Steering wheel telescopes but shouldn't

[rich006]

While replacing my ignition lock cylinder I noticed the steering column will pull out about a half inch if I pull aft on the wheel. The shaft comes aft with the wheel but the coupler stays in place. Here's the shaft fully pushed into the coupler:

And here is the shaft pulled out by pulling aft on the wheel:

You can see the seal is pulled out a bit, and there's a little ring of rusty metal visible. There's also a small hole now visible on the shaft, right next to the seal. Here's a another view of that hole:

Is there supposed to be some kind of pin going into that hole that would hold the shaft into the coupler? This is the later collapsible steering column if it makes a difference.

 

[RedFish]

There is at least a half inch of travel in the box coupling by design. I don't recall seeing a hole through the shaft there

 

[Moparman1806]

I know when I was putting new ones together at the dealer that there was in fact a small roll pin to stop the travel. It was almost to the top of the body of the joint. Clean it on the outside really well to see if it is there, maybe the roll pin broke inside

 

[RedFish]

That tiny pin blocks/captures a shoe inside to prevent the coupling coming completely apart. The shoes have ample space to travel up/down inside the box though. Unibodies flex so there has to be some give somewhere.

 

[67Dart273]

The coupler has nothing to do with it, it is SUPPOSED to move. Either the column is loose somehow in the mounts, or the snap ring at the top of the shaft is AFU

Does the wheel pull up and expose a gap in the mounting area for the TS switch? Then it's "up there" in the snap ring, or at least inside the column somehow

 

[rich006]

Does the wheel pull up and expose a gap in the mounting area for the TS switch?

The wheel pulls the whole column with it. There's nothing loose between the wheel and the shaft. The shaft itself pulls partway out of the coupler.

I guess what I want to know is: is it normal to be able to pull the column back half an inch into your lap? And if it's not normal, what do I do about it?

 

[rich006]

Here's the picture from the FSM. It looks like maybe the dowel pin is missing? Would that fit into the hole that is shown just to the left of the seal?

 

[HemiSSDart]

If you hammered on your column at all you might have sheared the nylon pin that keeps the column pieces together. It is designed to crumple in a crash and is pinned to keep it from doing it by itself. I have seen people do it when they try to hammer their steering wheel back onto the shaft instead of using the nut to cinch it back on. If you did shear the pin, then you will have to take the entire column out and rebuild it.

 

[67Dart273]

The wheel pulls the whole column with it. There's nothing loose between the wheel and the shaft. The shaft itself pulls partway out of the coupler.

I guess what I want to know is: is it normal to be able to pull the column back half an inch into your lap? And if it's not normal, what do I do about it?

Then it's a simple matter of the mounting hardware. The bracket where the studs nuts fasten under there has slotted holes, and the flange at the firewall has a clamp. What I would do is get someone to move the wheel while you look under and see "what all" is moving. EG if you were to remove the column out of the car, I believe your problem is "right in" everything you would have "out"

 

[rich006]

What I would do is get someone to move the wheel while you look under and see "what all" is moving.

That's what I would do too, and did. Maybe my pictures aren't clear enough. My first picture shows the shaft all the way in the coupler (with the wheel pushed forward) and the second picture shows the shaft pulled partway out (with the wheel pulled aft). The shaft moves the same distance as the wheel, about 1/2". I don't think the problem is within the column itself because the distance between the steering wheel and the shaft doesn't change.

 

[RedFish]

So is this column shift or floor shift, or a converted column? and what do you have for a lower column bearing? What movement is happening at the upper bearing?
Is the steering shaft siding through everything or is the entire column moving?

 

[67Dart273]

That's what I would do too, and did. Maybe my pictures aren't clear enough. My first picture shows the shaft all the way in the coupler (with the wheel pushed forward) and the second picture shows the shaft pulled partway out (with the wheel pulled aft). The shaft moves the same distance as the wheel, about 1/2". I don't think the problem is within the column itself because the distance between the steering wheel and the shaft doesn't change.

WAIT a minute.........I thought you were pulling and pushing on the wheel? Or are you down in the bay pulling and pushing on the shaft itself?

 

[rich006]

So is this column shift or floor shift, or a converted column? and what do you have for a lower column bearing? What movement is happening at the upper bearing?
Is the steering shaft siding through everything or is the entire column moving?

Column shift, all stock. Lower column bearing? Sorry, I have no idea what that is. When I pull on the wheel, the shift lever housing moves with it. Everything moves together.

I thought you were pulling and pushing on the wheel?

LOL, yes. But when I pull on the wheel, it pulls on the shaft.

 

[67Dart273]

OK if you are pulling the wheel, this has nothing to do with the coupler at the gearbox.

As I said earlier, if you were to remove the complete column from the car, "somewhere in that hardware" you hold in your hands is the problem......something loose, missing, broken. There's a snap ring on the shaft near the top of the assy, it might be the culprit. Finding a good clear breakdown of a column is hard..........

 

[rich006]

Here are some more pictures to clarify what's going on.

The photo below shows the coupling end of the shaft when I've pulled aft on the steering wheel.

And the photo below shows when the steering wheel is pushed forward.

 

[Moparman1806]

Here are some more pictures to clarify what's going on.
View attachment 1715065020
The photo below shows the coupling end of the shaft when I've pulled aft on the steering wheel.
View attachment 1715065021
And the photo below shows when the steering wheel is pushed forward.
View attachment 1715065023

With the entire column moving, I would look at the column mounting bolts and the lower clamp at the firewall. Something that is holding the column in place is loose. The "hole" you are pointing to is an indentation that belongs there. Check all the mounting bolts under the dash and the clamp for tightness

 

[67Dart273]

With the entire column moving, I would look at the column mounting bolts and the lower clamp at the firewall. ..............

I agree and pretty much said so LOL.

 

[Moparman1806]

Remove the lower dash cover under the column. Once that is removed, you will see the 2 upper column mount nuts. There should be a white nylon block between the column mounting bracket and the dash frame on each side. If they are missing or broken it would explain this also. Chances are that the nuts are just loose. The nuts should have a shoulder built in with serrations to keep it tight, if not, get the proper type.

 

[rich006]

The bracket where the studs nuts fasten under there has slotted holes, and the flange at the firewall has a clamp.

Ah, I get it now.

With the entire column moving, I would look at the column mounting bolts and the lower clamp at the firewall. Something that is holding the column in place is loose. The "hole" you are pointing to is an indentation that belongs there. Check all the mounting bolts under the dash and the clamp for tightness

Yep.

I agree and pretty much said so LOL.

Yes, you did. I get it now. LOL

Remove the lower dash cover under the column. Once that is removed, you will see the 2 upper column mount nuts. There should be a white nylon block between the column mounting bracket and the dash frame on each side. If they are missing or broken it would explain this also. Chances are that the nuts are just loose. The nuts should have a shoulder built in with serrations to keep it tight, if not, get the proper type.

Yep again.

Those two nuts were loose; I probably never tightened them back down after the last time I lowered the column to get better access to the instrument panel.

Also, the flange clamp at the firewall seems to be missing. Does anyone have a picture of it?

 

[RedFish]

The column bracket has nuts on studs at 2 upper locations and one of those studs should have a 3rd nut holding a ground jumper wire. That little jumper wire to insure the column is grounded ( they didn't always ground through plastics and coupling grease ), so the horn blows, indicator bulb and other stuff works. Then there's also a 3rd fastener in the bracket lower down on the right side. This one is a bolt going into a caged nut ( never cross thread that SOB, ask me how I know ). Anyway... Now that your coupling guts have been well exercised, you probably should move to the center of that travel before tightening all the hardware.