Wobbly jiggly tilt column....anyone have a fix?

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

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#1

• Nov 2, 2007

• #1

I've got a tilt wheel/column in my car and it's always been loose and jiggly....is there a fix for this?

 

SuperStang83

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Mar 21, 2001

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Nov 2, 2007

#2

• Nov 2, 2007

• #2

Do you know if the whole column is loose? Maybe it could just be the four mounting bolts right under the dash?

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

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#3

• Nov 2, 2007

• #3

SuperStang83 said:

Do you know if the whole column is loose? Maybe it could just be the four mounting bolts right under the dash?

Click to expand...

Well i never thought of that....i haven't checked but it definitely seems like the wheel and everything after the tilt section is loose on its own. If it were the whole column wouldn't it interfere with the plastic panels that go around it?

 

Fett

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Nov 2, 2004

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#4

• Nov 2, 2007

• #4

Remove the shroud and you will see the bracket, there are two nuts on the bottom, right behind the steeringwheel. Mine were lose and I used lock tight to keep them from coming loose again.

 

SuperStang83

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Nov 3, 2007

#5

• Nov 3, 2007

• #5

If they were just slightly loose you probably wouldn't hit the shroud. It is definitely an easy thing to check for though. Hopefully your problem will be that easy.

 

Roland69

Sergeant Tangnet

Sep 17, 2005

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Port Elgin, Ontario

Nov 3, 2007

#6

• Nov 3, 2007

• #6

Fett said:

Remove the shroud and you will see the bracket, there are two nuts on the bottom, right behind the steeringwheel. Mine were lose and I used lock tight to keep them from coming loose again.

Click to expand...

exactly...mine did this last year and I fixed it...it's from pulling your self up and out. My truck did this aswell but it is from the opposite (pulling myself up and in. It's a tilt column thing i guess

 

green

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Apr 26, 2003

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Nov 3, 2007

#7

• Nov 3, 2007

• #7

yep, easy fix, remove the round (2 half,s) plastic thats around the steering coloum, probll 5 or 6 phillips screws, and look around in side there, there will be 2 bolts loose.

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

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#8

• Nov 3, 2007

• #8

Roland69 said:

exactly...mine did this last year and I fixed it...it's from pulling your self up and out. My truck did this aswell but it is from the opposite (pulling myself up and in. It's a tilt column thing i guess

Click to expand...

Exactly, and it's a very bad habit that i've got in all m vehicles, especially the lowered ones. I've been using the A pillar of the car itself now...it's a hard habit to break.

 

SuperStang83

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#9

• Nov 3, 2007

• #9

Did you check it out and see if that was the fix man?

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

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#10

• Nov 3, 2007

• #10

SuperStang83 said:

Did you check it out and see if that was the fix man?

Click to expand...

Not yet, been working all day


Tonight i'm going to a Merkur meet up north of Dayton....should be awesome

 

carbed87

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Jun 5, 2005

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#11

• Nov 3, 2007

• #11

i defintately need to check this out, my 89's doing the same thing

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

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Jan 9, 2008

#12

• Jan 9, 2008

• #12

Ok, i finally got around to looking into this fix. I got the column cover off and looked everywhere and i can't find a damn thing to tighten. There were 2 torx bit screws that were loose but they didn't seem to have an effect on tightening anything. I think the two "bolts" you guys were talking about are just rivets....they don't turn either direction and they seem to be holding on the main harness plug. I ran out of daylight but i'll look again tomorrow.



However! I did find something that totally surprised the hell out of me....i've owned this car for 4 years and i've never had a working speedo. I've never had a reason to pull the cluster open (i guess that sorta is a reason) so i never thought to check if the speedo cable was actually IN the cluster....well i was under the column looking around and there's the cable hanging down. I'm 99.99999% sure it'll work, i bet it just popped out.

 

bloopbloob

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Sep 27, 2006

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Alberta

Jan 9, 2008

#13

• Jan 9, 2008

• #13

what's a tilt column?

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

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#14

• Jan 9, 2008

• #14

bloopbloob said:

what's a tilt column?

Click to expand...

HA! AIR BAG FTL!!

 

talladam

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Apr 3, 2007

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Monroeville OH

Jan 9, 2008

#15

• Jan 9, 2008

• #15

had the same issue on my 89, tighten two bolts and it fixed the problem. can't recall what size they are, 9/16th ?

 

Black1987Stang

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Aug 22, 2004

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Jersey Shore

Jan 10, 2008

#16

• Jan 10, 2008

• #16

Mine had a loose 7/16? accorn nut(closed end nut) on the left side of the column.(I didnt see any other, maybe there is two?) Tightened her up and shes tight as she can be. Make sure you use loctite mine came loose twice till I used loctite and it stopped.

 

bloopbloob

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Sep 27, 2006

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Jan 10, 2008

#17

• Jan 10, 2008

• #17

85_SS_302_Coupe said:

HA! AIR BAG FTL!!

Click to expand...

man do i hate no tilt! this is the only car i've ever driven that doesn't have it. it's probably the worst thing about the car. oh well, not going to complain about having an airbag though.... never know.......
i didnt (don't) know - if you have an air bag, you can't have tilt on these cars?

 

85_SS_302_Coupe

it sucks (I know) to be on the receiving end

15 Year Member

Nov 11, 2003

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Northern KY

Jan 10, 2008

#18

• Jan 10, 2008

• #18

bloopbloob said:

man do i hate no tilt! this is the only car i've ever driven that doesn't have it. it's probably the worst thing about the car. oh well, not going to complain about having an airbag though.... never know.......
i didnt (don't) know - if you have an air bag, you can't have tilt on these cars?

Click to expand...

Yeah just like the horn buttons, they hadn't gotten that far along in technology to put everything together yet.

 

talladam

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Apr 3, 2007

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Monroeville OH

Jan 10, 2008

#19

• Jan 10, 2008

• #19

The Lincoln Mark VII's and Mark VII LSC's were the only fox car that I know of where you could find tilt and an airbag together. I've got one of these columns if anyone wants to buy it and do some test fitting. The outside of the wheel isn't the greatest but the rest is fine.

Adam

 

L

lineumup88

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Dec 17, 2006

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hampton va

Jan 10, 2008

#20

• Jan 10, 2008

• #20

my ssp has tilt and an airbag. on the subject though, the only way to keep the bolt in the column tight is to remove them and put some red loc tite on them. i did that and have not had a problem for over a year. good luck