hupp

1979 928, 5-spd:

I've recently noticed a small amount of play in the steering column. With a firm grip on the wheel, I'm able to move it in a radial direction of about 1/8 in. I suspect a bushing is shot -- anyone out there have experience repairing this?

Lizard928

sounds like the plastic sleeve in the upper bearing, this is common in the early 911 (from what I hear) and the 914, and also the 924, there is a small plastic sleeve you can slide down to take up this slack, I dont know if this is the same on the 928 though if you have PET or the factory maual you can check that

Erik - Denmark

Hupp,
See the other discussion: 'Steering Rack Bushings', here you will find all the answers to your question

hupp

Erik,

Thank you for the input, but I think we're on two different pages here. The "play" I'm refering to does not exist in the steering -- no slop there. The steering column is not held as rigid as it should be. For example, I am able to "wiggle" (for the lack of a better term) the steering wheel.

GlenL

Hupp,

Have you looked at the steering meachanisms while someone works the wheel? The looseness can be anywhere from the ball joints to the U-joints in the column. Also, the wheel is loose in rotation not up/down or side-to-side, right?

Chris

There is a bearing and a sleeve at the top of the column, pretty cheap parts, usually wear is more noticeable as the wheel moves towards the pod, the retention spring at the bulkhead is pretty strong and tends to take up the slack. I guess eventually you would be able to notice radial play.

To replace need to remove steering wheel and pod, pod needs to come to get behind bearing to remove, unless you are lucky and it falls out.

Here are some pics when I did mine.

http://www.928s4.com/project/bearing.htm

Chris

hupp

To be honest, my not noticing the axial play may be due to a general lack of awareness -- I became fixed on radial play. Other symptoms I am currently experiencing are: random horn soundings, turn signal does not cancel, annoying "squeaks" are evident when I turn the wheel. Based on a recent board search, these suggest a bad steering column bearing.

Chris,

Is the sleeve, which is shown in your pictures, the only part necessary to remove the slack in the column?

Red UFO

hupp,

I had the same types of problem before as with random horn sounds. The problem was under the steering wheel its the turn cancellation ring is going to hell. Just replace that but look to see if anything else is going wrong. If you don't replace that turn ring soon. It will get chewed up and break more stuff. Like the horn contact it connects to can break then you'll have to replace your turn signal area.

Chris

Yes I would think so, but the parts are so cheap and your car has seen some years replace both.

Chris