Tightening Tilt Column with Steadfast and Wiper Motor Q.

[Torx]

Yea, so my regal's steering column has gotten the usual loosening tilt problem some of us may have experienced. I know you have to tighten some bolts inside the column, but I have a permanent steadfast column protection on it.

Before i go taking my steering wheel off, I'd like to know if its still possible to fix the tightening even with the steadfast on it.

Also, i replaced my wiper motor with one from autozone and the variable switch doesnt work, the low, medium and high WORK, but the swift turn part for specific interval wiping doesnt work like the OEM motor did. Does anyone know if there are aftermarket motors that allow this like the stock or did i just buy the wrong one??

Thanks for any help!!

 

[VadersV6]

I dont know what steadfast is, but I know that tightening the column is an absolute nightmare. There is some ring with a spring behind it. You have to compress the spring/ring assembly, and then they use a circular wire as a retaining clip that you have to pop off. There is some special tool for this, but I wasnt able to find it. I had to sit in the seat and press the ring on with my feet with all my strength while my wife popped the clip on when it went back together. And in the end, I accomplished nothing. There is stack upon stack upon stack of mechanical/electrical assemblies that you have to go through. I gave up and just reassembled it. Its the worst mechanical design Ive seen in my life. I took the column apart on my cobra and it was the most simple, ingenius design around. A few screws and everything just comes apart with ease. But anyway, I would find out what this special tool is, and put aside about a month to take apart all the other crap in the column, lol. There is a cover on the side of the column, on the left. If you can pop this off, you can get to one of the screws with a 9/32 1/4 inch drive socket, and a 1/4" swivel. You have to pop this little steel arm for the high beams out of the way, and cram the socket in with the swivel at almost a 90 degree angle. You can eventually get the socket on that screw and tighten it enough that the column will tighten up and not flop around. Yeah its only 1 screw, but it does tighten the whole thing up. I refuse to ever try again. I'm just going to get a whole new column. Thats how retarded the whole design is. I refuse to take 5 years off my life by trying again. Once you pop the cover off and can see that screw, get a long fireplace matchstick or whatever, and use it to dribble some red loctite in there behind the head of the screw before you tighten it. Mine hasnt come back loose since using loictite. Its been about 6 months. My column used to wobble around about 5 inches! My brother was driving my moms 86 buick century, and it had a loose column. They ignored it, and in the middle of a U-turn, the whole column fell apart and he totally lost control of the car, lol.

 

[88ZNX]

I feel your pain, i to made that repair back 1988 as a tech, at my local GM dealership i had all the tools needed and it was a nightmare. but you are right you have to press that plate down,Auto Zone has the tool, remove that very hard to get to clip then start removing every thing untill you get to the screw. I dont want to do that again. Good idea on the locktight.

 

[Torx]

well damn. the tutorial on the internet made it sound easy.. pull some **** out and tighten a few bolts..

i guess not. Lol..