Date: Sat, 2 Feb 2013 17:05:49 -0800
Reply-To: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: neil n <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: Steering. Re: P 48.14 Measurement "a"
In-Reply-To: <510cae02.a7ec3a0a.0b92.ffffca3cSMTPIN_ADDED_MISSING@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1
That's very helpful David.
To all: forgive me. I "forgot" I had a spare steering column from my
'85 hiding under my work bench; the clamp on the lower column of this
part is in nearly the same position as clamp on my '81. image:
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6pUMj9uCX-w/UQ2yqJlgtyI/AAAAAAAAGwg/4lRyR6KlV_0/s640/%252785%2520Vanagon%2520Lower%2520Steering%2520Column3.jpg
More images of '85 parts starting here:
https://picasaweb.google.com/musomuso/SteeringBushing#5840520728966903586
Working on the '85 parts, removed Allen bolt and black plastic sleeve,
sprayed lube between ignition switch housing and tube, *lightly*
tapped the ignition switch housing toward driver. It, and inner rod,
moved about 6 mm closer to driver. Seems to me that doing this brings
the lower column pins further into the bushings, closer to the 3.5 mm
spec BUT I'm NOT certain how this affects the plastic ring etc. that
David points to.
I'm NOT saying this is the right thing to do! Simply an observation.
FWIW, on my '81 Westy, I found distance from top of black plastic
spacer to end of column was very close to 51 mm.
Thanks,
Neil.
On Fri, Feb 1, 2013 at 10:10 PM, David Beierl <dbeierl@attglobal.net> wrote:
> At 04:11 PM 2/1/2013, neil n wrote:
>> I'll study the Bentley, but if the plastic spacer position is
>> incorrect, would that affect the position of the upper column relative
>
>
> Bentley is talking through its collective hat on that one. They tell you to
> drive the plastic spacer to a particular depth; however this dimension is
> actually rigidly fixed by the length of the plastic spacer. The distance
> they tell you to set is the distance it's going to end up anyway. They
> then tell you to set that clearance between steering wheel and lever switch
> asssembly by moving the ignition lock assembly up or down the steering
> column tube. This adjustment does not do that, as that dimension is fixed
> by the length of the spacer. What it does instead is change the clearance
> between the steering wheel and the plastic shroud.
>
> The reference point for the entire system is the lower surface of the
> steering wheel, which itself is set by the mating tapers on the steering
> wheel and steering column. This is followed by the plastic spacer which
> seats on the inner race of the upper steering column bearing. The outer
> race of that bearing is pressed into the ignition switch assembly and the
> lever switch pack screws to legs protruding from the ignition switch
> assembly.
>
> On initial assembly of a new steering column, the spacer causes the upper
> steering column bearing inner race to be pressed partway onto a deformable
> plastic carrier mounted on the steering column. This sets the clearance
> between switch pack and horn moving contact ring which is then permanent.
> If for some reason (non-spec steering wheel, VW change in the horn moving
> contact assembly) the clearance needs to be changed, increasing it is easy
> -- simply shim the plastic spacer the required amount (or make a new one)
> and the upper column bearing will be driven farther down the column when you
> bolt the steering wheel back down. If the clearance must be decreased you
> must shorten the spacer by the proper amount, and it will probably be
> necessary to replace the plastic bearing carrier on the upper steering
> column so that a new seat can be obtained for the upper column bearing.
>
> John Reynolds ran into this problem when replacing the horn ring contact, as
> VW had changed a dimension causing the clearance to decrease. He elected to
> deal with it by putting the new ring contact into the old carrier assembly,
> rather than altering the steering column dimensions.
>
> Photos at
> https://picasaweb.google.com/117189706757545167023/VanagonSteeringColumn?authuser=0&feat=directlink
> .
>
> Yours,
> David
--
Neil n
65 kb image Myford Ready For Assembly http://tinyurl.com/64sx4rp
'88 Slate Blue Westy to be named.
'81 VanaJetta 2.0 "Jaco" http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
Vanagon VAG Gas I4/VR Swap Google Group:
http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
