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Post by RIP OLDS on Oct 26, 2014 15:24:04 GMT -5
I have completed the steering column rebuild of my previous posts. I installed a new turn signal switch and lower bearing, and cleaned/painted everything. I used the lower bearing/plastic bushing from CJ's Rods and Machines. Seemed to fit perfect. www.ebay.com/itm/64-65-66-Buick-Pontiac-Olds-New-Non-Tilt-Steering-Column-Lower-Bearing-L-K-/141449138478?pt=Vintage_Car_Truck_Parts_Accessories&hash=item20ef06912e&vxp=mtr. I did this rebuild because I had play in the steering wheel (steering shaft had side/side - up/down movement). With all the new parts installed there is still some play in the steering wheel(shaft). It's not quite as bad, but it's still there. Does everyone have this play? After all that work it is disappointing. Also, when driving I now feel bumps in the road through the steering shaft/wheel. I never had that before. The under dash bracket holding the column is tight, and there is no movement of the column. Hard to believe there is just two cheesy bearings holding the shaft. The good news is my steering wheel is now installed the correct way (ribbed part down), and the blinkers shut off automatically. |
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Post by mongoose on Nov 3, 2014 16:09:07 GMT -5
Nobody responded to your question, and I hadn't taken the time to uncover the car so that I could check the shaft play for you until today. So let's see if we can get some discussion going. As you know my steering column is newly rebuilt as well... and I have ZERO or so little play that it is imperceptible when I try to move the wheel checking for play between the steering shaft and the bearings. To throw out some ideas for discussion... When you had the entire assembly apart, did you happen to look where the shaft rides on the bearing to see if there appeared to be any "abnormal" wear? Are you able to see the movement comparing the wheel hub and the top of the column? Have you tried moving the steering shaft from under the hood to see if you can feel or see similar movement? Have you tried pulling the wheel back off and see if you can still create that movement, and maybe get a better look at where it's occurring? Ok... now I'm out of ideas at the moment.  |
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Post by RIP OLDS on Nov 4, 2014 21:25:55 GMT -5
Mongoose, thanks for the response.
To answer your questions:
1) The shaft looked smooth and even the whole length, with no obvious signs of uneven wear.
2) Yes, I can see movement between the steering wheel hub and the column cover.
3) I tried moving the shaft under the hood, it is pretty solid with negligible movement.
4) With the wheel off, the shaft can still be moved. Best I can tell there is some play in the bearing for the new turn signal switch. I would think a small amount of play in the bearing would result in excessive play in the end of the shaft due to its length.
I'd be curious if others have a new signal switch, and if the bearing has some play.
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Post by mongoose on Nov 5, 2014 6:02:32 GMT -5
Is your switch the same as mine? If you're seeing play of the bearing within the switch housing, then I'd have to assume that you ended up with a defective switch assembly. If that's the case, at least it's not a huge deal to replace, since once you have the wheel off, you have direct access to the switch.  |
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Post by RIP OLDS on Nov 5, 2014 19:10:59 GMT -5
Mongoose - I have the same switch. If you try to move the bearing with your finger, does it have any movement, or is it rigid (other than spinning)?
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Post by mongoose on Nov 6, 2014 6:02:58 GMT -5
I don't recall checking the play in the bearing (this picture is from last winter when I rebuilt the column) but I would have to believe there was little to none or I would get some play in the shaft. I could be drawing a wrong conclusion, but my guess would be that the bearing in the switch you got is loose in the switch housing. If there isn't another forum member that has a switch they haven't installed yet to check the bearing, maybe you could call CJ's and see how he feels about it.
As you said there are only two bearings in the shaft, and any play in either one of them would cause side play in the wheel, and probably exaggerate road vibrations up through the wheel.
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Post by RIP OLDS on Nov 6, 2014 22:20:40 GMT -5
I had play in the wheel before I rebuilt the column, and no feeling of the road at all through the wheel, so it's not the play that is causing the feeling. I was thinking perhaps there is a different feel due to the CJ's bearing being a sealed, solid bearing as opposed to the GM bearing, which seemed to have a spongy feel to it. Also, I rebuilt the rag joint, and it now has a metal piece that connects (bridges) both sides of the rag joint openings that connect to the shaft as opposed to two separate metal pieces. Maybe this is it. Here is a video of the play.  |
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Post by mongoose on Nov 7, 2014 5:58:41 GMT -5
Wow... that's even more play than I was imagining. Definitely not right. Either bearing/switch housing is loose, or the shaft diameter isn't original. If it did it before, and once you replaced the switch it still did that, I'd be looking at all the things that didn't get replaced more closely.
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Post by shane on Nov 7, 2014 6:44:30 GMT -5
Wow that's alot of play, mine has almost 200 thousand miles on it and doesn't have that much play. I have a nos switch . I will check and see if it has any side to side movement in it.
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Post by RIP OLDS on Nov 7, 2014 12:23:20 GMT -5
Thanks Guys - I will be measuring the shaft diameter and the turn signal switch bearing I.D. this weekend. I don't see any other parts in the column that hold the shaft other than the two bearings.
There definately was a bit of play in the signal switch bearing itself, maybe if the shaft O.D. and bearing I.D. are off as well this is the result.
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Post by boba65442 on Nov 7, 2014 20:06:18 GMT -5
Didn't you replace the original column shift hub with a non column shift hub without changing the steering column to do away with the column shift when you redid the interior and dash? Where did you get the new hub from. Was it from another 65 steering column?
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Post by RIP OLDS on Nov 8, 2014 8:30:17 GMT -5
That is true Bob, but all I did was switch out the column shift outer column with a floor shift outer column. This part does not hold the shaft itself. The two bearings are the only parts the come in contact with the shaft. This is the part I changed.  Here is a video showing the play in the shaft without the wheel on. The shaft measures 0.75". There is 0.015" of play between the shaft and the bearing, and an additional 0.011" of play in the bearing itself. s933.photobucket.com/user/craigp442/media/11081413521_zpsytmeadqi.mp4.html |
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Post by BR[] on Nov 8, 2014 18:27:36 GMT -5
why do I NOT get a video...............only a white screen
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Post by RIP OLDS on Nov 8, 2014 18:48:03 GMT -5
Try this.  |
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Post by mongoose on Nov 9, 2014 7:10:18 GMT -5
why do I NOT get a video...............only a white screen Sometimes that happens to me too... but if I click over to another one of my open windows, it finishes "preparing" the video window and you can then view it. Weird... I know. |
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Post by mongoose on Nov 9, 2014 7:23:02 GMT -5
I know this isn't going to help you right now, but sometime over the winter I'm going to have to pull out my dash again, and to do so I'll need to pull the wheel. At that time I could take some measurements for you to help validate your measurements.
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Post by RIP OLDS on Nov 9, 2014 7:51:44 GMT -5
Thanks Mongoose, no rush as winter is here. Plus the car drives fine, just trying to figure out how to eliminate this play in the shaft.
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