10 replies to this topic

[fatslr]

Gday can someone please tell me what bush or bearing is supposed to go at base of steering column in the engine bay just before the yoke and uni joint at present the shaft is floating like a cock in a sock at this point.

[rodomo]

Have a look here, especially others comments about the mod.

http://www.gmh-toran...showtopic=15656

[fatslr]

awsome thanks for the heads up looks like there are a couple of ways of repairing the column i will give it a go when i get home from the lovely minesite that i am presently working at . Will probably be Wednesday or Thursday before i do the job will let you know how i go .just quickly has anyone done this repair on a 308 with extractors in the car ?

[fatslr]

took the job on yesterday and today found that the collapsable shaft had sheared the nylon pins managed to get it back into the correct spot and drilled out the remaining nylon then fitted a mild steel splitpin into the hole .
the rest of the job ran quite well still used original GMH bearing as rarespares had one on the shelf.went for a drive the old girls steering is noticeably better now.

[ls2lxhatch]

The nylon pins are not shear pins. They are holes where the plastic material is injected into the joint to hold the shafts in place during assembly. If the joint has been broken then you should still be able to assemble the column it will just take a little longer. Melting a small amount of candle wax into the joint would probably be a reasonable alternative.

A mild steel split pin may be strong enough to stop the column collapsing. The end result could be the steering wheel being driven into you face or body causing a more serious injury than the standard collapsing column.

[fatslr]

believe it or not i considered what may or may not occurr in the instance of a serious accident and looked at the webbing of the outer column and took into account how much force would be needed to collapse that mesh .
what i deducted is that the previous owner did not know what he was doing when he changed the last bearing or uni on steer column. I am more concerned about the shaft moveing back up the inner shaft and affecting my steering .You need to basically bend your chasis first before the steering column should collapse and through my experiance as a heavy duty fitter that force will have no problems shearing a tiny split pin hopefully i wont have to test the theoryas whatever way you see it when you bend a chasis that is not all that is going to get bend

[rodomo]

Should have used a tooth pick

[TerrA LX]

The inner shaft what steers the car is two piece, one piece slides up into the other when the outer column compresses at the mesh and or the shaft is pushed on the end on the engine bay side (rack end), to stop the shaft piercing the steering wheel and then your head or chest, the steering wheel itself does not collapse anywhere so no amount of steel pins in the bearing will cause the wheel to do any more damage than it would.

[ls2lxhatch]

Have another look at how the column is bolted to the dash. The column is designed to collapse when the drivers chest is driven into the steering wheel.

A steel pin in the collapsible column with increase injury. It is illegal and dangerous.

[fatslr]

ok ok you have got a hold of my conscionse like my mother allways did god bless her sole i have removed the split pin and replaced it with a tie that comes in your packet of rubbish bags i hope that will be ok when the the non-inertia seatbelt non-air bag equipped non-ABS non safety rated SLR5000 hits the wall

[rodomo]

i hope that will be ok when the the non-inertia seatbelt non-air bag equipped non-ABS non safety rated SLR5000 hits the wall

That says a lot in one sentence about new cars. An awakening.
We must be thrill seekers