Steering column

[71bird]

The trouble I'm having is as tight as mine is, if I had a wreck it would go through me. I'm under the impression it should move fairly easy, and the pins just hold it in place until a wreck. Am I correct in thinking that?

[kenny]

mine was very tight also couldnt get it to slide by hand like some people said i had to make it move with a hammer but any crash would put more force on it than i could have with a hammer

[71bird]

I got the full skinny on these columns today. I talked to Rick Ehrenberg about it, cause of the safety thing. The inner shaft has a slot milled in it on each side, and as you know two holes on each side of the outer tube. If you look in the parts book they offered a repair kit just for this. In the parts book when you look up the shaft for a particular car body it will give the length for that shaft. After digging, and drilling all of the old plastic out the shaft it should slide easily in and out of the outer shaft after lots of WD40. We can do two things, drill the slot completely out and put a nylon screw and nut on it, or set the correct length and squirt hot glue in, to refill the hole and the slot. Any thoughts on this approach?

[sdweatherman]

Sounds like you have a good handle on this. Glad you brought it up because I will have to do the same thing with my steering column. I think the hot glue ought to work pretty slick. Scott.

[71bird]

One thing on the plastic. You kinda have to drill more than one time, and slide the inner back and forth to get all the plastic out of the slot, Or I just though of this, you might be able with a little torch just melt the plastic.But just keep working it so it will slide easily. If its rusted together, might as well run a spear through us, same thing. Oh, and the three plastic capsules where the column mounts beneath the dash frame, Rick Ehrenberg sell them on ebay.