hot steering column

[vegas39]

So my trip to Reno went beautiful, even towed a trailer back full of furniture with me, 995 miles.

I noticed on my way home, I set my hand on top of the steering column and it was hotter than crap. Is something getting hot in there, or is it heat traveling up from under the truck?

Not too worried about it, just curious. Thanks.

 

[LCAM-01XA]

It's nor normal at all man, not compared to my truck at least - the turn signals switch going bad probably?

 

[93f250idi]

Mine don't get hot neither? I would check all electrical in there

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I actually had to put out a fire in my column that was started by a faulty turn-signal switch.

Smoke started pouring out of the column while I was going down the road, big load of cattle and all.

Had I have not quickly got into action, my truck would have burned to the ground.


I dis-connected that whole shoddy factory mess and installed a separate, externally mounted, Signal-Stat turn-signal lever/switch just like those found on big trucks.


I LOVE IT; it is easily one of my favorite modifications.

 

[DeepRoots]

I have a truck that has done that for over 8 years.
not saying this is your case.... but It was not electrical on mine.
The driverside exhaust manifold caught the air just right and heated up the steering column.
I wrapped some of the manifold with header wrap and had no more problems.

Drew

 

[Devilish]

Turn signal switch or the ignition switch. Since the ignition switch is down the column some I'm leaning to the tss. If you have a tilt column and it's loose then wires could be damaged. The ign switch was the source of a recall about 10 years ago. It cause alot of vehicle fires. Some of the replacements are failing now because of the crappy design but at least new switches are cheap.

 

[vegas39]

Well, I guess I better check things out and see whats up. I've never fooled with a turn signal assembly before, do they have a plug at the other end of the harness?

 

[vegas39]

I actually had to put out a fire in my column that was started by a faulty turn-signal switch.

Smoke started pouring out of the column while I was going down the road, big load of cattle and all.

Had I have not quickly got into action, my truck would have burned to the ground.


I dis-connected that whole shoddy factory mess and installed a separate, externally mounted, Signal-Stat turn-signal lever/switch just like those found on big trucks.


I LOVE IT; it is easily one of my favorite modifications.

Holy *****, dont need that!

 

[87crewdually]

I noticed my tilt column gets hot too. it seems right in the key switch area though not so much the turn signal area. I'm going to have to look into this.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Contrary to what vehicle advertising would have one believe, all that electrical mess being contained within the column is purely to save cost in vehicle production, and save time and employees at the assembly-line.

They can farm out column assembly and column wiring to some little NON-UNION minimum-wage concern out in the sticks and just plug in the whole mess at one time.

In a good dependable truck, there should be NOTHING contained within the column except the steering-shaft itself, PERIOD.


Little by little, one by one, such foolishness has been disappearing from within my column.

The only function left in there is the key-switch and it has already had some functions relocated.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I forgot to also mention that that was the THIRD signal-switch to go bad in that column and the truck was less than FIVE-years old ; so, I gave the factory design plenty of opportunity to prove it's worth.

 

[JPR]

Since you were towing, was the engine under boost most of the time?

That would raise the exhaust temp up and you could be getting a lot of heat off the exhaust manifold into the steering column. Check how close the steering column comes to the left exhaust manifold. There really should be heat shields on the manifolds like the to cut down the radiant heat.

 

[vegas39]

Since you were towing, was the engine under boost most of the time?

That would raise the exhaust temp up and you could be getting a lot of heat off the exhaust manifold into the steering column. Check how close the steering column comes to the left exhaust manifold. There really should be heat shields on the manifolds like the to cut down the radiant heat.

Yes I hit several flash flood rains on the way home and had a bad wind against me. There were several times I had to keep it on the floor, just to climb small grades.

Boost was at 10 and the pyro was running at 900.

 

[snicklas]

I remember we had another thread about this started by 69oiler it believe. Rob was noticing a hot column in this thread. There were a few different answers. I am not sure what Rob found.... maybe Heath knows, I think it was the CC that was doing it.

 

[HammerDown]

For decades now my column gets very hot during the summer months.

key switch replaced at recall and I replaced the turn signal switch years back when the right side snapped >I had to hold it up by hand to actuate the r-turn signal.