First, here is a tip for anyone wanting to drop the column that needs to reach the upper column mount bolts. It's been asked several times. The pictures show a captive bolt with nuts on the other side.

On a 2001, this is no longer the case. The nuts are now those godforsaken sheet metal speed nuts. To reach the bolts, drop the steering wheel to level. See the rubber at the top of the steering column shroud and the bottom of the instrument panel? Take a foot long extension and a long socket, stick through the rubber and you have a straight shot at the bolt heads. Hold the rubber open and use a led penlight to see the bolt heads. Don't worry about dropping the socket, it'll just fall on the floor. Been wanting to post this one for a while.

Now, on to the problem ...

As mentioned in a previous thread, there is some disconcerting vertical play at the wheel. Every bolted joint from the steering rack to the upper mounts and the steering wheel itself has been checked or tightened.

The slop remains. Finally, wiggling the wheel and visual observation says that only the wheel and the part it attaches to is moving. Everything beyond that is rock solid, even with the touching adjacent parts test.

It looks like the tilt pivot at the top. This would either be play in the cable/gears or the pivot itself. As everyone knows, JTIS contains only vague instructions on removing the column. It is completely silent on the finer points such as possible adjustments.

Anyone been there and done that ... got the t-shirt?

++

 

There's the support bracket lowers



and the uppers









If you drop the upper column the uppers can be accessed, maybe even without dropping the column, but I've boned' and built a few so don't look for shortcuts mate

 

Hi Sean,

Thanks for the pictures. They are a treat as always since almost no one has been
as deep into the vehicle.

I don't think the problem lies in the brackets as the outer column is solid, meaning
without movement, between the upper and lower mounts.

It is somewhere closer to the steering wheel than the face of the upper column
bracket mount. The movement is at most 1/8" vertically at the wheel itself and
you can feel the spring resistance. The plastic shroud can be seen and felt
moving with the wheel while the column beyond stays still. I keep looking at
that bronzish pivot pin in the picture above. Those and the fasteners on
the rear face of that casting are known to wear in other makes.

Maybe I never noticed it before and am just being picky. All my previous
tilt-telescope columns were manual and they use a cam-over locking
mechanism instead of depending on the gears to stay in position.

Do you know what those two adjustment bolts with springs on the outer surface
of the upper column adjust? The 10mm heads face downwards from the alloy cast
tube when the column is in position.

Do any other makes use a column from the same manufacturer?