing the door pins on the driver side...what a difference as the door now shuts with ease...now to get this tilt wheel fixed..THANKS AGAIN EVERYONE!!!

[78 Big10 454]

I swear that we have some darn geniuses on this Board!