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So finally located and had shipped a steering column to replace mine on a 92 ax15. Problem is the shaft that comes thru the firewall is too short by about an inch. My rig was stolen on Jan 1st and they broke the column open to start it. Is there a way to take the parts off the new one (no tilt) and make my old one work (tilt) before I try to ship it back? Is it too short since its a non tilt?
For my 92 I was looking for a column from 91-94, found one from an automatic 93, have not tried to install it yet, only compared it to mine (92 manual) and it looked the same, but I didn't measure or anything. And mine was regular the new one is tilt. I hope I won't get in the same trouble as you.
Wrecking yard said 93 so it should be compatible. The only differences I can see now are that it's non tilt (which I knew) and the shaft connection is about an inch shorter.
I'm guessing it is the round horn column? The column is collapsable. about six inches or so up from the bottom U-joint you can see where the solid round steel slides into the (pipe like) upper section. Look for piled up paint where the two sections meet. Maybe it is the right column but whomever removed it managed to collapse it an inch?
I'm guessing it is the round horn column? The column is collapsable. about six inches or so up from the bottom U-joint you can see where the solid round steel slides into the (pipe like) upper section. Look for piled up paint where the two sections meet. Maybe it is the right column but whomever removed it managed to collapse it an inch?
8Mud is absolutely correct. The steering columns starting sometime in the '60 were made to be collapsible in the event of a front end collision so that the driver would not be impaled on it. These particular ones have a small round shaft with 2 flat sides inside a larger one of the same shape, usually with a couple of nylon tensioners to keep it from rattling around.
The original column that is in the pics is a Saginaw tilt column.
#1- There are no transferable parts between the tilt and non tilt columns as far as basic structural parts and covers are concerned.
#2- If there were, you probably wouldn't want to anyway. I've done over a hundred rebuilds on these as the Saginaw tilt column is one of the easiest to break into and steal. There are several specialty tools that you would need also. And if you've never done one of these, they can be very difficult to reassemble correctly. Certain parts have to be reassembled in a certain way and order and adjustment for it all to work correctly.
Since you have the whole assembly, just pull the bottom of the steering shaft out and install the whole thing. Much easier.
I rebuilt, tightened and reinstalled a tilt column and didn't think it was that bad. I swapped parts from an 89 onto a 92 because mine was also stolen.
Did they bust out the collar around the turn signal?
Unfortunately, not all people have your mechanical skill. If you're careful and take your time and remember where everything goes, you'll be fine. But if you don't have to do it, like the OP, it's just easier if you don't have to.
You guys might want to think about something like these:
Unfortunately, not all people have your mechanical skill. If you're careful and take your time and remember where everything goes, you'll be fine. But if you don't have to do it, like the OP, it's just easier if you don't have to.
You guys might want to think about something like these:
I didn't think it took very much mechanical skill. All you do is disassemble one piece at a time. This helps.
I swapped an 89 column sleeve onto a 92 column to keep the 91+ key. Hardest part was grinding a notch in the 92 key cylinder. Otherwise there's only one way this thing goes together.
Wow, that is a great guide, the internet is awesome. I didn't know that was available. And it certainly wasn't available when I started working on them in 1986. You gotta admit that looking at the pic with all the parts sitting there unassembled, it could be a little intimidating to some people. And not to mention the specialty tools that you need that most people would not have such as regular torx drivers, inverted torx sockets, pivot pin puller, lock plate depresser, etc.....
The adjustments that I was referring to was the torque on the inverted torx bolts that hold the lower housing assy. If you tighten them too much, the pivot pin ears will spread and then the upper housing will not fit. And that the starter switch is adjustable and also getting gear into the correct place on the rack and then getting both adjusted correctly so that all positions are working correctly for the key cylinder, ie accessory, lock, run, start.
It's great that you are able to do it so effortlessly, but not everyone can. Besides, the OP had one all ready to go in and that was the easiest option, and I think that is what he wanted. Have a great day!
True - it does require a few extra tools that some people may not have. Since his was a theft, my assumption was that he didn't require the pivot pin puller or inverted torx (I think I used a 6pt socket).
:dunno: Guess I didn't think it was as difficult as a lot of people made it out to be. I did pull mine from the Jeep and worked on it on a bench so maybe that's why.
Yea, it all depends on how much damage was incurred. I'm used to doing it in the vehicle with a handfull of tools and a beer case box to hold all of the parts. But the guy that showed me how to do it told me when he did his first one, around 1980, he pulled everything apart, ordered the parts that got broke and when they came in, it took him 3 days to get it back together. There was no other ones in the shop to look at for reference and by the time the new parts had come in, he had forgotten how to reassemble it, lol. I did my best to make sure that would not happen to me.
Because of how easy those columns are to break and steal, I was doing up to 5 - 6 a week through the late '80's into the early '90's. Our shop was in good with a lot of insurance company's and we got a lot of those theft recovery vehicles.
I'm about to do the one in my '91 because the previous owner tried to rebuild it and screwed it up, even somehow managed to break the shifter bowl. I just painted the new parts and will be doing it this weekend, if I get the time. Cheers
Yeah, I wasn't pleased to see how easy it was to break the column and steal my jeep. Best thing I did was pull it and set it on a bench and use the visual guide to make sure I get it all together.
Yup, all you need is a screwdriver and a pair of needle nose pliers.
Sorry, I got off on a tangent. Sometimes all you have to replace is just the upper cover and rack. But sometimes, because they're after the rack and rod, they'll break the cover, upper housing(mainly the guide that the rack rides in), rack, rod, gear, and more. You don't know until you open it up.
Now that I gave it a second look, on the OP"s column, at least the upper housing, cover, and gear are toast. His would have to all come apart.
Check out that link in my earlier post. Some good armored column protectors there. That's what I'm doing.
Yeah, as soon as that cover gets broken, you have to do a lot of disassembly to replace it. Luckily (unluckily) I apparently had a thief that was good at stealing Jeeps and there wasn't a ton of damage to the column.
Make sure you use the right ignition switch, tilt vs non-tilt switches are different. I learned this by putting a 94 non tilt column in my 91 MJ and trying to use the tilt ignition switch with it.
Not the ignition cylinder, the switch itself that mounts further down the column. The cylinder I managed to screw up (a 91 apparently won't go into a 94 column right) and it will probably never come back out, but fortunately I don't really care.
