Steering Column Play and that collar with grubscrews

[Phil Green]

Hi, I have just rebuilt my steering column with new bearings and while I was doing it I replaced the toothed washer that is meant to keep some pressure on the bearing to eliminate play with one of the collars with the 3 grubscrews.

i put a sleeve over the shaft onto the collar and tightened down onto it with the steering wheel nut and then tightened the grub screws as much as I could. When I took the sleeve off and tried to move the shaft, there was no discernible play at all. Great, I thought, what a result!

However, when I put the steering wheel onto the shaft and try to wiggle it, the extra leverage seems to move the collar and the excessive play returns..........

I have just gone through the whole process again, and I am tightening the grub screws as much as possible, but the collar fixing just does not seem man enough.

Have others had problems with this collar? Is there a better solution? Should I just put a new toothed washer back?

Any suggestions gratefully received.

Cheers

[Jimmygee]

Phil,

Sorry I haven't got an answer for you.........I have exactly the same problem though!
Mine tends to last a little while but getting in and out of the car and leaning on the steering wheel tends to loosen it up very quickly.
I've got to the position now where the allen heads are failing inside the grub screws and can no longer be tightened. They'll need to be replaced or a new collar purchased.
I did at one point think there may be room for two of these to be fitted but I haven't tried that yet.
Also not sure if there is a difference in the engineering of the one's supplied from different manufacturers?

Hopefully someone will be along to help!

[mole42]

Hmmm. Mine's been absolutely fine, hasn't moved at all in spite of about 10,000 miles of recent driving some of it practising for the upcoming rally season....
Maybe there are different qualities of collar?

[blue 464]

did you renew the 2 inserts in the column when you rebuilt it?

[sujitroy]

get a second helper. put the steering wheel on and pull it up as much as possible. push the clamp down and then clamp it down. I ran into the same problem

[Phil Green]

Hi, thanks for the feedback,

yes, I did renew the plastic bushes in the column. This play however is definitely the column in the bearings, I can see it.

By putting a sleeve over the column onto the collar and tightening it down with the steering wheel nut I am effectively pulling the ‘wheel’ up and pushing down on the collar at the same time. All the play disappears after I do this, but pulling on the newly mounted wheel then reintroduces the play. I can only assume that the collar is not gripping enough

Many Thanks

[stag8manod]

Hi all, I have been though the same scenario but I beat it. How? I tensioned as above with a sleeve and the wheel nut. I nipped 2 of the grub screws and removed the third which I then drilled through the collar with a tapping size to dimple the steering shaft. I replaced the grub screw and repeated to the other 2. Next I removed the steering nut, tensioning sleeve and the collar. I then with a 3mm drilled 3mm deep into the previously dimpled steering shaft. Reassembled with the collar, tensioning sleeve and nut. Reinserted the grub screws with them now going down
into their pockets in the steering shaft The grub screws are now flush with the top of collar and not proud as they were. With a drop of light thread lock (optional). Problem solved for ever.
Cheers Ian A

[Phil S]

had play along the shaft length that the collor solved, just the 3 grub screws nipped up 2 years ago.
ho up and down play on the wheel as top and bottom bushes ok

[Phil Green]

Hi all, I have been though the same scenario but I beat it. How? I tensioned as above with a sleeve and the wheel nut. I nipped 2 of the grub screws and removed the third which I then drilled through the collar with a tapping size to dimple the steering shaft. I replaced the grub screw and repeated to the other 2. Next I removed the steering nut, tensioning sleeve and the collar. I then with a 3mm drilled 3mm deep into the previously dimpled steering shaft. Reassembled with the collar, tensioning sleeve and nut. Reinserted the grub screws with them now going down
into their pockets in the steering shaft The grub screws are now flush with the top of collar and not proud as they were. With a drop of light thread lock (optional). Problem solved for ever.
Cheers Ian A

Wow! interesting approach. Seems like a definite possible solution for me.

Thanks

[jbuckl]

Yep, preload the assembly with a spacer before doing the grub screws up.

[Ceejay 72]

Excuse my butting into this conversation, but as a relatively new Stag owner and contemplating a steering column overhaul due to some play at the top bush/bearing, I am a little confused.
This thread refers to "bearings" and I've seen in past threads references to both ball and taper roller bearings at the top of the column, whereas the manual and Rimmers catalogue refer to "bushes".
Which is correct? Also, I'm guessing from the replies that the original retainer was a toothed washer, but there is reference here to a grubscrew collar. Is this a better solution, and where can you get these?
Not sure why a retainer is needed anyway, if they are either bushes or ball bearings. Perhaps someone can enlighten me?

Many thanks,
Chris

[Lingen]

Chris. There are two taper bearing (136936) and two soft nylon bushes (153040) involved in keeping the inner column in place. See pages 04-80 and 04-81 in the parts manual.
Mike.

[022Dave]

Hello Chris,

Tony Hart sells the steering column collar on eBay;

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F372984770002

Dave

[Ceejay 72]

Thanks Guys, that's very helpful!
Chris

[Chix]

Thought this might be helpful, seeing as though this thread prompted me to get the collar in the first place. Mine seems to be holding fine so far...