Steering Column Repair: loose tilt steering wheel column, tilt mechanism, chevy silverado

Question
I have a 1986 chevy silverado 4x4. the steering wheel column becomes loose when the ignition key is turned on. this also causes my shifter lever to move out of place, while Iam driveing down the road. But the transmission dose not shift out off gear.  The steering column always gets tight again when i turn off the igntion key. Iam pretty sure what caused it to get like this is because the owner before me used the steering wheel to get up in the truck pulling down on it.
I dont really know how to take the steering wheel coloumn apart after u get the steering wheel off, and what needs to be tightend.

Thank you
Tabitha Gray  

Answer
Hi Tabitha,
The column will need to be disassembled and rebuilt because you describe the exact cause of most GM tilt column problems. The tilt mechanism is held to the column via 3 notches in the column tube. A plate fits into these notches and are tightened down with 4 small bolts that extend through the tilt mechanism. Due to the constant downward stress of normal driving, the bolts tend to loosen. When they become loose, the tilt mechanism will lose it's "seat" thereby adding to the stress. The column eventually breaks at the notches causing the tilt mechanism to not have any sort of attachment to the column. The shifter and ignition switch work mechanically in alignment with the tilt mechanism. If there is nothing holding the tilt mechanism steady and centered, you will experience what you have described.

I've been able to weld some of the notched parts of the column. It depends on how much is broken and how disfigured the column is. It is very time consuming and highly detailed and one needs the special tools involved with a complete disassembly. This is beyond the fact that the column will have to be removed from the vehicle. As such, finding a good used column from a salvage yard has been the most frequent decision.

I hope I've helped. Feel free to contact me if you need any further assistance. Also please feel free to leave feedback as it is appreciated.
Have a great day!
-Jay