QuestionI recently purchased an 86 xtra van and I knew it had a wobble in the tilt knuckle, and was not unlike a couple of other vehicles I have owned over the years and dismissed it. Big mistake! Luckily I was in a parking lot when the whole thing just gave out, and I do mean gone, the shift lever seems to not be separated from steering and shifts when the wheel turns, the ignition free turns, no clicks, and the wheel itself seems to be held on by a string.
All of that said I need to do this myself and my Hanes doesn't show enough to be of help in disassembly and I really need instructions, do you have a link? Or would it be comparable, cost and effort wise, to replace the entire column. I would still need inst.
Thanks for your time,... Marc
AnswerHi Marc:
Sorry about your truck.
It sounds like the bolts that hold the tilt housing in place have all come out. When they get loose, the column is loose, but when they come out, you get what you have described.
We have recently uploaded some videos on our website to give you first hand viewing of how to remove, disassemble, and reassemble the parts you are talking about. They are broken down into step by step 2-3 minute detailed videos with instructions. Although the video is for a Chevrolet truck, the column is very similar to yours. the extra steps you will need to perform are straightening our the linkage rods to move freely.
http://www.stolenandrecovered.com/video/index.php
I hope these videos help you. If not, then you will most likely need to replace the column.
For used parts...Try this site. You may be able to find what you need.
www.car-part.com
It's the website all the salvage yards use when they say "Hang on--let me see if my other yard has it". Actually it's an online database of all the salvage yards in America. You can search by part, location or price
Good luck
Doug
http://www.stolenandrecovered.com
