F-250 Steering Column questions

[akoldnav]

I have a loose and floppy steering column on my 1988 F-250. It has tilt and cruise controll. Now the question. Is it within the realm of possibility for a normal non professional mechanic to rebuild one of these? I have looked at salvage yards around here and they want $450 for one plus the old one, when I can find one. That seems a little high to me, but I may be living in the past.

If anybody out there has a good spare steering column that they would part with for a reasonable price, I would be very interested.

The main problem is that this body style was not made very many years with the C-6 transmission. That kind of limits the possibilities.

Hope to hear from somebody soon.

akolnav

 

[93turbo_animal]

its possible to do on your own depending on whats bad if I had to bet I would say your bearings are shot all you need is a stearing wheel puller and some snap ring pliers and torx plus your standard tools

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I wish someone would do a tech article on this with lots of good pictures.

My tilt column has an annoying trick of dropping un-expectedly about once every six months.

It will be fine for quite a while; then, two or three times in a week, it will drop all of a sudden.

Very un-nerving.

It can't be worn out because I leave it at the highest setting and dare anyone to mess with it.

 

[94f450sd]

i need to replace a steering column this week.ill try to get my camara and disassemble the old column and right up an article for you guys as this is somewhat common as well as the broken ignition switch actuator wich is the reason im rplaceing the column.maybe ill take it apart and just replace the broken part.

 

[akoldnav]

93 Turbo Animal, are the bearings you are speaking of near the steering wheel or further down the column?

akoldnav

 

[HammerDown]

i need to replace a steering column this week.ill try to get my camara and disassemble the old column and right up an article for you guys as this is somewhat common as well as the broken ignition switch actuator .

PLEASE DO

 

[hahn_rossman]

I'd like to know if anyone knows where to get a replacement for the carbon brushes and copper track for the horn. How can mine be so worn?

 

[Agnem]

The big thing is not to use the steering wheel or column as a way to pull yourself into the vehicle. I think this is what kills them more than anything.

 

[akoldnav]

Agnem, I am sure that is what happened to this one. I just got the truck and it was already like this, but I also find myself using the steering wheel to help in the ingress of my truck.

I will be watching for that article on rebuilding these.

akoldnav

 

[The Warden]

I'd like to know if anyone knows where to get a replacement for the carbon brushes and copper track for the horn. How can mine be so worn?

The carbon brushes are an integral part of the turn signal/hazard light switch assembly. At least that's how it is on my truck ('84 with factory cruise control and tilt-wheel).

BTW, on the article about replacing these bearings...I would love to see it as well! I know I've got at least one bearing loose on mine...my uncle used the steering wheel as a grab-handle, methinks. If I knew how to take apart the column beyond the turn signal switch, I'd do the article myself. I assume the bearings can be gotten at Ford?

 

[93turbo_animal]

yes the bearings are available at ford on tilt columns there are 2 bearings up by the stearing wheel if you have gotten to the turn signal switch your almost there you need to pull the turn signal cancellation cam off then a big snapring and spring and right there is the upper bearing its the smaller one of the 2 the second one requires removal of the upper half of the tilt column complete disassembly of the key hole and removal of the 2 torq bolts the column pivots on and remove the spring for the tilt then just pull the housing up off the shaft

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

My truck has an external, column-mounted signal-switch like on a big truck.

Nothing electric is hooked up in my column, not even the horn.

Can I ditch the internal signal switches, cancelling cams, hazard switch, and other unnecessary junk without affecting the mechanical integrity of my column??

 

[HammerDown]

I'd like to know if anyone knows where to get a replacement for the carbon brushes and copper track for the horn. How can mine be so worn?

Last time I replaced my turn signal thingy...I put a little Dielectric grease on the trach/brushes .

 

[typ4]

Most of the column work I have done has involved the pivot bolts for the tilt, the bearings seldom fail. The housing for the pivots get sloppy from using the wheel for a grab handle, my truck was a logging crummy so it is loose, I am building a jig to bore and press in some hardened aluminum inserts , spot of tig and shouldnt have to do it ever again, save those worn castings and we can fix em.

 

[turbo69]

Click here for the Column Blow up.