Steering Column Repair: chevy truck w/tilt steering column, tilt mechanism, flat blade

Question
Dear friend,

I have a chevy truck c-10, A/T, 350 C.I.D., year 1986 with noticeable wobble in the tilt mechanism, what should I replace to fix it to be as tight as when it was new?

Answer
Hi,

Very common problem that you find in a majority of used steering columns. Problem is from grabbing steering wheel to get in.


There are 4 bolts inside the column that come loose.
You need to rent from your auto parts store a steering wheel puller (Don't use a hammer), a Lock plate removal tool and a pivot pin puller.
remove the horn pad. Remove the 13/16 nut from the steering shaft. If horn has wire great. If not remove the three screws holding the horn contact plates. Note there position. If equipped with button. grab black plastic protruding from the cancel cam tower coming out of the lock plate. Push down and turn counter clock wise and button will come of with black plastic retainer.
Remove steering wheel noting line up notches for reassembly.
Remove lower dash under the steering column as well as A/C vent. There will be a clip on the lower shift bowl under the dash with a string. Remove the clip. This controls your PRNDL indicator. Remove wiper switch wiring from bracket under column. Disconnect the wiring leading up to the collumn (three connectors). Remove the turn signal wiring connector from the column so that it can hang loose.
Remove the two 15mm holding the steering column bracket.
remove the 4 (13mm) bolts that attach bracket to column. Remove plastic sheathing from column that wiring goes through. You now will have enough slack in the wiring. Install lock plate compressor and tighten until you see the snap ring loose. Insert an awl in the opening while keeping tension with a flat blade screwdriver. Remove snap ring. Remove compressor. Remove the t/s pivot to left. Remove the 3 phillips t/s screws. Remove 4 way flasher button on outside of column with small philips. Pull up the t/s switch. Remove the 3 (50)torx. (Allen wrench will work too). Remove the key buzzer by pulling straight out. Clip may drop--no big deal. You will see it when disassembled. Remove #20 torx at ignition lock. Remove lock. Remove upper lock housing cover by pulling upward.
You will see the hi beam cover dangling over the tilt lever on left side. Remove the actuator (Black plastic) and set it to the side. Now you are looking at the bearing housing. Remove the spring from the shaft as well as the cage for the bearing race. Tilt the column to full up. Remove the spring by inserting a phillips into the square hole, pushing and turning counter clockwise. Remove tilt spring.
Take the pivit pin tool and screw into pivot pin. Once in, you need to hold the end of this screw with a wrench while tightening the nut. The pivot pin will come out and repeat on other side. Pull the tilt lever back and tilt upwards as removing bearing housing.
You will find the 4 inverted torx bolts that are loose. Tigten them with a 1/4 nut driver or if you want you can put lock tite on the threads first, but I have never had a column ever loosen up again. Tighten until the nut driver slips on the bolts. That way they are tight and not overtight.
Now, tou will have a looped piece of gray metal with teeth on it that goes on the left side of the bearing housing. Insert geared end while turning sector (Plastic gear in bearing housing so that big tooth opening fits in big grove tooth in sector. Once this is done and if sector spring became disconnected, pull on spring and reinsert it into slot. On the left side of the steering column you will see a rod. Pull this rod to the ON position where the radio plays. The loop fits on the end of the rod first. Then pull on the tilt lever and hold housing with two hands. Install houusing in full tilt position and wiggle until the pivot pins holes line up. Insert pins. Take a needle nose and turn the shaft where the lock cylinder went. See if the engine starts. If that all works install bearing cage nd spring onto upper shaft. Hold spring down and tap pivot pins in until flush. Install tilt spring and retainer by pushing and rotating clockwise.
Go under dash on left side of column and find headlight dimmer switch. Insert rod into hole.
Insert the High beam actuator into the groove of the cover plate with the circled end facing the rod. Hold cover against housing tight. Push on actuator to hear the switch click. install cover making sure no wires pinch. Line up actuator with an awl so it goes into the cover. Install the three torx and check hi beams. Insert ignition lock and turn with key until it lines up to go in. Install torx retainer screw. Remove key and take awl to push up on button of lock in key buzzer hole. Take the key buzzer spring and attach to key buzzer. Squeeze them together and insert into hole. Reassemble the rest as you tool it apart. You will be all set. The problem with a junkyard column is that you will have the same problem you do now with it being loose. This was a very common problem. It takes me 45 minutes to perform this operation. It will probably take you a couple of hours.

Good Luck!