fixing loose steering column

[toof2]

A machanice told me that some bolts are loose from getting in and out and grabbing the steering wheel. Sounds logical. I've taken off the steering wheel but can't figure out how to get the rest of it apart. It's 1997 chevy s-10 tahoe(I think). It has tilt steering and cruise on the blinker. Please help!

[bowtiebandit]

First thing you'll need is a lock plate depressor tool and the pivot pin tool, if you don't have these you'll be unsuccessfully at the attempt.

[krispykreemd]

Originally Posted by toof2

A machanice told me that some bolts are loose from getting in and out and grabbing the steering wheel. Sounds logical. I've taken off the steering wheel but can't figure out how to get the rest of it apart. It's 1997 chevy s-10 tahoe(I think). It has tilt steering and cruise on the blinker. Please help!

I found a guy who had a step-by-step guide on how to get down to the 4 bolts which hold the tilt sterring column to the firewall. It had no pictures but used concise(sp?) words and also gave specific required tools i would need. So after renting $200 worth of tools, which i got all back since Autozone does that free rental (100% return of deposit fee, it really only cost $10 for a stick of Loctite "Red" (strong stuff.) You need the compression tool as stated prior to my post; and you need a heavy slide-type dent puller. Way down there at the tilt axis are a couple pins with threaded holes in them in which you screw into and pop out with the dent-puller. Took me an evening, a nap, then an hour in the morning. Well worth the knowledge you get from beaking down the whole column though. Horn, steering wheel bracket, turn signal assembly, "Brights" actuator thing, hazard swith, key tumbler, gearshift, all the wires, pins clips, lots of gooey grease, but hey, at least you don't have a s-10 which shuts off when you turn the steering wheel! it also realigned the gearshift indicator, mine read D when i was in OD, disapeared in 1st... etc... and the feel of a sturdy wheel feels good. I'll try to find the article, but almost all chevy tilt assemblies are identical.
good luck....

KrispyKreemD