So two weeks ago I was working in the middle of no where vermont when I came to a road that use to be my favorite to just hug corners and cruise with the music up.
unfortunately, the state has decided to do major backroad repair and they have my favorite road all torn up! It's the only way to go where i needed to be so i had to
suck it up and just go. About a week after I began feeling shaking in my steering wheel and from my right front end. I took a look at everything up front and it's fine.
Well a couple days ago i noticed my steering wheel had abnormal play to it so i picked it up from the bottom and it lifted up about an inch! I was shocked because
since the day i bought the car the steering wheel was never like that, i mean zero play to it. I can't taking it apart as it's my daily driver now and if i can't get it back together
or something breaks I'm screwed. Has anyone else had a problem like this? I'm just nervous I'm gonna be driving down the road and it's gonna fall off in my lap just because
that's how loose it feels.
Maybe the vertical column support bolts came loose? Pull off the covers under the wheel n Ull see 2 big silver bolts going up into the column. Make sure those r tight. Maybe something broke loose with ur tilt mechanism.
I dunno just shooting ideas
Well it rotates fine, it's not the actual column it's part of the tilting section i was just hoping this had happened to someone else and it's be a quick fix.
As i said I'd go rip it apart but I can't afford to not have a car.
DON'T DRIVE IT UNTIL IT'S FIXED!
I had a tilt steering column on my first Hawk, and while driving, the column collapsed! I lost all steering.
Lucky for me I was only going about 5mph on a non-busy city street in front of my friend's house as I was just pulling in. We took the wheel off and put on a set of lock jaw pliers so I could get it parked, then off to the junkyard for another column.
IIRC, there was a bushing that failed.
I kinda need too=/ It's my daily driver..
So with that said what other cars can I look for steering columns out of because there is no way i'm gonna find a sunbird around my parts.
Yes, the bolts can work loose inside the tilt columns and are a real PIA to repair. Here is a set of Youtube videos I saw a long time ago of a fellow tightening his on his S-10, which is similar. He did his repair in the vehicle though.You have to go inside deep. It is 3 part video.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nq4zNp61uII
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ns_IYsDshuo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvq-qQFhqm0
You can use any column out of a 1st gen J-Body. I installed tilt columns in both my J's. The Column in my Pontiac came out of a Firenza. The one in my Chevy came out of a Cimarron 5 speed and my Chevy is an Auto. Only difference between Man./Auto is a small button to depress when removing the key.
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Thank you! I hope it's the same as his situation because that's exactly what mines like in that video.
Zakk,
If you cannot get it to work I do know where you could possibly get a tilt column from a 1st gen.
Thanks everyone, after seeing those video's i realized it's not as bad as i thought. If the weather clears up tomorrow I'm gonna take a swing at it. 84conv, if i do end up breaking something or it
is not just some loose bolts I'll be happy to take that off your hands as long as it's a direct fit.
