My steering column has some up and down play - it's the one with the tilt function. I looked for loose bolts but everything was tight. It also does not seem very strong; tugging it up and down moves it a decent amount.

 

Anyone else with a tilt column notice if it is somewhat weak feeling?

 

Maybe they are all like that. I was thinking of welding in some stiffening pieces to keep it from bouncing when driving on the crappy freeways here.

Is it an EA81 or EA82?

My BRAT's steering column has always been secure, so you may have

something broken or loose, if its an EA81.

But as for my 89 EA82 wagon, it wiggles and moves with pressure, both side to

side and up and down.

I have the tilt (doesn't work) and power steering.

 

Twitch

Hmm, everything on my '92 EA82 is solid. No play in the column. You have tilt? All I have is, you can move the whole column up or down. No tilt that I know of (Funny how I don't know that small detail, but know more major things Lol)

 

Yours could just be worn from the other owner(s). maybe pulling on it getting in and out (Not what its made to indure) Just a thought

 

-Tom

How much play are we talking here, a real measurment please.

 

 

nipper

The column on my BRAT was like that all the way home from California. Replaced the column with a junkyard unit and it works great now. Whatever joint it is that made the thing tilt had failed, and wouldn't actually lock into place. Simplest, cheapest fix was a replacement column.

 

This is, of course, assuming it's an EA81.

 

If it is, and you can't find a column with a key, you can just swap the ignition and turn signal from your old column onto the replacement.

It's an '88 GL-10 with 150k miles, power steering. Oh another thing, the power steering goes away if I turn really fast, maybe my pump is shot.

 

With about 10 lbs of pressure I can make the wheel move about 2" up and down.

 

When I hit the expansion joints on the freeway the thing really gets going. The tilt locks firmly but it just has a lot of movement in the 'locked' position. Sounds like something is worn out. I wonder if I can replace the worn out bushings/whatever.

How much play are we talking here, a real measurment please.

 

nipper

 

^^^

set it straight and weld it thats the only shure shot solution i found for my first wagon aside from finding a new column. i have had 3 do this.

I changed my column by myself in about half an hour. Just get one from a yard.

Thanks for the replies, I'm glad to know it's somewhat common and another column will fix it. I'll keep my eyes open at the local wreckers.

those two 10mm bolts down by the firewall, under the pedals on the inside, don't necessarily have to come out, they just hold a little collar, (dust shield?) it'll come with the column

 

I took one set out before I realized they could stay

 

you might take the two 14mm nuts off your column, lower it, remove the upper and lower trim pieces and look at your column lock, maybe you'll get lucky and it's something dumb that can be worked around for now

before you go get a new column, check the tightness of the u-joint on the end of it where it connects to the rack. Mine had movement and made a funny clunking sound through the column and thats what i thought it was, was the column. Dug into it finally while doing my complete EJ22T swap the other day and found out the pinch bolt on the steering column -> u-joint was a little loose. Tightened it down pretty tight and the play went away.

 

Next, make sure its play coming from inside the column if the first fix doesn't work. make sure the column tube is secure in the car and the play could be coming from a bad bearing inside the column, then just replace the column. Very simple to do, I can get mine out in about 5 minutes.

Zombie thread here... I have my dash torn apart for the temp gauge problem and I figured I'd get to the bottom of this.

 

A lot of the play was in the quick-release for the column. This is the lever that lets you pop the column up, I guess it helps if you have a large belly. I blobbed some welds up top near where that pin goes through, and it's solid now. The quick release does't work now, but the tilt function still works.

 

Another source of compliance was where the two tubes meet near the bottom for the collapsable column. The outer tube would pivot a little at that joint. I fixed this by putting a small hose clamp around the outer tube. The hose clamp screw part wegdes up against the bracket for the brake pedal. The collapsing function is not changed, it's just a little more secure.

 

It's much better now!

Funny seeing this thread, I was soon to ask the same question.The column in my 86 Gl wagon with tilt has about 1/4 in up/down play and about 1/2in play left/right. I may need to replace the steering rack too.