I think I've dealt with most items on cars through the years, but never a steering column, they just worked. But in this 62 Mk2 I have two symptoms. The steering wheel can be pulled up and down in the direction of the axle, axial play I guess, a few mm. There's no radial play at the steering wheel end. But there's a significant axial play at the lower front end of the steering column, as if something is missing.

Is it just a lower bushing/bearing? Can it be installed from below, or is it necessary to remove column. What parts do I need, is there a kit for rebuilding the entire steering column? Any other advice?

 

On the S Type it is the Nylon roller wear in the top plunging CV joint.

On a Mk 2 it is a rubber joint that is probably finished & bushings ~ felt or plastic..

There are 2 steering column bushes. Mk2 they were felt. On the S Type they were plastic rings. Bushings & plastic rollers are the usual failure modes or big hunks of rubber on the lower column. The only kits available are UJ other than S Type.

Early felt bushes.




Later plastic rings





Later steering column.




Intermediate column that looks rather like yours.









https://www.jaguarforums.com/forum/m...column-236257/

 

Hard to see clear what is wrong from the picture but it is noticeable that the lower section of the steering column at the top of the picture is slightly off set which would lead me to believe that the plastic nylon bushes in the steering column have gone. I have replaced mine in the past (2014) as they deteriorate over time and the column starts to have a slight sideways movement.
The steering column comes out fairly easily. Disconnect your battery. Remove the steering wheel, switch covers and all the electrical feeds. Remove the U/J bolt as seen in your picture. Disconnect the electrical feed to the horn which is attached at the base of the column. There are three bolts that hold the lower column to the floor and then two bolts that hold the column to the underside of the dash. I think that is it.
The steering column is two parts the inner and outer and the inner rotates on two nylon bushes, one at the top and one at the bottom. I can't remember without it in front of me as to how the two come apart but I did it so it can't be hard. My bushes had broken up so came out with a shake. New bushes part number C23592/93 can be bought at SNG Barrett https://www.sngbarratt.com/English/#...4-cf978bbc4370 for £13.82.
My only tip is to make sure they are well lubricated when you reassemble or you will get a dry squeal from the steering when turning from lock to lock.

Attached is a photo of the old bush which I shook out of the column and the two new plastic bushes below.

 

I'll try not to confuse the issue, especially as I'm on slightly uncertain ground; that is I might be talking through my hat. As I understand it, there are three points at which the main part of the upper steering column (the part inside the tube) is fixed. There are two bearings that control motion perpendicular to the axis of the column. One towards the top and one at the bottom of the upper column. Originally these were felt. The original felt was some sort of archaic material, flax or horse hair or ..., that lasted well. Later types of felt used for repalcement wore much more quickly. Later cars and modern repalcements are in nylon or vinyl. I wouldn't worry about a lateral movement of say 1mm, though not everyone will agree with me. To control motion along the axis of the column, there's also a thrust bearing, which tends to be a bit of a mystery as it doesn't appear in pictures in the Mk2 spares book and isn't mentioned in the factory service manual (hence Glyn's last picture). Many people discover it only when they try to pull the column out of the tube! I think it's at the bottom of the column (inside the car close to the bulkhead) covered by a ring and a jubille clip. I've never seen it, but I'd guess it was originally in brass. SNG Barratts list a part in nylon, which I expect is the modern replacement. It's U-shaped for easier fitting.

Getting back to your problem, the obvious possibility is the thrust bearing. Personally, I'd not worry too much about 1mm of axial play. However, as Cass mentioned, the bottom of your column looks very off centre and deserves a closer inspection. Taking it apart and reassemby with some replacement parts shouldn't be difficult.

As I said at the start, this is an area where I have very little direct experience, I'm guessing on how the column should work and am very happy to be corrected.

 

Peter. You are quite correct there is a thrust washer/bearing. I have never found a P/N. Good luck. I don't think the Barratts parts are it. I'm open to correction. We turned one in brass under the floor cover with the Jubilee clip around the lower column. Mine was in a bad way. Been running with no grease forever. There is really no way to lubricate the thing. We seldom service the column.

 

My parts book lists C237621/1 and /2 under 'thrust bearimg retaining inner column in outer tube', but doesn't show it in the steering column exploded diagram. The /1 and /2 relate to different sizes, the latter 2thou thicker. SNG list an after market replacement under that part number that looks like nylon.

 

#22 In plate 70.
I found this JB Weld stuff for plastic and built mine up with that, I also got a new one as they were available at the time.

 

Quite right, Jeff. I guess by the time they got to the S type, Jaguar fully acknowledged its existence. Though by then it had transformed from brass to nylon.

I've tried yanking my car's column up and down. In spite of 150,000 miles, there's no movement in the axial direction, though I can feel a small amount in the transverse.

 

Only now shown as 1 part number & one size available, but at least we have one. My guy knocked one up in brass in no time but he is a very capable metal worker. Until Peter gave us a number nothing like that popped up at Barratts on name alone.

 

I think I'd prefer brass to nylon for this. Either make a new one or flatten the surface of the worn one and solder a layer of brass on to it.

Glyn, did you apply some lubricant to the replacement?

 

Indeed I did Peter. I used our very long life Polyurea Synthetic grease No 2. We supply this to the sealed for life Japanese bearing companies where they noise test every bearing prior to packaging. One of our Rolls Royce products with OEM approval from the likes of Danieli continuous casters where it is the only product permitted globally. I recommend jury rigging some wicking arrangement to continue feeding grease to the thrust bearing. (The Japanese demand silent greases ~ yes some greases are noisier than others ~ nothing to do with materials finish)

I used the same thing in my rear hubs. Only problem is the man in the street will have great difficulty getting it

 

Think of how long old rail-cars depended on wicking lubricant to their plain bearings.

 

Many years ago, I had a technician who'd served in the transport division in the desert in WWII. One of his (numerous) stories related to the engines in Bedford trucks. The original engines had a regular, modern lubrication system: oil pump, drilled oilways etc. It lasted a few weeks before suffering the consequences of sand in the oil. In the end, the engines were all replaced with low revving, lightly stressed GM motors that relied mainly on a very primitive splash lubrication.

 

I used a course felt washer to wick grease after the first change got used up.

 

It may sound like Victorian engineering, but it's a very neat arrangement for continuous lubrication of something that had no means of doing so in the original design - a round of applause!

 

I was able to remove the steering column complete with steering wheel in one piece to replace the two nylon bushes by removing the pinch bolt at the fork union, spreading the fork, removing the thrust washer inside the car, and pulling the column out.

I did not need to remove the turn signals switch or the shifter gate or arm.

I did mark both the fork and spline parts with a white line so they joined exactly where they were before separating them.

I did remove the upper and lower nacelles / switch covers.

There is one nylon bushing at the top near the steering wheel and one at the bottom where the column comes out thru the firewall / bulkhead.

I did not need to grease or lube much other than the outer surface of each bushing and the inside surface of the steering column tube.

 

When the shaft is out--remember to check the horn slip ring and wiring for the horn! Hint.

 

Lack of lubrication is why these things fail or develop play.

 

Mine squeals every now and then from lock to lock so I pull the steering wheel off and spray some silicone grease from an aerosol can down the tube. Just need to do it every year with the service and the squeal goes away.

​​​​​​​

 

Not good for brass but fine for plastic bushings.