I have a screeching noise coming from my steering wheel when I turn the wheel. It's coming from where the steering wheel meets the steering column....I was told there is a ribbon in there that could be going bad but ford doesn't know of this part. There is also a burning smell coming from the dash to the left of the steering wheel. Has anyone delt with this issue or know what it is....I prefer to buy parts prior to ripping if all apart.
Thanks

 

Does the steering wheel wobble up and down and side to side? There is a couple of bearings in there that are common for going out.

 

No wobble just the horrible sceetching. Started about a week ago and is getting worse. The bearings are they located there where the steering wheel and column meet?

 

There's a electrical disk behind the wheel that some pins ride. They need to be greased

 

Electrical disk is that the same as a clock spring?

 

yup... early generation.... before they had the plastic and ribbon type...

As for the smoking, headlight switch?

Richard

 

The groves neeed to be greased

 

My 97 has 392k miles and a shop "shimmed" my steering wheel once a couple years ago.
Recently I was pulling out of a parking lot and my horn started going and off. also the turning wheel was crunching like crazy. I thing the bearings are down below in the column. the photo above may be what was crunching. The horn went off cause i believe
that is a GROUND ring for horn and cruise.
I just got a complete column at the yard, will use parts, or the whole thing depending
on damage. Good Luck !

 

The burning smell is the headlight switch! Get that fixed ASAP!!!!!! I have seen a few trucks burnt to the ground because of a melted headlight switch!

 

Just got my switch fixed get a new one and check.the wires that plug in to the switch a brown one had wiggled lose on mine and is what was making a bad contact