Date:         Sat, 5 Sep 2009 07:30:51 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: To those concerned with steering wheel sloppiness
Comments: To: David Kao <dtkao0205@yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To:  <31555.94744.qm@web82708.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

Just remember that you don't have to take the assembly all the way out
of the car, you just drop the bushing plate down past the two rods so
you can pull the bushings out with pliers. The plate with the bushings
is on the bottom, and you're dropping the two rods out of it to get to
the bushings. When you pull the plate back up on the rods and bolt the
column to the dash, be sure to pull the rods as far as you can, i.e.,
mount the column as high on the dash as you can. This will ensure that
you're not just using the rubber of the bushings to secure the
coupling, but you have a strong mechanical connection. This is all
much easier to comprehend if you're looking at it, not reading about
it.

The steering wheel only goes back on one way, assuming your wheels are
straight and the VW emblem is up so you don't get it upside down if
that's even possible. Nothing will need readjusting.

Jim

On Sat, Sep 5, 2009 at 1:41 AM, David Kao<dtkao0205@yahoo.com> wrote:
> Jim:
>
> You are right on the money. I had long discovered these worn
> bushings but was afraid that they might be difficult to replace
> by myself and it might need a wheel alignment afterwards. So
> I have not had the gut to replace mine. I believe these worn
> bushings are also responsible for slopy steering when driving
> against head wind. Thanks a lot for the tip. I guess I will
> order those bushings to replace mine soon.
>
> David
>
> --- On Thu, 9/3/09, Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM> wrote:
>
>> From: Jim Felder <jim.felder@GMAIL.COM>
>> Subject: To those concerned with steering wheel sloppiness
>> To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
>> Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 6:27 PM
>> I have over the years been all
>> through my 83 vanagon steering (this
>> said because I don't remember if later model vanagons have
>> the same
>> setup, I think they do) It has been wonderfully correct for
>> some time
>> but there was always an annoying bump where the wheels
>> seemed free to
>> roam over a rocky road while the steering wheel sat firmly
>> in my
>> hands, issuing complaint from somewhere below. On straight
>> roads, the
>> car floated imperceptibly, though was easily corrected by
>> guiding the
>> wheel.
>>
>> The problem was fixed in fifteen minutes with the
>> replacement of the
>> two rubber bushings that fit into the half of the steering
>> column that
>> comes up from the floor. You drop the upper shaft (no need
>> to remove
>> the wheel) and pull out the old bushing with pliers, then
>> soap up the
>> new bushings and press them in with your fingers.
>>
>> No more bumping sounds, no more slop.
>>
>> Jim
>>
>
>
>
>