Odd wobbly tilt column question.

[blazinzuk]

Say a guy were to have the dreaded wobbly column, but was lazy and only tightened the 2 top bolts. You know the super easy ones to get too.

Now say those stayed tight but the bottoms remained loose.

Will the column eventually fail because the bottom 2 are loosy goosy?

 

[Bent77]

Subbed just for the generous helping of caddywhompus descriptions

 

[blazinzuk]

Subbed just for the generous helping of caddywhompus descriptions

Had an argument on Facebook. Told the guy I commonly drive near busses full of nuns and orphans so eventually yes I will kill an entire busload of people.

I can see the bolts completely coming out and causing an issue but that's a fairly thick price of cast aluminum in there

 

[Bent77]

I'd be desirous of obligating all those fasteners to the requisite torque specifications

 

[blazinzuk]

I'm obligated to no man..........Or fastener!

 

[CK10]

I actually unknowingly did just that in the late 90s on a 1990 k1500 I had. I pulled them and loctited them and put them back in thinking that there were only 2 bolts in there holding that column in. Drove it till about 2005 and passed it on to my brother who drove it a few more years, a young guy bought it from him and still is driving it around and as far as I know nobody has ever been back in the column.

Would I do it again? No, not now that I know better. But I'm a pain in the ass about maintenance stuff like that and don't mind tedious work.

 

[ChrisPerry]

The column will eventually fail, even if you tighten all 4.

I say be lazy, tighten the top 2, and stop heaving your tookus into the truck by the steering wheel..........

 

[blazinzuk]

The column will eventually fail, even if you tighten all 4.

I say be lazy, tighten the top 2, and stop heaving your tookus into the truck by the steering wheel..........

I'm gonna need a ladder.

Much easier in the burb, stock height

 

[6872xtc]

I checked in this thread thinking that maybe the perfect torque spec had been found.
I always get concerned since the bolts go into aluminum, and the factory didn't get them to stay tight..
But so far I haven't had any that I worked on fail... good thing that number is still single digits....
But @ChrisPerry has idea that may last for quite a while!! ....assuming no ladder failures....

 

[blazinzuk]

I am portly most ladders don't carry a rating for me. I'll fab one up

 

[4X4HIGH]

It doesn't take much effort to disassemble the column and tighten all the bolts properly. I can have the column apart, repaired and back together in 30 minutes. If you lived a lot closer i'd do it for you.

 

[blazinzuk]

It doesn't take much effort to disassemble the column and tighten all the bolts properly. I can have the column apart, repaired and back together in 30 minutes. If you lived a lot closer i'd do it for you.

That would be sweet cause the reason I only did the top two is cause the hunched over position I was in made my head worse and my hands sometimes shake when it gets like that. Trying to put a column back together with shaky hands is no fun

I have to budget a whole freaking day to do it right

 

[Blazooki]

install a mans column. tilt columns are for the rest of the genders

 

[diesel4me]

I took out 2 tilt colums and put non-tilt ones back in two of my trucks in the past--I never tilted the wheel anyways,to me it felt weird with it tilted down some,and being 6'5" tall,they didn't go "up" higher enough to give my midsection more clearance from the steering wheel..
I never missed the tilt feature..I think it sucks--just another thing to give grief..

My '79 Bonanza C-10 had tilt wheel,(probably the only option besides P/S and brakes,it was a straight six)--that thing had a floppy steering wheel from day one,and I hated it,but after trying to get at those bolts and not having the correct lock plate depressor tool,I gave up after being able to tighten the 2 "easy" bolts..

I had that truck 6+ years and the guy I sold it too drove it almost 40,000 miles and never bothered to fix the colum either..I drove it not long before he sold it and it might have felt a little looser than when I owned it,but not much...
I hear the bolts will start snagging on the innards of the colum before they'll actually fall right out,forcing you to fix it before it fails completely..

 

[JoshHefnerX]

The 2 you tightened are taking the load now, and gonna eventually fatigue. Steering and brakes are 2 areas that you don't really want to compromise..

 

[jekquistk5]

I need to do this on my column

 

[rampage]

To those of you who already tightened the hard to get to bolts, did you use blue loc-tite so they don't loosen again?

 

[ktmoutfront]

install a mans column. tilt columns are for the rest of the genders

This is what I did after tightening mine twice. Used it to get into the truck and as my own personal panic handle in those oh too fast panic moments. (Where's the jumping smilie?)

 

[brans87]

I can tell you first off tighten all. I just did a full rebuild and took it down to every part removed from the column! Probably more then just loose now my tube was bent where to plate goes in and 4 screws are, had to reshape tube.
Now it is back in my truck and after some learning this column is very nice and enjoy driving truck now.

 

[brans87]

Here is some good info!!!
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/images/d/d6/Jazzman_Steering_Rack_Rebuild.pdf
http://www.crankshaftcoalition.com/wiki/images/d/d6/Jazzman_Steering_Rack_Rebuild.pdf
http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=12525.0

This company is awesome here and very helpful with great diagrams http://www.steeringcolumnservices.c...ntiac/GM-Tilt-Column-Rebuild-Instructions.php

Will need this also don't try to do a rebuild without this tool http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/detail/LIS0/19940.oap?keyword=pivot+pin+remover

Super nice steering wheel puller kit makes life easy and made with quality http://www.tooltopia.com/otc-tools-7984.aspx

Replace bearing in column here is the $ saver yes Jeep parts but Saginaw built columns for Jeep and GM research part # and you will find post on this part # for lower https://www.amazon.com/Crown-Automotive-4487696K-Steering-Bearing/dp/B008VQ003M

upper bearing http://www.morris4x4center.com/tilt-column-rack-kit-83510055.html?gclid=CPCLr62iyNICFVY8gQodey0Apg Also on this do not drive races in with plastic cage and bearings installed. yeah sucks little this way but trust me worth it to install afterwards and little bearings.

last thing!!! PULL the column of of the truck and put it in a vise!!!!!!! THIS will make YOU LIFE EASIER!!!!