Umm, any possiblity...

[Russell]

Of getting a steering column locking ring back on without a compressor? My thumbs are hurting really badly, but my father says that he did it with his hands before....

[apstguy]

Just go rent one - just put down a deposit that you get back after you are done.

[old Rusty C10]

ive done it but its not easy it helps if ya had a buddy who could hold while you put the ring on or visa versa

[crossy]

Your pop probably drove railroad spikes in with his bare hands
go buy a KD tool and when he tells you your a sissy ask him how many words per minute he can type.

Yes . it an be done . I am by no means brawny and i did it a few times before i got 'smart'
DAVE

[mike reeh]

getting it ON is the easy part!!

getting it OFF is when you need the compressor...

listen and listen carefully because Im about to tell you why its not going on easily.. Unless you're really skilled you will need the help of one other person for about 3-5 seconds to do it..


put on the lock plate and start the lock ring as far as it will go.. NOW: as you push the lock plate as far back as you can with your thumbs, have your friend PULL THE THREADED SHANK toward you.. there is about 1/16 to 1/8" of play, and that IS the difference between getting it on, and busting your thumbs trying.. it will never go w/o doing this.. it helps to have the nut threaded on there for something to grab to if your friend has sissy hands..


you can thank me later....

ohhh the stories I could tell of removing that lock ring w/o the compressor.. imagine it: a set of snap-on Pick's (yeah the needle sharp little tools with screwdriver handles) and 2 sets of hands working on an area approximately 6 square inches, while using about 50-100 pounds of force... I think I still have grease tattoos from being stabbed with those picks.. memories.

mike

[Russell]

Really? I just shoved a flat screwdriver into the ring and pried it off... It was when I got nailed in the face with the cancelling cam and the locking plate that I realized that it was actually under pressure :P I am by no means a weak kid, I can put a lot of pressure on that plate, I was totally bottoming it out to the signal light assembly but I still couldn't see the ring slot, now I know why, I'll get my father to pull on the shaft next time...

My father used to lift those square bales, one in each hand, and hurl them up to his brother on the flatbed, you could say that he is a fairly beefy guy...

[N2TRUX]

Originally posted by mike reeh
... a set of snap-on Pick's (yeah the needle sharp little tools with screwdriver handles) and 2 sets of hands working on an area approximately 6 square inches, while using about 50-100 pounds of force... I think I still have grease tattoos from being stabbed with those picks.. memories.mike

We are members if the sharp pick brotherhood. I have the same scars...er...tattoos! Different job, same results. They take forever to heal too...

[79BIG10]

I did mine with a flat head screwdriver as well. One thing to make sure is to leave the steering wheel nut on there. It keeps everything from flying off and hitting you since it's all under pressure.

[Russell]

Argggh! I still cannot get that little ring on, I tried putting the cancelling cam and locking plate on without the spring, and the groove where the ring is suppost to sit still can't be seen, I mean, you try just putting the ring on without the cancelling cam, and you STILL can't see the ring slot! I tried lugging on the bar itself, but it doesn't move an inch....

[79BIG10]

Are you making sure to get the gear in the right grooves? Otheriwse it won't go down at all. Look at the gear and you will see the teeth are slotted differently and they only go on one way.

[swervin ervin]

You guys sure like to do things the hard way, don't you?

Go buy the proper tool.

[Russell]

But thats no fun Swervin Ervin! Gotta do it manually, yeah I do have it that way 79BIG10 -- Infact I am able to compress the spring right to the point where the cancelling cam is up against the signal assembly, but I can't see the groove from under the locking plate... Even if I put only the locking plate I can't see the groove, its as if the whole shaft got 5 mm shorter since I took it apart :S

[mike reeh]

sounds like you got something on backwards or something.. double check.. every column Ive taken apart has that little tiny bit of play, and it is always the difference between getting the ring on and not.

if you use the tool, you will see that as it pushes the lock plate, it pulls the shaft out.. give it a GOOD yank.

mike

[Russell]

Will do, if I break the column, I have a new one that I can get in five minutes... We did some welding so it might be a possiblity that we welded something a little too far back...