Steering Column Restoration
Printed From: TheAMCForum.com
Category: The Garage
Forum Name: Suspension, Steering, Brakes & Wheels
Forum Description: What makes it stop, turn, and smooths the ride
URL: https://theamcforum.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=67283
Printed Date: Apr/19/2024 at 5:50pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Steering Column Restoration
Posted By: CamJam
Subject: Steering Column Restoration
Date Posted: Feb/02/2015 at 5:20pm
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I'm trying to figure out the best way to go about cleaning/restoring the steering column from my '69 AMX. I hoped to just give it a good cleaning and repaint rather than take the whole thing apart, but the wire "mesh" of the collapsible steering column makes it a little difficult to clean or sand underneath. Just wondering how others have gone about this? I'm afraid media blasting would get grit down into the works. Perhaps baking soda would be ok? Any suggestions are welcomed. ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD  |
Replies:
Posted By: kirkwood
Date Posted: Feb/02/2015 at 8:29pm
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Non tilts are very easy to take apart and reassemble. Tilts are little trickier but still not a tough project. I'd say dive in! ------------- AMO Newsletter Editor |
Posted By: 360MDJav
Date Posted: Feb/02/2015 at 8:46pm
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Yeah, they're pretty easy to work on. Disassemble and restore each part individually.
------------- 1970 Big Bad Orange Donohue 1971 ADPS Javelin 1973 Javelin/AMX 401 |
Posted By: amxdreamer
Date Posted: Feb/02/2015 at 9:28pm
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Cam, with the great work you're doing on all the parts so far I say go for it. Your TSM should help you through and members here can help if you get stuck. ------------- Tony Vancouver, BC 1970 AMX 1972 Badassador AMO#10333 |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/02/2015 at 10:15pm
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Ok, I guess it's one more subassembly that'll be in pieces around the house then. So far I have the dashboard completely apart on the dining room table, the ac/heater boxes undergoing restoration in the breakfast nook, and tomorrow I'll take on the tilt column, which is a priority because we'll be putting the suspension back on the car soon. Good thing I'm single, haha. ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: 71SC360
Date Posted: Feb/03/2015 at 2:25am
| If it's a tilt column you are working on, you'll need one special tool, a thin wall socket to take the nut off the upper shaft. It's Kent Moore J-22599. There's only one on ebay right now but it's a little on the expensive side. I've seen them there for as little as $18... |
Posted By: Rebel Machine
Date Posted: Feb/03/2015 at 6:44am
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I took mine completely apart and sandblasted everything, wasn't that difficult. Replaced the bottom bearing with a new one from APD. Upper column was eventually painted interior color. -Steve-          |
Posted By: farna
Date Posted: Feb/03/2015 at 8:23am
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With some careful grinding you can make a socket, maybe find a used older one at a flea market, or use an older one you have and replace with a new one. ------------- Frank Swygert |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/03/2015 at 5:02pm
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Ok, I'm stumped already. The FSM says to disconnect the wires and "remove the turn signal cam", but don't give a clue about how to do it without breaking the plastic cam assembly. It doesn't want to clear a lip on the housing, and I don't want to force it. What's the trick?
------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: Rebel Machine
Date Posted: Feb/03/2015 at 9:02pm
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If I remember right there are three screws that hold the turn signal assembly to the housing. Two are easy to get to, the third is under the turn signal cam (top triangular piece that the turn signal lever screws to). You'll have to either move it up or down, I don't remember which, to get to that third screw. It should come out as one assembly with the wires. The hazard button unscrews, I think that's the part that is kind of tricky because it fits in the cutout, think you'll need to push it in before removing the assembly. Be sure to remove the wiring covers on the underside. They pop out. -Steve-   |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/03/2015 at 9:59pm
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Thanks for the details Steve. The screws are all loose, and the emergency flasher button and ts/tilt levers are all out. The turn-signal cam assembly now moves back and forth freely, but there is a lip on the housing that prevents the plastic cam assembly from coming all the way out. I don't see this lip on your steering column (mine's a tilt). The little plastic tabs that seem to be molded into the assembly (at the 5 and 7 o'clock positions-- I'm pointing at one of them in the photo) are the culprits... they're slightly bigger than the opening. I'm sure they'll break if I try forcing them. Moving the ts switch left/right or the tilt up/down seems to make no difference. Can the metal housing be removed without removing the cam assembly first?  ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/04/2015 at 1:23pm
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Ok, I ended up brute forcing (and breaking) the cam, but it's probably best to replace the assembly anyway, and I hate having a whole day wasted for some stupid little thing like this. Whoever said this was an easy job obviously has the benefit of experience and is not depending on the FSM's lousy description. ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: farna
Date Posted: Feb/04/2015 at 2:10pm
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Well, the cam does get brittle with age, so it would be a good idea to replace it while the thing is apart. Hopefully you won't have this problem putting it back together.
------------- Frank Swygert |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/04/2015 at 6:39pm
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Hopefully it will go smoother from here in out. I found a write-up on a Buick site that has lots of detail, and since the AMX has a GM-sourced column it's proving quite useful. Though the write-up has the ignition key in the column and my '69 doesn't, they seem otherwise to be quite similar. http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/tiltsteeringcolumnwobble.htm" rel="nofollow - http://www.buickperformanceclub.com/tiltsteeringcolumnwobble.htm ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 1:48am
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I'm disassembled to the point shown in the photo but have a question about getting the shaft out of the column. The FSM says that the column comes out from the upper end, and I first have to remove the flange at the steering box end of the shaft (as the shaft won't fit through the column with it on) the clamp and parts associated with the adjuster assembly, and there is apparently a retainer clip somewhere near the lower bearing that needs to be removed. Will the whole shaft and pivot ball assembly pull out of the column at that point, or do I first have to remove the aluminum-colored "carrier" shown in the photo? It's hard to know what all is holding things together as the FSM has no diagram of the tilt/pivot assembly. There are four black screws (one of which is visible in the photo) and I wonder if they have to be removed first? I hope not, because at least one of them is going to be a bugger to get out.  Sorry to seem so dumb about this, but the FSM has minimal detail about this part of the procedure. ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: AMXTSY
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 8:15am
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I recently had a column rebuilt by CJ's Rods and Machines Inc. (www.cjrods.com, 336-922-1873). Their only business is restoration and building custom steering components. C J Lane is familiar with AMC and was very helpful. He should be able to answer any procedural questions you might have.- Just a thought. Bruce ------------- Bruce Carothers Champaign County, Il. AMO # 9928 |
Posted By: kirkwood
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 9:07am
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I'm not as familiar with pre-70 columns, but this appears to be a tilt column? I don't think you ever said. The aluminum part looks the same as the 70/ tilts, and in those you need to remove those screws. ------------- AMO Newsletter Editor |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 9:45am
Yes, it is a tilt column. I'll take the screws out then and see where it gets me. Looks like this might be a long process for the one screw as it's long and very difficult to access. ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
kirkwood wrote:Posted By: 71SC360
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 11:37am
| Cam, you don't have to remove those 4 screws to take the main shaft out. Remove the rag joint flange at the bottom of the main shaft and then the lower bearing retainer at the bottom of the main housing (a giant "C" type clip holds it on). Don't worry if the lower bearing assy falls apart or gets damaged those are still available. once you get the lower bearing off, the main shaft will pull right out, even with the aluminum housing assy still attached. |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 2:27pm
Ok, awesome Joe, thanks for that bit of info. I didn't want to tear into that if I didn't have to. I'm now on a search for a socket that fits this bolt at the bottom of the steering shaft. http://www.amarkamc.com/product.sc;jsessionid=5F0C707FA09C085D172D773FE7730914.m1plqscsfapp04?productId=689&categoryId=53" rel="nofollow - http://www.amarkamc.com/product.sc;jsessionid=5F0C707FA09C085D172D773FE7730914.m1plqscsfapp04?productId=689&categoryId=53 The Torx sets I have are 6-point and this is 12-point. Do they make 12-point Torx, or is it called something else? Looks like what was called a "serrated" bit on my Opel's steering column. EDIT: Never mind, I just figured out that a regular 7/16" 12-point box end will fit on it. Now to finish getting this thing apart!! ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: 71SC360
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 2:44pm
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Should be a 12 point standard 7/16 socket. Or maybe a 1/2" |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 3:52pm
One last step and it's apart! The steering shaft is out. Now how do you get the inner tube out of the outer column? This black slotted collar around the inner shaft is like a Chinese puzzle... I've twisted it every which way while moving the tubes in an out trying to get the slots to line up and let go, but it just ain't happening! As usual, the FSM is no help. ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 9:32pm
------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: 71SC360
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 9:40pm
| Like you said, it's like a Chinese puzzle. It comes out with some work and goes back in with some work. Remember, it goes back in two different ways (upside down and right side up), be sure to mark the top because if you install it upside down, you can't get the column back together. You'll have to tear it back apart. |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/07/2015 at 10:15pm
Thanks for that tip! Might have saved me a bunch of time!! ------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: CamJam
Date Posted: Feb/08/2015 at 1:19am
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Success! Don't know quite how I got that last collar out (or worse, how I'll get it back in) but it will be good to get this dirty old column blasted, painted, lubed and fit new bearings to it. It really was an eye sore before when you opened the hood. Thanks to everyone who helped!
------------- '73 Javelin 360 (current project) '72 Baja Bronze Javelin SST '69 Big Bad Orange AMX (2018 Teague Heritage Award) SOLD |
Posted By: LincolnHudson
Date Posted: Aug/01/2020 at 2:44pm
| Any advice and help to replace the bearing in the tube assembly?I don’t mean the upper or lower bearings I mean the plastic she did holes a little ball bearings in between the two parts of the housing |