Trying to get the lower steering column bush back in the tube

[Ian Maxwell-Muller]

I've replaced the upper steering column on my GT6 MKIII, and am trying to get it back in the tube. I have to put the lower bush on the column before I insert it because the steering lock is too big.

I've tried lubricating the bush with washing up liquid but the lugs just won't slide into the tube. Putting the end of the bush against the vice jaws and pushing the tube isn't working.

Ideas gratefully received.

[Josef]

Can you do a trick like compressing piston rings? Get a bit of tube the same diameter as the column and cut it down one side. Put the bush in (probably with some lubricant) and use a jubilee clip to close up the pipe. Hold that on the column and drift the bush through the compressor and into the steering column. Just an idea, I’ve never tried this!

[Ian Maxwell-Muller]

Thanks Chris and Josef.

The main issue is that the bush is already on the upper column because the steering lock bulge won't go through the bush. I think I'll try a combination of both ideas using a jubilee clip and judicious chamfering.

[Colin Lindsay]

Slight chamfering works, so does plenty of lubrication but compressing the lugs in a vice also works - get the bush into a vice so that the lower half of the lugs are gripped, or less if you can get away with it - gently close the vice (don't squash the bush out of shape!!) and this should also compress the top half of the lug so that it will fit into the tube with gentle pressure. Slide the tube down as far as the vice will allow, remove, and press the rest of the bush in. Be careful as the tube is only thin alloy but if you do press it out of shape, a suitably-sized socket pushed in will bring it back to round again.

[Mjit]

16 hours ago, Josef said:

Can you do a trick like compressing piston rings? Get a bit of tube the same diameter as the column and cut it down one side. Put the bush in (probably with some lubricant) and use a jubilee clip to close up the pipe. Hold that on the column and drift the bush through the compressor and into the steering column. Just an idea, I’ve never tried this!

Similar to that I think I ended up using jubilee clips (and lube) to squash the leading edge of the buttons to get them going inside the tube.

Oh, try your best to get the buttons lined up with the holes as the bush goes in as it will be a bugger to try and rotate once it's inside!

[johny]

Makes you wonder if the buttons are necessary - is the bush really going to turn in the tube without them?

[Colin Lindsay]

One problem I've found recently is that the steering column can push the inner plastic bit clean out of the new bush as it passes through. This happened twice, recently - first time I dropped the inner column down inside the tube and the force of the downward movement just pushed the inner centre part of the bush out; second time with another column it was a bit stiff, so I used gentle force and the white bush inner just came out, wrapped round the column. I tried to use it without but the column moved about amazingly, so had to fit replacement bushes. A bit of grease on the column before fitting, helps.

[johny]

always though the rubber was bonded to the sleeve or maybe that was only the originals☹️