Steering Column
- Disconnect battery ground cable and remove steering wheel. Remove column if necessary; steps one through seven can be performed without removing column from vehicle. Remove rubber bumper and carefully remove plastic retainer from lock plate. Install suitable tool (J-23063) on steering shaft and remove lock plate "C" ring; discard ring and install new one during reassembly. Remove lock plate, cancelling cam and upper bearing preload spring. Remove column lower trim panel if equipped. Disconnect turn signal connector from harness and tape wires back along connector to keep wires flat during removal. Remove four bolts attaching bracket assembly to column jacket. Remove shift indicator cable attaching screw (if equipped).
- Remove both bracket nuts while holding column up, remove bracket and wire protector from turn signal wiring, then loosely install bracket and nuts to hold column in place. Position turn signal lever in right turn position, unscrew lever and remove. Lift tilt lever and set column in center position. Push in hazard warning knob, remove screw and knob. Remove signal switch screws and carefully pull switch and wiring from column.
- Place lock assembly in "RUN" position. Insert a long flat tool into slot next to switch mounting screw boss (right hand slot) and depress retainer at bottom of slot to remove lock. Remove key warning buzzer switch and clip using needle nose pliers.CAUTION: If clip drops into column, further disassembly will be required to retrieve it.
- Remove tilt lever. Remove cover-to-housing screws and remove cover. Remove tilt lever opening shield and turn signal lever opening shield from housing. Remove lock spring screw, then move rack assembly upward. Turn spring clockwise until disconnected from steering shaft lock bolt, and remove spring. Remove sector snap ring and remove sector with a pin punch by driving out lock cylinder drive shaft. Lock bolt can now be removed from housing. Remove lock drive shaft through lock assembly opening. Install tilt lever and tilt column up. Remove tilt spring assembly using a screwdriver. Press in and turn retainer counterclockwise about 1/8 turn to remove tilt spring.
- Remove housing upper bearing seat and race. Install suitable pivot pin removal tool (J-21854-1), and remove pivot pins. Lift tilt lever to release lock shoes. Pull upward on housing to extend rack fully down, then move housing to left to disengage rack from actuator and remove housing from column. Remove rack and spring from housing (do not lose spring shim if equipped). Using suitable pin punch (J-22635), drive out tilt release lever pin and remove lever and spring. Drive out lock shoe pin and remove shoes and springs.
- With telescoping type columns, remove upper shaft from upper yoke by releasing locking rod and pulling shaft out. Remove locking wedge and rod. With all columns, to remove complete steering shaft assembly, disconnect and remove lower shaft coupling, bearing components and spacer (if equipped). Carefully pull steering shaft from column upper end.NOTE: If service is required on yoke or centering sphere assembly only, it is not necessary to remove steering shaft completely from column.
To disconnect steering shaft spheres, turn yoke 90° to centerline of lower shaft, align flats on centering sphere with lower shaft and remove upper yoke with centering sphere. Remove sphere from yoke by rotating sphere so flats align with yoke opening.
- Remove shift lever by driving out pin and pulling lever from bowl. Remove four screws attaching support to lock plate and remove support. Remove shift gate attaching screws and remove shift gate from support. Remove ignition switch as follows: Remove toe-pan trim cover and loosen toe-pan clamp bolts. Remove nuts from column bracket and lower column. Place the ignition key lock cylinder in "LOCK" position before proceeding.NOTE: If lock cylinder has already been removed, the actuating rod to ignition switch should be pulled up until it stops and then pushed down one detent, which is "LOCK" position.
Remove switch screws and remove ignition switch. Remove actuator rod through bowl from upper end of column.
- The following steps for bowl and/or shift tube removal require column removal. With column removed from vehicle, remove ignition switch, neutral start and back-up switch (if equipped). Remove retaining ring, cover, bearing and adapter from column lower end. Remove shift tube retaining ring and thrust washer. Remove lower shift tube support screws (if equipped).
- Position suitable puller (J-23072) in bowl and turn bolts into lock plate about six turns. Turn center tool bolt while guiding shift lever through slot in jacket. Separate shift tube and bowl. Mark location of lock plate and remove lock plate and wave washer. Slide shift tube out column lower end.