steering wheel tilt problems

[tx_heavychevy86]

About to.have a few days off work so I better get busy. My steering column is loose, I heard I need to tighten up 4 bolts and put locktite on them. My question was what kinda tools does this job reqire? Thanks for any help guys

[hyatt]

Originally Posted by tx_heavychevy86

About to.have a few days off work so I better get busy. My steering column is loose, I heard I need to tighten up 4 bolts and put locktite on them. My question was what kinda tools does this job reqire? Thanks for any help guys

Two special tools required Lock plate compressor and side pin puller

[tx_heavychevy86]

Best place to probably get these tools for a decent price?

[hyatt]

They are specialty tools so probally have to get through somebody like mac snapon or matco A napa store can probbley order you one The side pin puller can be substituted with a bolt and vise grips The pin is threaded You can screw in a bolt and take vice grips and pull if you dont want to buy the tool

[Gumby]

plus every extension you have and maybe need to borrow one.

[Marv D]

Some of the AutoZone / PepBoys and Kragen stores have the speciality tools you need in their loaner program,, some don't because there a speciality and so darn pricy. Worth asking tho.

Plan on it being a ALL DAY job!! I've done a few and by the time I ran back to the parts house for turn signal switches and other stuff I found broken (or broke in frustration of trying to get it apart...) it frequently turns into a "why did I start this!!!" project

[Gumby]

oops wrong thread, was talking about brake boosters.....

never needed a tool for the locking plate myself, just muscled it, but the piviot pin puller is a must, cheap on ebay to own one.

[cableguy0]

Harbor freight sells a steering wheel puller/lock plate removal kit. Its relatively cheap. You can also get the tools in lisle brand which are pretty good tools. Sears should have them also and as a matter of fact sears carries lisle tools. However if you have time to wait for them Amazon.com have them for cheap.

[storm9c1]

You can make a lock plate remover with a pair of long needle nose vise grip pliers. Take the nut that you removed when you pulled the steering wheel. Clamp the vise grips on the nut in a V shape to the handle points up toward you. Do it so as you turn the vise grips to thread on the nut, the tips of the pliers will push the plate down. Use the threads of the nut to your advantage! You can put some electrical tape on the tips of the pliers to prevent them from scratching the plate. Even add a little grease too. Once the plate is compressed, it's just a matter of digging out the little retainer ring with 2 small screwdrivers. I've been doing it this way for years, but buying a $15 tool would be worth it too!

To reinstall the ring, I just found a piece of rigid thin-wall (plastic or metal) tubing exactly the same diameter as the steering wheel shaft. Needs to be a snug fit but loose enough to push on and off easily by hand. Cut the tubing to proper length to expose the top thread and again use the nut to tighten down the tube until it pushes the retainer ring back in place. I saved the tube in my tool box and labeled it with a Sharpie as a "GM Steering Column Ring Installer". LOL.

[Psycho71]

Hit up Orielly for the lock plate removal tool. They have it on the loaner program. They'll have the side pin removal tool in the tools section too. You'll have to buy it, like $15-20 iirc. I had to do mine as well, and actually got it all apart once making the tools. But I had to take it back apart to install an extra part I discovered after reassembly, and had to buy the side pin remover tool because my homemade one didn't survive. Believe me, it was a lot quicker just getting the right tools for the job.

[tx_heavychevy86]

i actually managed to find the tools i needed quite easy and pretty cheap. i went by a video i seen on youtube. bad thing is that his column was a little different then mine... i did manage to tighten up the 4 bolts. after some struggling thats about all i can say ive done so far. i bumped the column and knocked some of the ball bearings out and i can't finish putting it together till i find a bearing. does anyone know where to get parts like that? i looked threw lmc truck but all i see is new steering set ups.

[tx_heavychevy86]

The upper steering wheel tilt bearing is what I believe its called. This is what I've found online, but dang 36 dollars... This job is starting to be more then I had thought. http://www.steeringcolumnservices.co...c/bearings.php

[tx_heavychevy86]

http://m.ebay.com/itm/39046005303. Here's one listed as used. Could I just buy the missing bearings and rebuild my old one?

[clinebarger]

I just reassemble the bearings with wheel bearing grease, Just because they fall apart doesn't mean they are bad.

[tx_heavychevy86]

I got some ball bearings from a store thinking they will fit my missings ones. They. Are suppose to. I didn't wannt pay 30-50. Payed 1.85 instead

[clinebarger]

If the ball's are the same size as the old one's....They will work.

[Gumby]

long as its the same size, fyi bicycles have them in the headstock, wheels and crank, of varing sizes.

[tx_heavychevy86]

$1.85 vs $30 I'm.gonna see if i can piece together the bearings.

[tx_heavychevy86]

everything worked fine like that. just took alot of grease to keep the bearings in place. love my solid steering wheel feel.