Question HI ROB, I HAVE A 1986 CADDILAC FLEETWOOD BROUGHHAM. THE STEERING WHEEL RECENTLY BECAME LOOSE AND IT MOVES UP AND DOWN AND FROM SIDE TO SIDE AND IT'S BEGINING TO EFFECT THE GEAR SHIFT. IS THERE A WAY I CAN TIGHTEN THIS MYSELF TO SAVE A FEW BUCKS AN IF SO PLEASE INFORM ME THE CORRECT WAY TO DO THIS. THANK YOU
AnswerHi,
If you were to look at my recent answers you would find this is a very very common problem. If you want it repaired, you can remove the column and send it to me. I can do a total rebuild for $150.00 plus shipping and you will never have problems again. The danger here is that the column can litterally split in half while you are driving.
My personal email is robo14@aol.com
I will include the nswer here if you want to tackle it yourself, but there is nothing like the feeling of seeing little ball bearings fall to the floor. If you have never done this repair you need to know that there are specialty tools required. NEVER take a steering wheel off by hitting the upper shaft with a hammer! One of my most recent answers explains why when the owner collasped the steering shaft.
However you want to do it is fine and I think you will find very detailed instructions here.
Good Luck!
The most common problem is that there are 4 bolts that come loose. If you try to cheat and only tighten two you will be redoing this in a matter of weeks. This is a permanent repair and should only take you a couple of hours.
In the instructions I explain why, but you will need to go to a hardware store and pick up a 5/16-18x1 hex head Allen bolt. You will find this required for easy of assembly when compressing the lock plate.
You will not need a blow up or order of parts because these instructions are explicit.
Good luck!
I don't know of a good blow up. Commonly factory service manuals will have you take apart things that are not supposed to come apart. The bearings are most likely not the problem but the 4 yoke bolts are. They commonly come loose by grabbing the steering wheel to get in.
Remove the horn pad (7 mm or 9/32 either will work on the back of the steering wheel. Push downward on cancel cam tower and turn counter clockwise. The horn wire is now disconnected. Take the tele lever and turn counter clockwise. Remove three 9/32 screws. Remove lever from steering wheel. Turn lever stud in upper shaft counter clockwise until it can be removed. Be careful edges are sharp. You can unscrew with needle nose in center holes if needed. Remove 13/16 steering wheel nut. Index marks may be hard to see. Take a screwdriver and put on upper shaft and tap. Put adjoining mark on wheel if these factory marks can't be seen. It is for reassembly and so that the steering wheel is put on the way it was taken off. Install puller using 2(2) 5/16x 16 x 3 bolts. Draw the wheel off. When you remove wheel pull it straight off because of the spring under the wheel. Remove rubber bushing from upper shaft. Use a hook tool inserted into one of the rectangular slots on the cancel cam insulator. Try to pull straight up. It is plastic and gets brittle after time. You will now see the three tabs on the cancel cam protruding from the lock plate. Note the position for reassembly. Install lock plate tool and push lock plate until “C"clip is loose. You can remove by inserting a screwdriver in the big end and it will start to slide out of the groove in the upper shaft. You need to pay special attention here. The “C” clip only slides into the shaft one way. Remove by grabbing with needle nose and pulling away from shaft. Remove lock plate. Pull off cancel cam an upper shaft spring. Take a small Phillips and push in on the 4 way flasher and unscrew. Hold together while unscrewing so it does not fall apart on you. Take a Phillips and remove the turn signal screws and the turn signal pivot. Pay attention to how this pivot slides in the groove of the wiper switch.
Here comes the fun part____
Remove the screws from the panel under the steering column.--- The shift bowl is located where you shift the transmission. Below the bowl leading under the dash is the lower shift bowl shroud. On the passenger side of the shift bowl under the dash will be a clip and string. Remove the clip by pulling it off the lower bowl shroud. You are doing this so you don't wreck the PRNDL.
Under the dash remove the 2 15mm nuts that hold the steering column bracket on. Remove the 4 13mm bolts that hold the bracket to the column. Underneath the dash on the passenger side of the steering column will be a plastic sleeve holding the wiring. Pull away from column and the downward. Don't worry about the gray thin shroud. That's just for the cruise wire which when putting back together can be installed in the main black plastic shroud.
Push upward on turn signal wiring from its column bracket. You may no have to disconnect any wiring. Go back to top of steering column. Remove (3) # 50 torx. Make sure keys are not in ignition lock. Take hook tool and grab edge of key buzzer and pull upward. Steel retainer spring will fall out for key buzzer when you remove upper cover. Watch for it. Its about an inch long, doubled up piece of black spring steel. Set to side when you get that far. Next remove #20 torx from ignition lock cylinder. Slide lock out. Pull upper cover upward and let hang by wiring. You will find at the tilt lever there is another part to the upper cover. Look for a piece of black plastic with a circular end that slides on the inside of the cover. You will find this piece gray. Leave it that way. This is called the high beam actuator. Remove black plastic retainer from upper shaft now. It will slide upwards. Now that you had removed that “C” clip from the lock plate is the time to insert it from the passenger side towards the driver's side in the groove of shaft and somehow mark the direction it slides in for reassembly.
Tilt the bearing housing to full upward tilt. Insert a Phillips into the square hole in the tilt spring retainer cap. Push down and turn counter clockwise. Grab spring and retainer and remove.
Insert pivot pin tool on passenger side of column. Now, once you have screwed the tool into the pivot pin, do not over tighten. Hold the screw head with 3/8 wrench. Use ½ open end to draw nut down. If it seems like the pin is seized tilt the column up and down a couple of times. Usually there is not a problem, but trust me, you don't want to break the puller off in the pivot pin. Repeat on left side. Hold your foot on the brake. Pull on tilt lever while with tilting in upward position, go a little left and remove housing. The ignition actuator rod will become disconnected with the rack. The rack has a loop on one end and teeth on the other. Set it to the side. Do not let the upper shaft fall downward. It could fall off or the little shaft inside could fall out. You will see (4) inverted torx bolts. Some people will remove one at a time and install locktite. I have never done this and have never had one come back. Its up to you. If you intend to use the steering wheel for getting in and out of the car you may want to use locktite.
Now, you do not need a special socket here. Use a ¼ nut driver with both hands and tighten. Then use a vice grips, wrench, whatever you can to tighten these bolts. They are tight enough when the socket starts to slip. Do not tighten any tighter than this. To install the rack insert a screwdriver into the slot of the geared sector on the left side of the bearing housing. Rotate sector far enough where you can slide the rack in. You need to line up the big tooth in the sector to the big tooth opening in the rack. Once this is done pull the spring towards you either with your fingers or needle nose and insert spring into slot on sector. Take the ignition actuator rod on the left side of the column and pull until dash lights come on. Make sure it is set into the groove. Grab the bearing housing with both hands. As you are getting close to the steering column you need to take the loop from the rack and put it over the end of the ignition actuator rod. The high beam actuator rod that is bent outward goes through the big hole on the left and let it just hang. Once looped around pull on tilt lever and install bearing housing slightly tilting up and down once attached. Insert pivot pin. Insert other pivot pin. Insert bearing race, retainer and spring on upper shaft. Hold the spring downward with one hand and tilt the column up and down with other hand. This helps center the race and it also checks the tilt. Next, take a needle nose and turn lock shaft on right side of bearing housing. Engine should start. Put shaft in lock position. Hold the spring on the upper shaft while tapping on pivot pins till flush. Put in full upper tilt and install tilt spring. Push downward and push cap with screwdriver downward and turn clock wise till seated.
Under dash on driver's side of column you will see high beam switch. The rod fits in the center of this switch. Back at the column to make sure the high beams work, push on the rod. You will hear a clicking. Take the high beam actuator and insert it into the groove in the cover. Make sure circular end is facing towards the lever. You need to slide this actuator all the way forward. When looking down the rounded end should be facing downward towards the floor. You will see where this cover rests on the bearing housing. Hold cover up against housing by the tilt lever. With the other hand insert the upper cover back on the column. As you are doing all this pull on the wiring from under column. Line up lock pin in cover. Take an awl to line up high beam actuator with cover. Cover will lie down on column once lined up. Hold cover downward and pull back towards you the turn signal lever to make sure high beam switch works. Pull wires at bottom of column gently accept for turn signal. Inert three # 50 torx. Insert ignition lock cylinder and retaining screw. Take awl and push button up from lock cylinder from key buzzer hole. Insert key buzzer spring to key buzzer. Squeeze and insert into hole and push down. Install turn signal switch and pull wires at bottom of column gently where turn signal switch lines up. Insert three screws. Line up ball from turn signal pivot into wiper switch groove, line up with t/s hole and insert screw. This screw has a wide head.
Install 4 way flasher. Install cancel cam as you marked it for disassembly. Install lock plate. Now there is a secret I will share here for installing the lock plate. If you use only the tool you will find that you cannot attach because the shaft will come out. You need to get a 5/16x 18 by 1” with a hex head. Tighten until tight. Now insert the lock place compressor. Compress until you can slide “C” clip with needle nose. Once properly installed and compressor is removed install plastic cover. It will snap in. Remove bolt from shaft. Insert rubber bushing. Pull on upper shaft and bring it as far out as possible making it so the bushing holds it in place. Wheel has to be slowly set down so spring lines up. At the same time grab the upper shaft with a needle nose as you are lining up your marks for the shaft and the steering wheel. Wiggle the steering wheel while holding the shaft and the shaft will pop up from the wheel. Install nut and tighten to specs. Screw on the tele stud. When you get it tight see how the telescopic works. When tightened down should not move. Install tele lever. Turn counter clock wise and wheel should move up and down. Turn clockwise again and make sure it locks. Insert horn wire into cancel cam tower and press down on cap and turn clockwise. Install horn pad. Under dash install plastic wiring shroud. Reinstall t/s connector on column. Install bracket. Attach steering column to dash. Hold the brake. Put trans in neutral. Pull on string and install clip so PRNDL says neutral. Put trans in PARK. Start engine. Check PRNDL when putting in drive. You may have to adjust clip's position to get this lined up. Install lower dash.
