Fitting new steering column bush

[88mph]

Had ago at this today.
Now tried and tested wisdom says there are two ways of fitting these.......
1, Cut Bush in half and shove it in around column.
Or
2, Remove complete steering column, as stated in the workshop manual.

Neither of which appealed to me. So looking for a short cut that gave me a complete steering bush.

Here's what I did.

1, loosen top steering knuckle under bonnet. Remove bolt completely.

2, loosen tilt adjustment under dash.

3, give steering wheel a good yank and intermediate shaft will fall off. Column will just about pull through column Bush.

4, push old Bush out (into car) . Grease and Fit new Bush from the inside of car. I used a 25mm square piece of wood, about a foot long, and hammered it in.

5, Refit in reverse. Making sure column is inserted far enough. I used self-grippers to ensure adjustable column was pulled back out.......

[88mph]

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]


Hope it helps others tackling this awkward but very important job.

[Chris P]

Looks OK to me….it's a job I've never attempted.

I'm not too good at struggling under dashes and in restricted spaces.

Well done.

[88mph]

Cheers Chris.
I know what you mean about working under dash, it not the nicest environment.
I seem to spend all my DIY time under there. I've been refitting door switches, removing and refitting dash binnacle, fitting new front speakers and now this steering bush. Feet up in the air, back over door sill, elbow jammed, screw dropped behind shoulder, fumbling around for where you put the spanner........... Great fun!!! :lol:
Anything that lessens the stripping down should be a big help to others.

[Rissy]

This is interesting. Like Chris, I've never done this either. (I *think* Martin did it before I owned the car?)

As I've not done this, can you explain your photographs? I'm presuming your top one is the old bush encased in the bulkhead and th bottom photo showing the new one in its place?

If this is right, then I don't y see stand the hoo-ha that people have gone on about these over the years? Why has everyone not just pulled the column through and out of the way? Maybe I'm missing something? Is it because it's a big job to pull the shaft into the car like you've done here? Is there a lot to be loosened or dismantled to do that?

[88mph]

No. They are all of the new Bush
The old one was abit mangled to say the least. .....

[ATTACHMENT NOT FOUND]


Like you I'd always heard it was such a pig to strip down that best to cut the new bush. I just thought I'd try something different. It worked for me.

[Guinney1971]

can you do a write up on this for the Magazine? send to editor@deloreans.co.uk

[88mph]

Having thought about it, I reckon the trick is using self-grippers (Mole-grips) to push in and pull out the telescopic steering column as needed. Without doing so may make you think the bush needs cutting or column needs stripping. Hope that helps.

Claire. I could rewrite it, but don't know what else to say than what's in thread really. Let me know if you still want me to.

[Guinney1971]

not many Club members use the forum, so your tech tip will reach a much
wider audience if it goes in the magazine too

[88mph]

Ok Claire, I'll re-write it when I have access to one of those old fashioned things with a keyboard!

[Chris P]

Then it will be printed on that paper stuff, stapled together with other stories..….put in envelopes and posted out to loads of folk via 'snail mail'……it'll never catch on! :roll:

[stunned_monkey]

Rissy Wrote:(I *think* Martin did it before I owned the car?)

More than once... I used to have them made from Delrin rather than the original PU because of repeated failures.

[Doive]

Good news, I need to do this over the winter on our car - always nice when someone finds a shortcut.