Steering Wheel Play tac weld fix

If you are hesitating to do this... DONT! Can't believe I waited so long.

Symptoms: Knocking steering wheel with pot holes, washboard roads, etc. Wandering back and forth with any kind of ruts or deviations in the road.

The steering wheel has 1/4" or so of play (at least mine did) before the wheels would actually begin to move. The slip joint (for safety reasons) ends up with too much slop and causes the issue.

TTORA has a write up on how to do this and just put two small tacks on the joint to fix the issue. It is generally agreed that the tacs will give way in an accident and the slip joint will perform as intended. AS STATED LATER IN THE THREAD, YOU DO NOT NEED TO DO ALL THAT WORK TO GET IT OUT!!!

Unplug battery before doing any work.

* Simply take off the bottom trim panel, the hood release latch (two screws).

* Then take off the top and bottom covers on the wheel (need to turn wheel to get the two hiding screws behind the wheel).

* Move the tilt to the highest position and remove the two top springs.

* Remove the air bag, etc connectors on the bottom of the wheel and op the little plastic wire loom holder out.

* Remove the two 6MM allen head bolts on the sides of the steering wheel.

* Remove the 12MM (I believe) bolt at the bottom of the steering shaft by your feet.

* You can now just slide the entire steering assembly right out.

*IMPORTANT* Do not let the steering wheel rotate too much around when out of the truck. I think there is a clock spring or something that can break I have been told. No big issue, just be careful holding it or bungie the wheel to the base like I did.

We did not remove the vent piece at all, the key cover, the key lock assembly, nothing.


This is all 30 to 45 mins of work... I could do it much quicker now that I know how easy it really is.

Sorry no pictures, but refer to the TTORA link for pics if you need them. SO easy. My buddy brought his little welder over and we through the two tacs on and all back together in no time. We both looked at eachother and said.. "That's it?" Super easy.

Steering feels SO much better. Do it...


Do it...





Feel free to ask any questions..

 

You don't even need to remove the lower trim panel or the hood release.
The additional "tilt ball shim" is well the extra few minutes should there be any residual play.

 

Well there ya go... Even easier.

I just did the tac weld.. no slop or play. Figure its that easy I can go back in and do the other mod if needed later.

 

I'd like to know too!

 

I had this problem with 1/4” to 1/2” play but the play was north to south on the steering wheel.

Going over bumps the whole streering wheel would be jumping back and forth north to south.

It ended up being the tilt ball mechanism that was bad and I ended up getting a complete steering column from a low mileage truck as the parts to fix it are no longer made.
This is the old steering column

 

Back in the Late Cretaceous I did the tack and came up with the short cut to pull the column on Tacoma Territory. I went back in and did the ball shim. Another fellow had mentioned it in an earlier thread.
Scroll down to "Update". give the funky site time to fully load to the post (#42). The tilt ball is functionally a CV joint where the steering shaft must bend/tilt. It's a plastic ball consisting of two halves with little springs between the halves to moderate any play that might be felt. Slipping a piece of appropriately trimmed sheet plastic takes up a small gap between the halves making the fit better.
In the first pic in the link, the ball can be seen, the white thing where the tilting happens.
With the column extracted the dingy white ball is easily located and with some manipulation of the tilt function comes right out, IIRC around 90°.
Study it well first, if necessary mark the relationship of anything that might get forgotten. Select a thickness of plastic that works for you. Old oil containers or bleach bottle type plastic work fine. If possible save some of the presumably "plastic safe" grease you see for assembly.

If all else is good, zero play or slop in the steering can be achieved. If the rim of my steering wheel moves at all the tire moves.

 

That's what I did. Both the tack and the plastic shim. Used plastic from an old motor oil bottle.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xsOptgpfshg

 

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@Timmah! forgot to mention leaving the key in the unlock position. This results in the poor form seen at 12:45, the utter shame.

He usually does a great job but after this complete disaster he should probably just sell his tools and camera, turn the shop into a potting shed or maybe take up quilting.

 

The garage is grow room now. You were close though.