67 Firebird 400, I'd like to start up a discussion that might help me. Needed to pull out my Gauge cluster so I unbolted and lowered the steering wheel. Now I've done this before, at least once, and successfully bolted the Wheel back up, but I can't get it done this time. So there's the plastic 2 piece cover, 4 screws. That's easy. Then there's the 3 Nuts, one on the left side, and two on the right. With those nuts removed the wheel comes down. The bracket that has the 3 slots that gets held up by the Nuts is removable. It has 4 bolts that go into 4 holes of the steering column. One of them is longer than the other 3, if anyone knows why and where it goes would be helpful. When pushing up on the Steering wheel now, with the bracket tight, I cannot get the bolts, or actually threaded rods to come through the slots to attach the Nuts. It seems the bracket is too far forward, the bracket is hitting the back bolt on the right. I can actually move the threaded rod forward a little, but not enough. Now if I remove the bolts that hold the bracket, I can line up the slots to secure the wheel and tighten it up. That's what I've done for now. So the bracket is not bolted to the steering column. With the bolts through the slots, the holes to mount the bracket do not line up. But the steering wheel is held tight. I tried loos I'm guessing others may have dealt with this problem. I'm simply looking for any suggestions, Any help appreciated. Thanks Hef
How are the body mounts on this car? If you cant push the whole column forward enough to get the 3 studs in the slots maybe the body has shifted on the sub frame. Remember the steering box is mounted solidly to the sub frame which attaches to the steering shaft by a rag joint. The whole steering shaft is solid up to the steering wheel and the column should have some movement to get it on the studs.
Are you saying I should be able to Push the steering wheel and Clumn forward? I dont think that's happening. To be clear this thing was all together a couluple days ago, I just took it down to remove the guages.
If I could move the column a bit it would be nice.
Well that's a good question maybe. Yes, I had jacked up the front end and put it on jack stands before I unbolted everything. I knew i was going under the car to disconnect the speedometer cable.
So I think I lowered it, not sure, before trying to bolt it up.
Based on your comment, I watched a cool video from the late 60s, early 70s on the collapsible steering column in Pontiac cars.
Anyway, maybe decreasing the load by jacking it up might help?
