Help needed asap. OK, I had the jerking steering back and forth in early spring. I installed a Borgeson shaft on my 1990 3/4 ton 4x4. Did not help.I had several guise try to figure it out. I finally called a longtime friend that is a great mechanic. He suggested the axle ujoints. Installed new and all was good. At the same time I noticed the spring above the rag joint was sliding down the shaft and not holding the steering shaft in place very tight. I slid the keeper back up the shaft and put a hose clamp on it to hold it in place. So today I was backing out of a parking space turning left as I went forward and started to turn right the steering wheel jumped and popped and locked up. I managed to get it to turn. Turning onto my street not far from where it happened it did it again, much worse would not turn right. After backing, and messing with it I managed to get home just down the street. I looked at and saw that the spring had slid down the shaft and was allowing that centering thing to come out. I tapped it back up, tightened the clamp and figured all was good. Not so, it is still locking up but if I force it it will pop and then turn. See pic, it is driving me crazy and I've searched and searched but can not seem to find any info. All help would be great.

Thanks, all, Phil

 

your going to have to tear the cloumn apart, some rebuild parts/bearings are available at local auto parts stores, ill look at my manual for necessary itenarary, is this tilt or standard column?

 

Does the HORN still work when you push the steering-wheel button ??

I have read of similar symptoms when the "clock-spring" just under the steering-wheel goes bad.

So far as I understand, all you lose by removing and dis-carding the offending spring is the HORN and cruise-control .

If that is indeed your problem, a plain old generic horn-button can be installed anywhere and you will be better off without the cruise.

 

Well, got it figured out. When the centering device poped out the u-joint cought the edge of the inner finder and pulled it in just enough so when I turned right it would catch on the edge. Thanks all for the quick responces.

Phil