Steering column play

[DanEC]

After installing my steering column (ERA) I've noticed it has a little more lateral play at the hub than I expected. I seated the hub as tight on the shaft as it would go before tightening the upper and lower clamps but it still has a little up/down and side to side movement. Is there anything I'm missing on installing the column or is a little play normal?

Thanks

[ERA 778]

I had a few problems at first before I figured out all the places that had to be set correctly and snugged down. First, make sure the outside housing is not moving; the split aluminum clamp just behind the dash has to be locked down. Also check the clamp on the flat at the lower end of the shaft. This must be snugged down pretty well also.

[DanEC]

I have both clamps tight. To be a little clearer - the play is between the shaft/hub assembly and the column and collar - not the entire column assembly to dash. I've rebuilt the steering column on my old Vette before and I'm familiar with how the shaft/hub have to be adjusted tight without any longitudinal play to fully seat the bearing and avoid play. Just not sure if there may be something I haven't got set up quite right on this one. I do need to check the big bolt securing the hub. I assume it was tight from the factory but maybe not.

Dan

[King- cobra]

Dan,
If you have a ERA column there is a bushing on the top and bottom of the collor that the shaft goes through. I had one slide down on my car and had play in the wheel. Check those bushings.

[DanEC]

Bob - is there an exploded view drawing of the steering column available? The collar has a set screw on the side of it (I assume that's what it is). Could this play any part in the adjustment in getting the play out. I stored my column in a standing position, mounted with the wheel flat on the floor and possibly a bushing has shifted.

[strictlypersonl]

If you have two holes in the sides of the upper column housing, you have the Triumph bushing shown on page 50 of the manual. If there's q lot of play there, the inner nylon piece may have slipped out, into the middle of the column housing. The only way to tell is to pull the inner column right out.

If the nylon part is still there, you just got a bad bushing, and we'll replace it. The quality of those things went so far downhill the last couple of years, we had to completely re-design the housing to take a normal nylon bushing.

[DanEC]

I'll try to measure the amount of movement I have and pull the shaft out tonight and look at it. I'm guessing it's probably 1/16 to 3/32 inch but it may be less than it feels.

So it has a nylon bushing and not a ball bearing at the upper hub?

[strictlypersonl]

Nylon bushings at both ends. It's a softer material for some vibration attenuation. The original Triumph even put the nylon inside a rubber housing.

[DanEC]

OK - the hub bolt was loose but tightening it up didn't help the play. I measured it at about 25 to 30 thousands - not as much as I said earlier but still very noticeable. I pulled the column out and there is a nylon bushing at the top of the tube - and I think there is also one at the bottom of the tube. Some of the earlier posts seem to indicate there would be two bushings at the hub. Mine has only one - at the very top of the collar. This is the standard ERA column that came with the car. Does that sound right?

Bob - I think I will try shimming under the split bushing with some hard plastic strips cut from some packaging and see if that works. If not, I check with you on another bushing.

Dan

[DanEC]

I can end this thread. I cut a half radius shim out of clear plastic stock from the pacage of something or other and placed it under the factory split shim in the upper housing and it worked like a charm. Absolutely no play in the steering wheel shaft and hub now.