Tilt steering repair

I'm working on the '92 Cherokee trying to fix the loose steering column/tilt wheel. You guys were right - it's amazingly hard to get to those three bolts to tighten the tilt wheel. I have the steering wheel off, now I'm staring at the steering-wheel-ignition-lock-thingy - the gear that locks the steering wheel when you turn off the ignition. There is a snap ring holding the gear on that I can't get off, although maybe I'm just not trying hard enough. Do I need to keep going straight through here or do I need to be pulling the plastic housing from around the steering column?

Pictures of what I'm looking at:

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Reply to
The Merg
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Dunno `bout your `92 but earlier GM locking columns required the used of a lock plate tool. It threads onto the steering shaft and presses the plate downward to relieve pressure on the lock ring. Trying to do it without the tool is simply madness. You should be able to rent one for free (or nearly so) from an autoparts chain store. Beware that at some point GM changed from SAE to metric threads on the shaft.

-- "I defer to your plainly more vivid memories of topless women with whips....r" R. H. Draney recalls AFU in the Good Old Days.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

Reply to
The Merg

Reply to
L.W.(Bill) Hughes III

Thanks Bill, you're the man.

L.W.(Bill) Hughes III wrote:

Reply to
The Merg

Thanks Bill, you're the man.

L.W.(Bill) Hughes III wrote:

Reply to
The Merg

I simply take my left hand, compress the plate, then pick the snap ring off with a pick or tiny screwdriver. Takes about 15 seconds. Spdloader

Reply to
Spdloader

I'm a pretty big guy, and I was pretty sure there was no way I could compress the plate by hand - but I'll try it again tomorrow before I head to Big Chain Auto.

Spdloader wrote:

Reply to
The Merg

....you can use both thumbs, push down on the plate from both sides where the shaft comes through, then hold it with one hand or the other while you pick the snap ring off. I thought I had pretty strong hands, until I saw a man that changes serpentine belts with his hands.

Spdloader

Reply to
Spdloader

Ha. Not all of us have a vice on the end of each arm. I'm envious.

-- "I defer to your plainly more vivid memories of topless women with whips....r" R. H. Draney recalls AFU in the Good Old Days.

Reply to
Lee Ayrton

Reply to
The Merg

guide:

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but it's a little vague >

Reply to
The Merg

Would tilting the wheel help? Sometimes one set can be had with the wheel up and the other with the wheel tilted down.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

No, I still can't get in. I found this for what I'm trying to do:

"Now you are ready to pull the pivot pins out. There are two of them going in the sides at about the 3:00 and 9:00 positions. They are about

3/8" in diameter and have a small hole threaded in the middle (#10-32 I believe) I managed to break off a bolt in one of these which required that I pull the entire steering column out to get the bolt drilled out so be careful. The GM tool looks like this: | | | | > > whips....r"
Reply to
The Merg

What about using an open ended wrench? I sometimes can get one on things end on and then I grab the wrench with vise grips to turn it. Even 1/12 turn at a time having to flip the wrench every time will still get you there.

I also have nut driver sockets that have 'much' thinner walls on them than ratchet sockets and some deep well ratchet sockets with thin walls.

I also have an 8" set of needle nosed vise grips that can fit into some strange places.

I don't think the nuts need to be torqued on hard, just dabbed with some loctite in the threads so it won't back off. The loctite will wick if put on after.

Mike

The Merg wrote:

Reply to
Mike Romain

And here's the tool I need that no one has:

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suggestions on how to make one up?

Reply to
The Merg

Therej is a GM Steering Wheel Lock Puller, or something to that effect, that you need to get that snap ring off. I recall it costing about $10. I think you can borrow it from the AutoZone Loaner Tool program.

Reply to
Jeff Strickland

I could make one from my spare nuts and bolts collection.

I have or could easily get at the local hardware/auto store longish 10 x

32 bolts or screws and a couple nuts and washers. I would likely go for strong ones, the ones I have are stainless. That outside spacer nut looks like a 1/4 hole maybe, but it just needs to be large enough to allow the pin to be sucked into it as you tighten down a nut onto the washer. I would use a bolt for holding and threading into the pin or screw if handy with the other nut/washer/ bigger nut on it already.

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail >
Reply to
Mike Romain

When I did mine, I had to pull the pivots out and get the top part of the tilt assembly out of the way. Best I can remember, I used a socket big enough for the pin to slide into as a receiver then ran a longer stainless screw down thru the socket with a nut and washer to pull the pin out into the socket. Be careful sliding that top part off: there is a bearing with a plastic race at the top that you don't want to bugger. I couldn't see those bolts much less reach them until I pulled the top assembly off. Be sure you watch how it comes apart as it is a bit tricky to reassemble.

Reply to
Will Honea

Reply to
The Merg

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