57 replies to this topic

[LX2DR]

Whatever you do it has to be solid, otherwise you could have a steering wheel with half the shaft in your hands

[LX2DR]

Been looking and thinking about this as my next project.
Primary problem here is doing something that will retain the shaft in the pot so the shaft cant come out.
From what i can see at the moment is that most bearings are a little shagged and sloppy? not completely knackered.
If you look at the bottom of the pot their is a fairly deep and empty hole.
My notion is that if you could fit a bearing in this hole and take away all the lateral load from the top bearing, this would improve the steering, get rid of the sloppyness but still retain the old bearing to do what it has done for 30+ years, just hold the shaft in the column.
So far ive found the following sizes to work with, shaft 0.750"(3/4"), bottom end of the hole 1.125"(1-1/8") not a lot of room here and the length is not an issue that i can see.
Also this 1-1/8" end gets bigger deeper in, looks to be about 1-1/4"?, and might allow for a 1" long needle bearing.
Doesn't matter what you do here as it does nothing now.
I'll add on here as this progresses.

[LX2DR]

Spoke to CBC yesterday and he was able to get the bearing and inner ring i wanted, picked them up today and machined the pot.
Bearing part numbers and again not so cheap :( but gives an excelent result that leaves the shaft free to collapse if the worst was to happen.
1 x S1616 Needle bearing (1.250" OD and 1.00" long) $25.00
1 x P121616 Inner ring (0.750" ID and 1.00" long) $73.00, ouch again!!

Pot machined and bearing fitted.




Inner ring fitted to shaft.


Shaft installed.


Moved bearing a little deeper (Now directly behind the old bearing)

[Tyre biter]

Paul,

Really keen to learn more on your top bearing fix please as it appears mine is shot.

• Clearly you retained the rolled centre section that retains the bearing at the top of the pot - correct?
• You say the pot was 'machined' - Do you mean (from the bottom) the ID of the bearing collar was widened a tad to fit the new bearing?
• Who does this sort of thing - machining a pot?
• How did you get the old bearing out exactly?

The steps seem simple (assuming I have understood them correctly)
1. Remove old bearing,
2. Get new bearings,
3. Have pot ID of bearing collar within the pot machined to suit new bearing
4. Install it all

Tell me, is there anything else I should be think about, or things you'd do differently if doing all over again?

Appreciate whatever advice you can lend.

Cheers, TB

[hanra]

Looks like the old bearing stays put?

[Tyre biter]

Thanks Vic - very kind of you.

A couple more questions arising;

leave old bearing in place
Mine is shagged - very gritty and since I have been mucking about with it trying to clean it up it has only gotten worse. I now see it is sloppy and there are ball-bearings either missing or rolling up on each other inside the race - hard to tell. Should I attempt to pull the ball-bearings out of the race to leave just the bearing body behind, or just leave them there?

machine underside of coffe pot to take needle bearing
Do you mean open up the inside of the column within the coffee pot to get rid of that lip and to allow the new needle bearing to slide in from underneath, or do you mean machine it in another way?

Ordered the bearings for this job and the bottom today - thanks to Brad (hanra) and Paul (LX2DR) for the part numbers.

Thanks again and cheers, TB

Edited by Tyre biter, 10 July 2012 - 03:33 PM.

[LX2DR]

Paul,

Really keen to learn more on your top bearing fix please as it appears mine is shot.

• Clearly you retained the rolled centre section that retains the bearing at the top of the pot - correct?
• You say the pot was 'machined' - Do you mean (from the bottom) the ID of the bearing collar was widened a tad to fit the new bearing?
• Who does this sort of thing - machining a pot?
• How did you get the old bearing out exactly?

The steps seem simple (assuming I have understood them correctly)
1. Remove old bearing,
2. Get new bearings,
3. Have pot ID of bearing collar within the pot machined to suit new bearing
4. Install it all

Tell me, is there anything else I should be think about, or things you'd do differently if doing all over again?

Appreciate whatever advice you can lend.

Cheers, TB

Hi Craig, answers to your points and questions.
""You have to leave the old bearing in the pot"", its what holds the shaft in place, so yes the rolled section is still their.
I'm lucky enough to own my own Bridgeport milling machine,
so i vertically bored the back of the pot to remove the lip and had to take a little out the rest of the way down to make room for the needle bearing, i didnt have to use loctite here as i left a press fit (Not too much as i didnt want to split the pot) the needle bearing is behind the old bearing.
I do all my own machining.
I didnt and will/would not remove the top bearing under any circumstances.

1. leave the bearing alone, clean it and grease it only.
2. definately get new bearing. (Needle bearing)
3. Take the pot to a machine shop to be machined, or send it to me, as i said earlier in this thread im happy to do it for you for a small cost of my time plus postage. I'm pretty sure a machine shop will be more expensive? It will also be a one off for them, ive already done it and know whats involved and have made some adapters to line it all up on the mill prior to machining and am ready to go. (If you already have the bearing you can send it to and i'll fit it at the same time for you.)
4. Yes reassemble and install

Wouldnt change anything, it works that good.

In the end, if your bearing is so bad that the center of the bearing is already pulling out, you probably need a better one.
All lateral/radial load is removed from the old bearing, it is only their holding the shaft in place so even if the bearing is gritty you wont feel it unless you are pushing forward or pulling back on the wheel.

P.S. i also have a lathe but decided that the mill was the best way to machine it as its a bit fragile and awkward to grab on the sides, whereas i was able to clamp it nicely on the mill bed without fear of crushing it.

Edited by LX2DR, 10 July 2012 - 05:45 PM.

[Tyre biter]

Vic,
Thank you for your advice, much appreciated.

Paul,
Thank you also - what a machine!
New PM coming.

Cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

Well I had my coffee pot machined for the bearing remedy provided by LX2DR (Paul).
It was arranged through a friend of a friend and so wasn't present when done, but a reportedly very fancy CNC type machine was used that (apparently) can work to the fourth decimal of a mm - must be an amazing machine.



The coffee pot has been bored to allow an 'interference fit' - apparently a very tight fit not likely to require Loctite, but jeepers it is tight and I'll see how I go getting it into place.

The only issue I see is the fella doing this for me stopped about 10mm shy of the existing bearing and so I will need to place the sleeve very carefully on the steering column shaft to mate it up. I hope there are not issues arising from having this a tad further down the shaft than Paul and Vic (gsh253) have done.

Just need to wash the existing bearing out using Ethyl Alcohol (I was told) and then paint the pot before fitting it up.

Thanks again Paul and Vic for your advice on all of this.

Cheers, TB

[LX2DR]

Well I had my coffee pot machined for the bearing remedy provided by LX2DR (Paul).
It was arranged through a friend of a friend and so wasn't present when done, but a reportedly very fancy CNC type machine was used that (apparently) can work to the fourth decimal of a mm - must be an amazing machine.



The coffee pot has been bored to allow an 'interference fit' - apparently a very tight fit not likely to require Loctite, but jeepers it is tight and I'll see how I go getting it into place.

The only issue I see is the fella doing this for me stopped about 10mm shy of the existing bearing and so I will need to place the sleeve very carefully on the steering column shaft to mate it up. I hope there are not issues arising from having this a tad further down the shaft than Paul and Vic (gsh253) have done.

Just need to wash the existing bearing out using Ethyl Alcohol (I was told) and then paint the pot before fitting it up.

Thanks again Paul and Vic for your advice on all of this.

Cheers, TB

Hi Craig

That looks the goods, well done.

As i have said, set the inner ring down the shaft until the rest is assembled, then push the ring back to the bearing, flush with end of the needle, cant go wrong!

Paul

[Tyre biter]

Thanks Paul - glad it passed muster.
Appreciate the tip as well re: aligning the sleeve an roller bearing up.
Cheers, TB

[Tyre biter]

I am having a dickens of a time getting the spring and cir-clip back onto the top of the shaft.
I've compressed the spring in a vice and tried both thin gauge wire and also thing tip ties - no luck.
Neither have the strength to keep the spring compressed enough and often fail when I have to tap the spring home on the shaft given the tolerance between the ID of the spring and the OD of the shaft is so tight.
How have others gotten the spring compressed and on the shaft to take the top washer and cir-clip?
Any tips would be greatly appreciated.
Cheers, TB

[A9X]

i use a cutoff piece of industrial electrical conduit.
i put the spring on, washer , then slip the circlip over the shaft, and push down with the conduit.

as the circlip hits its recess it pops in. Bingo.

Don't use too much force as you will pop the shear pins lower down the shaft.

[ls2lxhatch]

I did something similar but with a piece of alloy I machined to size. If you cut the tube to the right length then you can use the steering wheel nut to crush the spring.

[Tyre biter]

Thanks guys,
I considered this but thought it likely to bugger the cir-clip given the shaft OD is greater.
Thought it might twist or bend it, but clearly I need not worry - you've done it without issue.
Thanks for your advice.
Cheers, TB