Collapsible Steering Column...Collapsed! (1 Viewer)

[81fj40]

I have a collapsible steering column in my '81, and the shaft is collapsed; I guess the plastic keepers keep the two column pieces together were broken off. I suspect there are easy ways to repair this (maybe some metal pins or rivets, or just weld them together), but wanted to see if anyone had done a repair on this type of column, and any recommendations.

I attached a couple photos of the shaft and plastic keepers.

Thanks!

 

[HandForged]

Was it actually collapsed? Wreck or how did it happen? The plastic pins in the shaft are there to give it some tension and to keep the pieces from moving around and making noise in the d channel. The outer piece simply slips over the inner shaft piece with those plastic pins to establish the correct length. They don't really do anything. I'm sure you can get one of the plastic weld kits from the parts house and squirt it down in there with a needle if it something you simply must do.

 

[81fj40]

Well, when the column is installed, the outer portion of inner shaft slides down so the shaft rattles and isnt seated on the bearing.

I would think that the plastic pins or keepers made it so the shafts didn't easily slide apart. I acquired it collapsed as the PO had put a pipe clamp on the end to keep it from sliding; ghetto I know.

 

[B y r o n]

I can't find the plastic pieces you claim are missing:

 

[81fj40]

They are not shown in the exploded diagram. They hold the two shafts together (just below #83 in the diagram). I think the plastic is injected into four holes on the outer shaft, filling in some grooves on the inner shaft.
I'll need to find something to join them together again.

 

[81fj40]

So, I think I fixed the collapsed column. Originally, was going to drill through both columns and put a nylon bolt through the two, maintaining the collasible feature of the column.
Unfortunately, during the drilling process, the drill bit broke off in the hole.
Perplexed, I removed the old plastic bits from the inner column, inserted into the outer column and injected JB Weld epoxy into the holes until it filled the voids and dripped out the backside.
Let it cure, and reassembled the column. seems to have solved the problem.
Much better solution than the PO's pipe clamp.