Steering Column diy. HELP!

Originally Posted by drawz

Well.. Cuz, it is bad and has play? :-)

I was just wondering if you actually inspected the part or if you're just guessing like half the people that come into the forums.

"Hay guyz I replaced my hed gazkit bcuz i was loosing coolant but im stil loosing coolant. WHy? My ET is 35 years old."

Watch this video, it is pretty easy to diagnosis... He also mentions that his car would "ride straight over white lines without any input at all", which I am guessing means a little bit of wandering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=bwT1_Lv9fz4#!

Originally Posted by WDE46

I was just wondering if you actually inspected the part or if you're just guessing like half the people that come into the forums.

"Hay guyz I replaced my hed gazkit bcuz i was loosing coolant but im stil loosing coolant. WHy? My ET is 35 years old."

I know what you mean. The part is inspected

Originally Posted by cposk

Watch this video, it is pretty easy to diagnosis... He also mentions that his car would "ride straight over white lines without any input at all", which I am guessing means a little bit of wandering.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...v=bwT1_Lv9fz4#!

That is exactly the same symptoms I have. I have also been under the car inspecting the part while a buddy turned the steeringwheel.

Originally Posted by drawz

That is exactly the same symptoms I have. I have also been under the car inspecting the part while a buddy turned the steeringwheel.

Do you get any steering wheel shake/vibration at higher speeds?

Originally Posted by cposk

Do you get any steering wheel shake/vibration at higher speeds?

Yes, it shakes a bit. But will not say for sure that it is because of the column. My winter tires are a bit unbalanced.

It looks like it is a easy job on rhd cars. But, a paint in the a** for lhd cars :\ Cuz, on the rhd cars, you can do it from above. I will take a second look tomorrow to see if it is possible to get it of from above on my lhd car. I'm pretty sure it has to done from under the car.

I found som new stuff.. The job looks really straight forward. But I still having problems getting access to the upper bolt.

http://jbbeach.com/files/bmw323ci/32...ing_Column.pdf

Look at the Lower steering column, removing and installing.

FINALY! I got this done. Kind of embarrassing how easy It really was... When I got the coupling of, It was just pulling the shaft down a bit. Then It was easy to get to the bolt with a good exstension.

No more play and clunk sound!

Next I have to replace is the steering rack. Anyone know of a good diy? (Have a bit of knocking sound in that one aswell)

After doing this my steering wheel is a bit off :\ Think I might have moved the parts abit while doing this. Anyone know an easy way to get it aligned again?

Wheels alignment.

Yep. As long as its only a couple degrees at the wheels then an alignment will easily take care of the issue.

Ok, thanks guys But Is there no way I can do this mayself? Can't I just drive the car forward to ensure the wheels are straight, then unbolt the coupling, turn the steering wheel to right position and then put it back together. would that work? Or does it only sound easy in my head? :p

As far as I remember, you physically can't install the coupling or steering wheel incorrectly.

I think you can.. With just 1-2mm or so. Anyway, ym steering wheel got unaligned after doing this jobb. The shaft only fits one way, the coupling is mounted to the shaft only one way, and where the coupling attaches to the rack I belive can be moved few mm each way. thoughts?

Originally Posted by Nervous

As far as I remember, you physically can't install the coupling or steering wheel incorrectly.

Correct. To center without getting an alignment, you will need to pull the black plastic piece off of the pinion and adjust. This only allows the coupling to go on one way.

Originally Posted by cposk

Correct. To center without getting an alignment, you will need to pull the black plastic piece off of the pinion and adjust. This only allows the coupling to go on one way.

Do you have any thoughts abount why my steering wheel is unaligned after this job? I got my wheel aligned a few weeks before doing this job, could that aligment be wrong with the new shaft and coupling?

You only touch the extendable column? I'm not sure how it can be off if you never touched the rack.

Yep, thats right. Didn't directly touch the rack. I had to hammer the coupling out tho..

Well not sure whats going on then. The black plastic piece which fits tightly on the pinion acts as the alignment of the coupling. It has a fin that the coupling slides over, then bolts through. You can pull that off and try to re-align it, but I'd be worried something is wrong with the column...