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Our speedsters drive nice and straight.  However, the steering wheel is of center.  I didn't want to mess with adjusting the tie rods.  I took the steering wheel off to just rotate it a few teeth. It can off easy.  Putting it back was a pain.

This may be a dumb question, is the steering shaft suppose to move in and out?  When I was putting the steer wheel back on I had to push real hard to compress the spring.  when I did that the shaft would push in an inch or so making it impossible to put the steering wheel  nut back on.  I had to use a strap at the knuckle  to keep it from pushing in.  This just doesn't seem right to me.

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Well, there is SUPPOSED to be a clamp, bolt and nut to lock it down!!!!!   There should be a set of splines on the shaft coming out of the coupler which slide into the bottom of the steering shaft, then, in Wolfgang’s diagram, parts 1, 5 and 7 make up the coupler clamp.   The clamp is VW part 111415539 and you can get one at Bugcity.com   Just search on that part number.

https://www.bugcity.com/shop/s...1c-9cec-5d5f3688d43f

DON’t drive the car without that clamp installed and torqued!

You can get the bolt and nylock nut at any ACE hardware store.

@DannyP posted:

Carey will know what column it is. I knew I'd seen that column before. I had one in my Vanagon. Check out numbers 2 and 5.

VW column

Looks like Plan B (C?) of a non-lethal steering column. I like it.

I’m guessing that step (bearing?) on the column (1) rides on a race in the tube (9) in a VW. When I was trying to figure out why my horn button was constantly grounding, Carey told me they remove that stuff and replace it with a Delrin bushing so the column doesn’t ground on the tube.

Last edited by dlearl476
@Bobby D posted:

Lane it was built in 2013

I'm pretty sure that means it's an American-built car rather than Brazilian like mine was.  That means generally better quality.  Danny's post shows the kind of coupler mine had (#2), and I don't think they changed it until the new suspension came out.  I can't really tell from your picture, but something's come apart.  By the way, if your "wonky steering" means that it didn't always return to center in the same spot and felt kind of disconnected in the middle, then you might need to crank down on the pinch bolt on the shaft out of the steering box.  It took me two years before I understood what folks were telling me.  It takes an extension on your wrench to get enough torque to do the job.  Just hand cranking a regular wrench won't do it, even though it will feel tight.

Is that your problem?  I kind of doubt it since you have the in/out shaft movement, but it might be the wonkiness.  As for the steering damper, it might be failing or it might not, but I doubt that it's a contributor to either issue.  To answer your question, don't drive it until you solve this.  That might be overkill, but better safe than sorry. You'll figure it out.

I would have this checked out if I wasn't sure how it was all supposed to work. Like I said before, contact Carey or wait for him to chime in here. The choice is yours.

I believe that everything is fine in there. The column isn't very long, and has an upper and a lower bearing. As was mentioned, the lower bearing is replaced with a Delrin(nylon?) bushing so the horn wire isn't grounded. If the steering wheel is removed, the shaft can slide forward. It's designed that way.

The two prongs on the steering shaft box are designed to NOT ram the column into your chest in the event of impact. The prongs are designed to disengage the column.

Lane is correct that the pitman arm must he SUPER tight, like with an 18-24" breaker bar.

Bobby just wants to center his wheel, I don't think he's having any other problems.

Yes, Danny's diagram is pretty much exactly what you have.  In Brazil it was common to several cars, but in the US maybe just T3 and some Vanagons?  The 2 rubber bushings that sit on the pins can wear and make a little slop, but they are easy to replace.  It uses a pinch bolt/splines at the input shaft of the steering box, at the universals, but NOT at the crash coupler.  That safety coupler is just a reverse slip fitting and the tension of the steering wheel nut holds it in place.  When you remove the nut/wheel you have to be careful that you don't push the column down as it can easily separate at that time, but it cannot separate under normal conditions.  When reinstalling your steering wheel, reach behind the dash and grab the exposed steering shaft and hold it in place while installing the wheel, OR get under the car and lightly clamp both sides of the coupler to keep it from separating.  Also, be careful not to knock the wire off of the column at this slip fitting as it is what bridges the rubber isolation and makes the upper column grounded.

as for moving your steering wheel: we use VW/Porsche/Audi fine spline upper column (Late Beetle, 90s Audi, Porsche 924/944) and it is 18mm diameter tapered spline with 40 splines.  thus you have 9 degrees of movement per spline.  So, you can correct some misalignment via rechecking the wheel, but if it is off less than 9 degrees then you correct it through a minor realignment of the tie rods.

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