Replace the steering column?

[gstuartw]

I took my '88 B2 to a shop to have them inspect the front end in anticipation of a road trip. They reported that front was tight and the slop in the steering was due to the steering column.

When I picked it up I grabbed the wheel and was able to shake the column up and down an bit so there does seem to be something loose in it.

I know nothing about steering columns beyond what they are. Is this common on a B2 and is this a replace or rebuild fix?

Thanks,

Stuart

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

Replace is easy if you can find another. Rebuild I don't know, never done one. But it shouldn't be too hard to replace a couple bearings... should it? (Famous last words...lol)

 

[Curious Hound]

First, make sure all the mounting bolts are tight. Then check the joints in the shaft from column to steering box. If you have the typical “rag joints”, they could be work out and introducing play.

 

[4x4prepper]

There is a bearing at the bottom the steering shaft and if it comes off the splines your steering will be wobbly even though the bearing is fine. I think I posted the pictures here, what I did on mine was push the bearing back on to where it was suppose to be, used a hole saw on a cool whip plastic container to make a seal for the bearing, greased the bearing, put the seal over it, then put a cotter pin through the hole I had previously drilled to hold the bearing tight to the shaft.

People pulling on the steering wheel to get into the vehicle can have a bad effect over 30 years.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I have to question if it’s the column that’s bad or the steering box that needs adjusted/replaced. My 95 F-150 was getting a lot of steering wheel slop. Everything seemed tight, until I had the hood open and was looking down in at the linkage from the column and the pitman arm and had someone wiggle the steering wheel. They could turn it pretty far left or right before the pitman started to move, so I knew the steering box was the problem. Have to be careful adjusting them because you can bind them up, but I just loosened the lock nut and turned the adjustment screw while working the steering wheel until pretty much all slop was gone but it wasn’t binding, then locked it down like that.