Steering wheel movement
 

While sat in a car park this evening after collecting my drive through coffee, I noticed that I could move the steering wheel slightly by grabbing top and bottom, or left and right sides of the wheel.

Is there a replaceable bush or bearing at the top end of the column? Looking at rimmers site it looks like you have to swap the whole of the column. Sounds a bit drastic if its only in need of a bush. I did find an "how to" on this site but unfortunately all the photos have gone.

There is an adjusable pinch bolt. Remove the lower shroud, you should see a nut, from memory it's either a 12 or 13mm spanner, just give it a slight nip up so that the locking mechanism works properly. You may need a torch to see the nut.

Yes, its not very much but it is noticable if you tug on the wheel.

If it's the same as mine was, the play is actually in the lower bush, not the top bearing.
Mine caused horrible vibrations and a droneing noise at tickover on a CDT.(RHD)
It took me years to realise it was the column causing it after trying everything else.
Rimmer's were selling brand new LHD columns for £25 + vat. All you have to swap over is the rubber boot from the old column.
Noise and droning gone.
Wasn't actually a bad job to do .
This was nearly 5 years ago.

After trawling the net, it would seem quite a few people have swapped the steering column due to it wearing out.

Like I said, it feels like the top bearing/bush, but could be anywhere. However, it looks like separate parts aren't available, and it comes as a complete unit.

I will check everything that has been mentioned already. The tightening of the nut etc, and the nut holding the steering wheel on. If I can't find anything, I think i will buy a LHD column and fit it at my leisure. Its not serious at the moment, more like something that has recently started. I just know it didn't do it before, and once I notice something like that, it will constantly niddle me until I fix it. I know they swing on the wheel at Mot time, and it was only tested last month. Nothing was mentioned about it so they didn't regard it as an issue. But like I said, it will niddle me until I stop it lol.

Thanks everyone for your comments and advice.

As luck would have it, I have just received an email from Rimmers, saying they are having a sale!

Guess whats in the sale list? Yes a LHD steering column,
Would you believe it lol.

Have you a link to it as I just looked at rimmers web site but did not see it on sale

macafee2

I echo the request for a link please.

I've just looked through a rimmers "SALE" flier that is valid until the end of October, and didn't see a steering column included.

Thanks

Mike

I did a normal search for it this morning. Came up as £40 + vat. It wasn't listed as sale item.
The rhd was over £300.