Steering column bearing

Your local parts jobber would be a good start, it is an off-the-shelf GM assembly. There's two sets of ball bearings and races, the one you're talking about below the signal light switch and one at the bottom end of the column tube held up with a plastic doughnut and wire C-clip. If you're doing one...

I replaced both of mine a couple of years ago, so they are readily available.

Mike Duane Jr. wrote:

What are the signs they need replacing? Ever since I got my 81 CJ 2 years ago, there is a rattle type feel while going down the road and over bumps, had all the steering from engine down checked 3 times, and they can't find anything, I never thought about it being in the column, but now that I think about it, when I drive it I feel like the if pushed on the steering column would move, but it doesn't, just that's what the rattle type vibration feels like while driving.

Your column has a u-joint just under the brake reservoir. These get sloppy over time. A local suspension shop will cut that out and put a greaseable one in for something like $150.00 or 175 if I remember right.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Greg wrote:

IANACertifiedAutoTechnician, so take any advice I offer with a grain of salt. The top one in mine might not have needed replacing but I was in the middle of a ground-up rebuild and thought "Do it now? Do it later? Do it now? Do it, aww fark, do it now while it is apart." The bottom bearing is exposed to a lot of road crap and of the three 1970s CJ's I've hand my hands on the bottom bearing was shot and the balls gone to hell on all of them, with the plastic retainer doing all the work. On a SWAG, if you can grab the steering shaft U-joint and wiggle the shaft in the column tube I'd replace the bearing.

Greg wrote:

Just wanted to thank everyone for their info and hopefully I'll get this thing back together shortly. Thanks again! Mike D. 85 CJ7