Inside the GM tilt steering column (Page 11/15)
Fiero88GT JUL 27, 05:47 PM
bump for a great thread! i just had to take apart the column on my gt to tighten loose bolts and this made it a whole lot easier.

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fstop NOV 02, 12:17 AM
Thanks for the great tech how-to but I haven't been able to see any of the photos. All I have are broken links. Is there somewhere to see the pics that go along with this post?
(I can view pics on other posts so I know it's not my browser settings.)

I'm asking because I just did this repair on my GM tilt column and the steering wheel still wobbles, so I'm wondering what/where I went wrong.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

[This message has been edited by fstop (edited 11-02-2011).]

Gall757 NOV 02, 08:43 AM
The pictures are gone for me too. This thread really need's 'em.....
fstop NOV 02, 09:28 AM
DIY_Stu posted a .pdf to Jazzman tech article with all photos intact on Pg 2 of this thread.
For convenience here 'tis:

http://www.diyfiero.com/dro...ing_Rack_Rebuild.pdf

Worked for me!

Thanks to DIY_Stu!
Much appreciated!
fstop NOV 02, 09:55 AM
Just a note abt the pivot pin removal tool posted by katatak above:

You can borrow everything but this tool from O'Reilly's/Checker/Kragen Auto Parts (depending on where you live) Steering wheel puller and lock plate removal tools are free loaners from O'Reilly's, et al. The pivot pin tool is $9.99 which was least expensive I found, including Ebay. (Tho it was priced less, shipping made it a lot more expensive and of course, you had to wait for it to arrive.)

Anyway, you can do the whole job for just $9.99 + tax.

If you don't have any Loc-tite handy or are too cheap (or broke) to buy any, you can use your wife's (or girlfriend's) clear nail polish on the bolt threads. Just be sure and wipe the grease off of the bottle before returning it or you'll have more problems than just a loose tilt assembly.

[This message has been edited by fstop (edited 11-02-2011).]

avengador1 NOV 28, 11:26 AM
Awesome! What else did you delete during your hizzy fit?
Those that want to see the missing article can find it here.
http://www.diyfiero.com/dro...ing_Rack_Rebuild.pdf

[This message has been edited by avengador1 (edited 11-28-2011).]

Fierobsessed NOV 30, 08:35 AM
Story time!

That Little Spring.

I was chasing down a looseness problem that my car has had forever. Ever since I've owned my 88 GT, (06/2003) it has always had loose steering issues, not the usual column falling apart thing. The car had 183K on the ODO already. First I traced a large amount of the play to the passenger side steering rack bushing. So I pulled the rack and found that not only was the bushing shot, but the rack's whole rack gear was corroded, and rusted pretty bad, and as well, the pinion's shaft bearing had deteriorated and broken apart.

I got a good core rack from the local U-Pull-it, did the Rodney dickman bushing, greased the internals, added new bellows and all ball joints and thought this would be the last I'd have to deal with the looseness in the steering. Don't get me wrong, it helped greatly. But It still had some considerable looseness. I gave up on hunting it down for the last 5 years. I had rebuilt the whole front end in 2007, only to have no difference in steering yet again.

Two days ago I decided that enough was enough. At 243K miles, I've had it with this loose steering. I proceeded to jiggle the wheel and find out if there was any looseness translating between the steering wheel and the rack. I noticed that the U-Joints under the steering colum were not exactly responsive to steering wheel jiggling. An AH HA moment. Must be something in the column!

Pulled the steering column apart, and found a great deal of looseness in the U-Joint at the tilt knuckle. Once I took it apart I found the little wire spring in the center of the plastic ball was broken in half. The joint was loose and flopping about. I got a used spring from The Las Vegas Fiero Club (Thanks Rich!) and put it in the ball, and deliberately installed the ball upside down and backwards from its original configuration, it just seemed tighter that way. And presto, the joint wasn't floppy anymore. Got it all back together and into the car and for the first time in the last 60K miles, my car drives like it was meant to. Dare I say it, it feels like a new Fiero.

I can't believe that little spring had such a profound effect on the feel of the steering. It always had almost 1/2" of play. I was always fighting the looseness on the highway.

That's my story.
RWDPLZ DEC 11, 03:37 AM
[Message deleted by Cliff Pennock:

I'm very sorry, but I received a notification from JazzMan that he does not want his original post reposted and asked/told me to remove it.

Again, my apologies, but I'm not going to be dragged into a Copyright discussion with him.]
Old Lar DEC 11, 10:00 AM
Excellent photo write up on the steering colum fix. I farmed the column fix to my local Fiero mechanic. I couldn't handle the fix myself.
Gall757 DEC 11, 10:31 AM
How could copyright be involved?

It's not his real name and it was an unsolicited posting.

Is my advice on this forum my property?

[This message has been edited by Gall757 (edited 12-30-2011).]