Ways to make the steering wheel more secure? Has a tiny hair of play like it needs to be tightened.

Disclaimer: Links on this page pointing to Amazon, eBay and other sites may include affiliate code. If you click them and make a purchase, we may earn a small commission.

OR VietVet

Multnomah Falls
Supporting Member
Military
Joined
Oct 8, 2014
Posts
19,211
Reaction score
31,591
Location
Willamette Valley
Do you yank on it to climb in and out of front seat? If a bigger guy, like me, does that, the steering wheel tilt mechanism can develop slop.
 

mikez71

Full Access Member
Joined
Mar 9, 2023
Posts
766
Reaction score
884
Really miss a driver's side grab handle! Thinking about making one and drilling a couple holes through A-pillar trim. I always have to step on running board and plop into driver's seat. Don't want to use door pull and break that!
 

Doubeleive

Wes
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Posts
23,662
Reaction score
34,539
Location
Stockton, Ca.
Hey, let me know how that goes! I’m really just afraid of the airbag to be honest
I didn't get a chance to do it yesterday, ran into some unexpected surprises at home that took up the rest of the day and got snowballed with work this morning so might be later this afternoon or evening
airbag is nothing to be afraid of it's like a blasting cap it has to have electricity to fire.
I'm more scared of a strut spring killing me than a airbag
and be scared of people that have never messed with gasoline and have only seen it in the movies, we used to pour it on burn piles with a tire to make the green stuff burn, gasoline is no joke
 
Last edited:

Doubeleive

Wes
Supporting Member
Joined
Nov 7, 2017
Posts
23,662
Reaction score
34,539
Location
Stockton, Ca.
Well good thing I gave this a shot my main ground was loosy goosy, to get to the airbag release tabs you kinda gotta go in until you hit metal and then angle down a smidge. I have a REALLY bad habit of stripping bolts because nothing is ever tight enough, that being said I used a 22mm and made it maybe 1 inch tighter but I can see the parts behind the steering wheel moving so I don't think it made any difference and I don't want to strip it but I gave it a shot anyway.
1000002364.jpg
 
Last edited:
Joined
Mar 9, 2023
Posts
835
Reaction score
1,958
Location
The transmission bench
Well good thing I gave this a shot my main ground was loosy goosy, to get to the airbag release tabs you kinda gotta go in until you hit metal and then angle down a smidge. I have a REALLY bad habit of stripping bolts because nothing is ever tight enough, that being said I used a 22mm and made it maybe 1 inch tighter but I can see the parts behind the steering wheel moving so I don't think it made any difference and I don't want to strip it but I gave it a shot anyway.
View attachment 401217
If you're getting play in/around the wheel, it could be the upper steering column bearing starting to go. Its a small caged roller bearing that sits between intermediate and upper shafts. When mine started wearing out, I began to feel a very slight amount of play in the wheel; at the time I only noticed it when turning but it got progressively worse over the next few months. Eventually it felt like the whole wheel was going to literally come off but the 22mm steering wheel nut was never loose. And even if it was, it wouldn't cause any play as you can't simply pull it off even with the nut removed. You need a small puller.

I ended up swapping out the entire column for one from the junkyard that I pulled out for $50. Swap itself took about a half hour then I had to do a manual reset for the VATS so it would start back up and run (no tools, scanners or anything needed).
 

Forum statistics

Threads
129,117
Posts
1,810,704
Members
92,203
Latest member
firedog9518

Latest posts

Top