ClassicOldsmobile.com - View Single Post

Old Whitey · 11-24-2006, 08:14 PM

I have a faithful Oldsmobile Cutlass that is less than a thousand mile short of 300.000 miles which I have held as a mental milestone for several years. It has been a very reliable car and I am loathe to part with it but it has developed a shockingly loose steering column that can be moved up and down or side to side to such a considerable degree that it is cause for alarm. The bright/dimmer switch no longer wants to work and the key is becoming difficult to remove or to activate the accessory position, because clearly things inside the column aren't in proper alignment. Before I tear into it I wonder if anyone can tell me what to expect. Is there some sort of bearing in there that is long gone, allowing the steering shaft to go where it should not? What's going on in there?

11-24-2006, 08:14 PM	#1 (permalink)
Old Whitey Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Posts: 1	Loose Steering Column I have a faithful Oldsmobile Cutlass that is less than a thousand mile short of 300.000 miles which I have held as a mental milestone for several years. It has been a very reliable car and I am loathe to part with it but it has developed a shockingly loose steering column that can be moved up and down or side to side to such a considerable degree that it is cause for alarm. The bright/dimmer switch no longer wants to work and the key is becoming difficult to remove or to activate the accessory position, because clearly things inside the column aren't in proper alignment. Before I tear into it I wonder if anyone can tell me what to expect. Is there some sort of bearing in there that is long gone, allowing the steering shaft to go where it should not? What's going on in there?