WTB tight steering column

[VetteMed]

Looks like the pivot pins are worn out on my original 191K mile steering column. Does anyone have a good used column for sale? I think I need a 90 or 91, but 92-93 may work as well?

[PhillipsLT5]

I think Marc H has some pins for sale to fix the slop

[batchman]

90 is different according to the swap guides. I know this because I need one too - 91-93 C4 std trans is the interchange.

Mine has a down & left play that can't be fixed. A straight up/down play can be fixed, or so I gather.

Best,
- Jeff

[phrogs]

I have one from a 90 if your interested came from sub 20K car.

I also have the keys for it so you could get a key cut to fit with your cars key code or you can swap out the ignitions pretty easily.


I really don't know what the difference could be they are visually identical.

I'd have to see a parts break down and see what is different, and the difference might be something simple like the opening for the airbag wiring or something.

If all the internal parts are the same it will work on any car.
Books can be wrong but you wouldn't know until you put it in your car.
we should compare photos of the different columns..

[mike100]

I don't know if the pins wear more or the housing (I suspect the housing), but even my car has it with low mileage. It really has to do a lot with how large the previous owners were and if they could get out of the car easily.

The next one I fix will be on a table top if i can help it. The housing is real expensive though.

[VetteMed]

The housing is made of pot metal, the pins are steel. It's the housing that wears out, unfortunately. If you can find one it's pricey.

[Hammer]

Marc does have larger pins available. I replaced the one on the right side on my first '91 and it made a dramatic difference in the slop. Looking back, I would do both if I was to do it again.

The slop on both my cars was apparent from the top right to the bottom left side. One thing I have noticed is that when I get out of my car, I grab the opposite side of the wheel, the top left. So I am thinking this is a faulty production casting on the housing. Too bad they aren't available anymore.

[batchman]

It's not just a Corvette thing - I have a friend who has done so many GM tilt wheels he can close his eyes and recite the entire process. There's a couple of bolts deep down in there that loosen up. That's the up/down issue IIRC. The down/left must be the pin/housing one.

Didn't know there was a larger pin available... Hmmm....

Thanks,
- Jeff

[VetteMed]

It's not just a Corvette thing - I have a friend who has done so many GM tilt wheels he can close his eyes and recite the entire process. There's a couple of bolts deep down in there that loosen up. That's the up/down issue IIRC. The down/left must be the pin/housing one.

Didn't know there was a larger pin available... Hmmm....

Thanks,
- Jeff

Yep, I had to tighten the bolts in my 88 IROC, but the pivot pins weren't a problem in that particular car. As I recall it was up/down looseness. Crappy design, I guess... with no incentive for GM to change it since the cars were way out of warranty when the problem occurred.

[VetteVet]

I recently bought a new housing for my steering column rebuild and IIRC, it was reasonable (less than $150.00). I just have to remember where I got it from. BTW, I had the diagonal wiggle and upon disaasembly I found that it was the pivot pin bores in the housing that were wallowed out.

Also, the GM parts break down does show differences in individual parts between the 90 and 91-93 columns. I'm not sure if the complete column assemblies would interchange or not.

Jep

[VetteVet]

I found it. I got mine from Corvette Central. I'm having trouble posting a link because it's too long and is getting truncated.

Part number is 564458 and price is $134.95.

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz195/vettevet/yb.jpg

Jep

[mike100]

I found it. I got mine from Corvette Central. I'm having trouble posting a link because it's too long and is getting truncated.

Part number is 564458 and price is $134.95.

http://i827.photobucket.com/albums/zz195/vettevet/yb.jpg

Jep

Awesome- i'm going to try to buy it ahead of time...even if I put it off like a heater core job, I have done it once_ know I can do it again.

[VetteMed]

I found it. I got mine from Corvette Central. I'm having trouble posting a link because it's too long and is getting truncated.

Part number is 564458 and price is $134.95.
Jep

That's great if that's where your problem lies. Mine is in the upper housing, that pic is the lower housing. The pins attach the upper housing to the lower housing, and the holes in the upper housing are worn too large.

Marc Haibeck doesn't have any of the repair pins in stock, they are $60 each and he would have to order them.

I'm going to replace the whole column with a lower mileage one from phrogs. Less time and aggravation for me in the long run.