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I had a shop replace both my tilt pins with the UE versions a few years ago when the column was apart for other maintenance, and then the slop, at least partially, came back. At that point I didn't (and still don't) know whether the hole was unusually worn where these pins didn't help, tech error, slop coming from elsewhere, etc. I bought another pair of UE pins, and a pair off ebay as well and they've been in storage for months. Other than the color, the two sets of pins are practically identical from exterior measurements, unsure if the material is the same.
Based upon the posts above that show the wheel & column don't need to be torn apart, I gained confidence doing this myself. The pin head was slightly sticking out from the column, the head was mangled and the first threads damaged by the prior tech. I used a pair of needle nose vice grips to grab the head, and while wiggling the steering wheel, it came out pretty easily. I was surprised to find some sort of black residue, like oil or grease, on the pin.
These pins are supposed to go in dry, correct? Is there something inside that pin hole where it would naturally pick up this residue, or perhaps the prior tech used a lube to help it go in, which in turn helped it slide out? If there is some sort of lube inside that hole that shouldn't be, any suggestions without tearing down the column? At a certain steering wheel tilt angle, the new pin goes in with ease, and even tapped all the way in, I still see play on the pin head when moving the wheel. The hole the pin goes in to me looks significantly oblong to me, certainly wider than the pin OD. Looks like I need a more significant rebuild. Empty hole 1 Empty hole 2 Empty hole 3 Old pin as removed Old pin head Old pin with minor cleanup
I contacted a random steering column rebuilder in NM, and they sent me this:
Sorry about your Camaro, however this is one of the most common problems that later design has. We field this question a lot.
You are on the right track considering the tilt housings as suspect for your problem. The pivot pin holes on both sides of the housing begin to wear oblong allowing the column to ‘float’ from 8:00-2:00 when slight pressure is applied. This occurs because of the design of the stepwell, the need to use the steering wheel as a grab handle getting in and out and the additional weight the airbag has added to the extended tilt column. All of these issues create the stress on the column and the play develops. In order to remedy this completely, you will need to replace both the moveable tilt housing and the support stand it pivots against (along with the 2 pivot pins). The pins are hardened steel and wear the least. The wear in the cast pieces are what cause the looseness.
We have 1 cure for this problem at the moment…New Old Stock is not available anymore and aftermarket reproductions are on backorder from every source we know of, so…we have arranged with a machine shop (a corvette owner himself) to recondition, used housings with oversized pins and machined oversize holes. He has been doing this for aver 8 years for us and we have sold close to 100 sets. Here is the link to that webpage so you can see the cost and read a little more about the components.
[Link removed due to not sure if a vendor offers a solution]
These are ready to install so either your shop can do it or we can replace it during a full overhaul, but it can actually be done right in the car without removing the column.To R&R the column is about an hour each way (out and in) and it’s critical the wheels stay in the same position from the removal to the installation to keep the airbag clockspring in the original position, typically straight ahead so everything stays centered.
Not really that simple…Full overhaul down to the tube (#72).
You would need a tech who has done this before, an older tech. The new young guys only know computers and electronics and have no experience disassembling this system.
Here is an exploded view. You are talking about replacing the heart of the tilt (parts 30 & 62). Everything else has to be removed to get there.
Last edited by JimMueller; 06-26-2021 at 02:10 PM.
Great posts! I'm thinking that the metal used on the part that the pins press in to may be of an inferior quality / hardness. I'm thinking the pins may be made of a better, stronger, harder metal. So the main assembly wears before the easily replaceable pins do. Yet another terrible GM design!
Knowing what I know now for my specific scenario (a new pin alone wouldn't help, and the risk of the high beam follower falling out and being very difficult to re-install), I would have left it as-is. I'm about to punt on the follower until the column is rebuilt. I can paste the link to the aforementioned vendors rebuilt design if I was confident a vendor didn't offer a competing solution.
This sounds like a good place for the aftermarket to sell a bronze bushing and drill bit sized appropriately to go into the column and allow the use of factory pins again.
I just did the swap, and only removed the gauge bezel, and the tilt lever, which then allowed me to pry off the plastic piece under the tilt. I screwed in a M4 bolt, grabbed it with pliers, and pulled while wiggling the wheel and it came right now.
Put the new pin in place, and started tapping on it with a small mallet until I was able to drive it all the way in. What a dramatic difference. I can't wait to drive the car now to see if the wheel is as tight as I think it will be.
I've chased this for a few years now. The roads here in PA are bad, and with every bump, the wheel would shake. Fall of 2018, I rebuilt the entire front end with MOOG bushings and swapped out my STRANO springs for my factory in hopes of a tighter, smoother ride. I've gotten spoiled with the smoothness of my Mercedes coupe, so was after something similar. I also replaced the steering column bearing that's in the engine bay, since I could shake the column and see it move.
All along it was that stupid pin. $19 and ten minutes later, and it's tighter than factory.
I just bought my 02 WS6 convertible last week, and I noticed the wheel wobble right away. Glad to have found this forum! I just ordered an oversized pin, but my technical skills are limited so if it’s as quick of a fix as you say, I’ll show your reply above to a local high performance shop who’s working on these types of cars all the time and have him fix this for me!
I had mine fixed when the clutch work was done. The shop tried to source replacements from a junk yard but that column was worse than mine. They ended up making their own in-house and the steering wheel is night and day better now. The shop owner said to never use the steering wheel for getting in/getting out of the car as the weight of using it as a support is most likely the cause of the issue in the first place. Makes sense to me so I just have to remember that, not a problem as I haven't been able to drive the car in 5 months now
I just did the swap, and only removed the gauge bezel, and the tilt lever, which then allowed me to pry off the plastic piece under the tilt. I screwed in a M4 bolt, grabbed it with pliers, and pulled while wiggling the wheel and it came right now.
Put the new pin in place, and started tapping on it with a small mallet until I was able to drive it all the way in. What a dramatic difference. I can't wait to drive the car now to see if the wheel is as tight as I think it will be.
I've chased this for a few years now. The roads here in PA are bad, and with every bump, the wheel would shake. Fall of 2018, I rebuilt the entire front end with MOOG bushings and swapped out my STRANO springs for my factory in hopes of a tighter, smoother ride. I've gotten spoiled with the smoothness of my Mercedes coupe, so was after something similar. I also replaced the steering column bearing that's in the engine bay, since I could shake the column and see it move.
All along it was that stupid pin. $19 and ten minutes later, and it's tighter than factory.
I actually was finally able to get everything back in, after I tried everything for hours......
so it is possible to put that follower back in once it falls out without taking off the wheel or going farther into the column. The high beams do work again, you just must make sure the high beam switch below the dash is fully pushed towards the rear of the car (you may need to lower the column to get to the screws and tighten them)
AND the cover on the left pivot pin goes in correctly tightening the plastic high beam follower. YOU MUST unscrew the tilt rod with locking pliers if you want this plastic pivot cover out.
06-26-2021, 11:00 AM
