anybody replaced their lower column bearing?

[ehall]

I'm looking for a second opinion on symptoms. Problem is that there is some excess play where the upper and lower steering shafts meet at the firewall, not a lot but enough to make it wiggle around. I first noticed a problem when coasting down the driveway and the steering wheel popped, then on debug inspection I found I could make the shaft warble and pop by twisting the lower shaft by hand.

At first I thought it was just the rubber dampener in the lower shaft however I pulled it out yesterday and the dampener is intact, and the u-joints are good too. While I had that out I checked the upper shaft where the column sticks through the firewall and found that it has some wiggle play so I assume that the lower bearing is the source of my problem. However I have a tilt column so there is the possibility that the canonical source of the pop is the upper bearing at the tilt joint.

I also have some slop in the gearbox but that is another problem. The wiggle and noise is from the upper shaft/column area. Anybody else gone through this?

[slorocco]

The short answer is yes. Not so short answer is that it involved a 45 year old landrover and a sawzall so my experience probably won't be of any help to you.

[Mowillys]

Sorry Brother, my response is the same. My lower bearing sorta plopped out, but was quickly repaired with a little JB Weld and a few carefully placed blows with a hammer...so much for the '52 Willys steering...

[POWERW@GON]

I think u need a new tag spacer.