Have I just wrecked the steering column on the 70RR????

Hemimad · Post by **Hemimad** » Sat Oct 05, 13 7:47 pm

Whilst removing the stuck steering wheel from the column I had a little accident. The service manual is very clear about not bashing the end as there are sheer pins to allow the column to collapse. So while carefully using a puller the column slipped from its secure point and dropped on to the floor.... coupler first!

Now my column now has about 1ft of fore and aft movement, have I just broken the sheer pin and is the column now scrap??

Can it be repaired, if so how as I cannot find any reference in the service manual?

PS if it is scrap, anyone got a spare column for a floor shift auto 1970 B body going begging?

Cheers

Dave C

Pete · Post by **Pete** » Sat Oct 05, 13 7:49 pm

My guess is that you have displaced one of the 2 Circlips in the top housing.....You would have to dismantle the entire column to see if you sheared the saftey pins but I would be amazed if you have damaged them...............

Hemimad · Post by **Hemimad** » Sat Oct 05, 13 8:06 pm

Pete,

The shaft is still insitu and shows no sign of movement at the top end, the mesh is still fine, it is the lower shaft part that telescopes in and out where the coupler fits to the power steering pump. I imagine that something is broken as before it hardly moved. Would the circlip dropping out give the same result?

Dave C

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sat Oct 05, 13 8:27 pm

Sounds like the pins have sheared, you'll have to strip the column to check, it's pretty easy to do. You can repair it easy enough, tack weld it if you are not worried about losing the collaspsability. I guess you could even pop rivet it, they would break in a heavy frontal impact. The shaft is held in place top and bottom when it's in situ so it can't come out, the means of holding the two bits together isn't critical.

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Sat Oct 05, 13 8:28 pm

You need to be 100% sure they are not broken.

Mine were in my charger. Caused the coupling to come of the steering box. Fortunately it happened as i was parking. 1 min earlier i was doing 100mph round the ring road

This was pre-restoration i hasten to add!

If the coupling comes off a crash is almost a certanty.

I will say, that being made of plastic they mine were fairly brittle. I can imagine it wont take much to break them.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sat Oct 05, 13 8:56 pm

Must have been another problem there as well Roger, the coupler is pinned top and bottom, the shaft can't come out in normal circumstances.

Roger · Post by **Roger** » Sat Oct 05, 13 9:57 pm

Blue wrote:Must have been another problem there as well Roger, the coupler is pinned top and bottom, the shaft can't come out in normal circumstances.

The main part of the coupling stayed on the box. It pulled out of the top where the crimped on cover is.

I might be forgetting something though! Its been a while, even since i put it together again.

Must have a look tommorow and remind myself how it goes together!

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Sat Oct 05, 13 10:14 pm

Roger wrote:
Blue wrote:Must have been another problem there as well Roger, the coupler is pinned top and bottom, the shaft can't come out in normal circumstances.
The main part of the coupling stayed on the box. It pulled out of the top where the crimped on cover is.

I might be forgetting something though! Its been a while, even since i put it together again.

Must have a look tommorow and remind myself how it goes together!

That should have a roll pin going through it.

shovelheadrob · Post by **shovelheadrob** » Sat Oct 05, 13 10:39 pm

I think he means the top of the joint, the bottom is held on with a roll pin, the top is just a crimped on cover, which wouldn't come apart in normal circumstances. Maybe someone had had it apart previously & the folded over tangs were weak. The lower part of the shaft could then slide up & out of the joint.

Blue · Post by **Blue** » Sun Oct 06, 13 1:38 am

There's also a small roll pin at the top of the joint under the crimped on cover to stop the sliding joint coming apart. It's often missing or broken.