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| [GMCnet] More Steering Column [message #173431] |
Fri, 15 June 2012 20:03  |
Ken Henderson
Messages: 8726
Registered: March 2004
Location: Americus, GA
Karma:
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Today I reassembled the Kosier Seminar steering column. During past
dis-/re-assemblies 10 of the 28 ball bearings in the top upper and lower
sets had been lost. Rummaging through one of my many junk boxes, I found
11 balls of the same size -- probably been there for 30+ years.
With thick axle grease, I was able to keep the balls precariously in place,
separated by the broken plastic cages. When assembled, the lower bearings
are retained in the upper housing by the upper steering shaft. The upper
bearings are retained on the other side of the upper housing by a removable
inner race, a race retainer, the infamous locking plate spring, and the
retaining plate and spring clip. After that spring clip is removed,
relieving the spring pressure, any movement of the various parts of the
column assembly can dislodge the individual bearing balls, freeing them to
fall down into the steering column, or anywhere else. That's one of the
most difficult problems with column repair.
Faced with only tenuously retained ball bearings, I suddenly realized that
a very simple tool would eliminate the danger of losing balls. What is
needed is a 3/4" ID tube 1.25" long and a 9/16" ID washer. For the tube, I
used a 3/4" PVC pipe coupling with the internal stop drilled out, cut to
length on the band saw. As soon as the spring clip and retainer ring are
removed from the steering shaft, the 1.25" tube, the washer, and the
steering wheel nut are installed and tightened to impose retaining pressure
on the upper and lower bearing sets. Simple! Now all the other possibly
necessary dis-assembly can be done with no danger of disturbing the
bearings, down to the point where one may want to remove the upper pivot
assembly.
If one needs to remove that final assembly, as to inspect/replace the
plastic pivot ball, it's necessary to remove the clamp at the bottom of the
steering column. Then, the complete column can be withdrawn, or the shaft
extracted just far enough to enable the upper shaft to be turned 90* for
disengagement from the pivot ball.
With the upper shaft and upper body, with retained bearings in hand, it's
easy to service all of the individual parts -- MUCH easier than when trying
to protect those bearings and manipulate the other complicated mechanisms.
Even arrangement of the ignition switch rack and pinion operating
mechanism, with spring; and engagement of the operating rod for the lower
column mounted switch is greatly simplified since they're part of a
manageable subassembly.
After having seen the condition of the bottom bearing (that at the bottom
of the column) in both of these columns, I STRONGLY suggest that anyone who
has not inspected, serviced/replaced that bearing do so SOON. That bearing
is completely unsealed -- really not even guarded except for its location
inside the steering column. What little grease was left in those bearings
was badly deteriorated and polluted. The one in the GMC was in good shape;
the one in the seminar column is slightly rough from rust, but serviceable
for the current application. I washed them out with brake cleaner and
forced as much MSO2 grease into them as possible with a popsicle stick. If
I'd had a large hypodermic needle I'd have used it.
With the lower steering shaft removed, it's trivially simple to wire brush
the splines on its lower end, making reassembly to the CV joint easier.
That simple PVC coupling and washer could change lots of folks' minds about
tackling steering colum repairs! :-)
Ken H.
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Ken Henderson
Americus, GA
www.gmcwipersetc.com
Large Wiring Diagrams
76 X-Birchaven
76 X-Palm Beach
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