Lever For Tilt Steering Wheel is Wobbly - How Can I fix ?

[saxtech]

Hello:
Just today, when I pulled the lever to tilt my steering wheel down, the lever had lots of play and was wobbly. It wasn't like that yesterday. It kinda scared me that it was going to fall out :-(

Its a 2003 XLT 3.0 Supercab with 44,000 Miles.

Is there a simple way to access the anchor point of this lever to see what's going on without removing the steering wheel, air bag, cruise control switches, and ect ???

I did take a little flashlight and peek into the gap surrounding the lever and saw a very small coil spring hanging and it looked like the loop end of the spring was not connected. I have no idea where to connect this or how to get to it and have no idea if this is my problem (although I suspect it may be).

How do I get into the guts of the steering column in the lever area ? Is the cover surrounding the lever in that area accessible and removable without tearing the entire steering wheel assembly apart ?

If someone has an exploded view (picture) of this area and detailed instructions how to fix, can you please post or private message me for my email.

Thanks everyone in advanced.

Gary

 

[97RangerXLT]

you should be able to remove the plastic cover around the column to get to the innards. you shouldn't need to remove the steering wheel or airbag to do this. BUT... since you are messing with an area with a lot of wires going into it (including the airbag) do unhook the battery and let it sit for about 20 minutes or so before tearing into it.

Not 100% sure how the tilt lever is attached, I never have had to mess with mine.

AJ

 

[saxtech]

Problem Solved (Wobbly/Lose Lever for Tilt Wheel Function):
It was so easy to gain access to the dangling coil spring that had become unhooked from the Tilt Wheel Lever Bracket (where the lever screws into). This spring apparently, is what keeps tension on the lever bracket to keep it from wobbling and feeling lose.

The job required me to take the 3 Phillips screws out of the bottom cover of the steering column, unscrew the lever for the tilt steering wheel function, and the cover slipped right off. Less than 5 minutes. I re-hooked the dangling spring and for safe measures, I put a piece of aluminum tape over the loop end of the spring to "help" prevent it from popping off again. I'm not sure why this popped off in the first place. I'm usually pretty gently with the tilt wheel adjustment function.

I Re-Installed the bottom steering column cover with the 3 Philipps screws, screwed the lever back in, and the job was done.

No More wobbly/lose lever for the tilt wheel function.

Gary

 

[97RangerXLT]

Thanks for posting back the solution to the problem! we here at TRS like closure...

AJ

 

[sgtsandman]

Free and easy fixes are the ones we like to see. Glad you figured it out.