Steering column noise and questions
 

After reading the posts on here about steering column noise I am thinking my bearings are going out. My steering wheel just started making a rubbing noise when you turn - really in the first 180 degrees, mostly to the left and when it is "weighted" (like when braking and the weight is forward). There's a little play in the wheel, especially up and down, and I don't remember it being there before. Power steering fluid is good and the system seems to run fine, no binds or loss of power. Just a strange noise (not like what they describe in the other posts as a "spring squeak" but more of a rubbing sound that you can feel in the wheel). It's not constant either, it comes and goes.

So, sound like the bearings? And how do you get the cover off the front of the wheel without buggering it up?

Thanks

Sounds like it could be the bearing up next to the wheel Dan. To get the horn pad off, you get a hold of the top and bottom and pull it straight back toward you. The plastic column cover comes off with the removal of 4 screws. The lower portion of the dash, the part under the column, needs to be removed to get to the last screw. Pull the bottom half of the cover down, then put the key in the ignition and turn it to the run position (disconnect batts) and there is a small pin in the bottom of the cylinder housing that has to be pushed in to pull the ignition cylinder out, then the top half of the cover will come off.

had a similar problem with mine just recently. my steering was funny for a few months - like the wheel wouldn't straighten up after a turn, leaving me having to manually recenter it. i replaced all my front suspension bushings which helped a little, but not as much as i'd have liked - though the truck does ride much better now...

then one night pulling into the grocery store parking lot, the wheel got completely stuck on a turn. i had to jam on the brakes to avoid hitting a parked car. i then wrestled it back from its turned position and a bunch of ball bearings landed in my lap following an audible pop sound. its been nice and smooth since then, but now it has a ton of up-and-down play.

clearly all those ball bearings were jamming up the works! :-)

i looked into replacing the bearings - the kit is cheap - but from reading different threads on here, the labor is supposed to be a bear. ...though, Bill makes it sound easy, so who am i to say?

in my case, i'll be dropping the steering column soon for my auto to zf swap, so i plan to just find a decent junk column and swap it in at the time. ...then rebuild my current one later if needbe.

if your bearings are still in place, you might just try spraying some lithium grease up in there to get a little more mileage out of them - before they wind up in your lap. if i recall, you can see them from below if you take the bottom column cover off. you have to remove the tilt wheel lever (if you have one) with vice grips on the shaft (its just threaded in and held in place with locktite), then its just two (maybe 3, i forget) screws on the column cover from below.