Pulling My Hair Out!! Damn Steering Joint!

[Conker]

Right, just fixing a few last things getting ready for GTI Spring on Sunday and lo and behold I've ballsed something up...

I've pulled the steering column off to fit a new ignition switch, but I can't get the ba#tard column back on the universal joint. The problem is that mine is the telescopic steering column (god knows why its telescopic  ) so when I line up the column with the universal joint hole and then tap it in with a hammer, rather than going in it just shrinks the column.

Has anyone got any tips for this, as I'm totally pee'd off with it?   


(Its a 1991 16v)

[...joe]

first mistake was taking the column off! i've never had experience of this so can't offer any advice, but couldn't pass up the opportunity of some sarcastic comment

[Conker]

first mistake was taking the column off! i've never had experience of this so can't offer any advice, but couldn't pass up the opportunity of some sarcastic comment

'Spose thats allowed on your birthday!!! 

I followed a rubjonny guide: http://www.golfgtiforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=43819.0   I had to get the column off otherwise it would have been a nightmare to remove the big spline steering adapter thingy.

[Ben Lessani]

Same thing happened to me when I was putting in the new rack. IIRC I had to remove the steering wheel, and let the whole steering column slide down, then I hit the UJ from inside the engine bay (through the hole in the bulkhead), after a good few bashes, lots of swearing and a few drops of blood, it went onto the shaft, and I stuck the bolt through. Next difficult bit for me was pulling the steering column back up from inside the housing, I ended up putting the nut onto the spline section and levered it out, and held it very carefully whilst putting the steering wheel back on.

It was a nightmare, because when the column drops down, the bearing falls out of place, and the stupid spring at the bottom of the column just makes fitting the UJ near impossible. You really do need 5 hands to pull off this manoeuvre.

Hats off to the VW engineers on this one...

[Thom89]

Fiddely job this one, get an extra pair of hands to help you..
The steering column is telescopic so that the steering column collapses in the event of a hard front end shunt.. stops the steering wheel ending up in your teeth!
Tom

[bomp]

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Sorry but Iv'e been there and I spent hours on it only to find it's a simple thing to do.

Grab the end of the splined rod firmly with mole grips and pull it down a bit. Thats it.

I took my steering column completely apart again only to discover it had slid slitghtly upward again. Its in the design to have movement. Did my head in.

[cняis]

i have the same problem with the project golf. this was the answer i got 

the uj will only go on 1 way, so make sure you line up the missing spline tooth with the gap in the UJ.  Then its just a case of keep trying till it goes in!

[cняis]

Hahahahahahahahahahahaha. Sorry but Iv'e been there and I spent hours on it only to find it's a simple thing to do.

Grab the end of the splined rod firmly with mole grips and pull it down a bit. Thats it.

I took my steering column completely apart again only to discover it had slid slitghtly upward again. Its in the design to have movement. Did my head in.

do you recommend plugging all the stalks back on, re-fitting the cowling and the steering wheel before getting the UJ back on?

[Ben Lessani]

I did that all last, I got the bottom joint on, then went about pulling the column back out again (from the top), then refitted the stalks, then pulled it out some more, then fitted the shroud, then the wheel.

Best of luck, I feel your pain.

[cняis]

I did that all last, I got the bottom joint on, then went about pulling the column back out again (from the top), then refitted the stalks, then pulled it out some more, then fitted the shroud, then the wheel.

Best of luck, I feel your pain.

of course this only works if you have a small spline steering column