Steering wheel spacer?

See if Ricambi America has something from Hill Engineering

 

I have a spacer I got from Ricambi... but that was more for having the seat all the way back where my arms aren't as long as my legs.

You should know that your steering wheel does tilt. There is a bolt that goes through at the base that you can loosen to allow the wheel to move up and down about an inch or two. Loosen up the bolt... sit in the seat and set it where you want it and tighten it back up.

Then decide if you need a spacer for comfort.

 

Wait WUT! I never knew that. Going to have to play with that.

 

i just looked.. its actually two bolts on my 328. One above and one below the column shaft right at where the column hits the dash trim in slotted brackets
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Item 58 on this parts image at Ricambi

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/images/diagrams/full/328-85_036.jpg

 

On models that have nut 27 (in the figure Hal posted), that nut also has to be loosened (to allow the telescopic action) for the adjustment and then retightened (after bolts 58 have been retightened).

Get an extension spacer too!

 

Thanks for that Steve. I only needed to bump mine a little and never touched that nut. I can see that you would run out of room if you didnt allow the column shaft to move in and out. Is that nut under the dash or in front of the firewall?
I might go in this winter and just loosen and retighten the nut to be sure there isn't any preload after my adjustment. I know those steering shaft knuckles are very pricey and I don't need to create a problem.

 

Yes, that would be a good idea if you made a previous tilt adjustment without loosen/retightening nut 27. It's under the dash between the two U-joints.

 

Also be careful tilting because too much will pop your ignition plastic dash ring off. Permanently.


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This work on 308's also? It appears we have the same nuts.

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/images/diagrams/full/308GTB-GTS_035.jpg

Is the process loosen 24, then loosen 25 and 34. Move to position and then tighten 25 and 34 then 24.

 

Found these:

LTB Quick Release Kits & Spacers

Need to get horn retaining ring also: MOMO Horn Retaining Ring

 

I have to take a look at this. I am just concerned that messing with this might cause some unwanted stress in the column. ? Mainly at the wheel lock mechanism.

 

No, bolt 25 is not involved. Loosen 24, then loosen the two 34 (there are two 34 even though they only show one in the diagram -- you can see the two holes in the casting), make adjustment, tighten the two 34s, tighten 24.

 

See my website, pictures and commentary starting on the 5th row of pictures:

Ferrari 308 GTSi - Pt. 2 -      1980 Ferrari 308 GTSi - An Owner's Pictorial History

 

Yup, here's the Hill Engineering spacers, available in 25mm or 50mm: Steering Wheel Spacers: Ricambi America - Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini Parts

I put in a 25mm spacer in my 84 GTS QV and adjusted the angle of the steering wheel as described above. It made a big improvement in visibility of the gauges and reach to the steering wheel.

 

Steve and all,

On my GT4 the nut 24 was not loose and the spline slid in and out freely but with minimal clearance as needed for the universal joints to turn freely? I looked at this piece for hours and to me it looked like the nut 24 held the inner spline in the tube. I could be wrong but left it as it was. Steve has never been wrong in my experience, so i am hesitant to advise differently. I was told this was for the collapsing in a crash, however it seemed to me that it needed to be loose so that the splined shaft could move ever so slightly in and out as the connections under the dash performed their delicate dance?

Here is another pic before the nut obviously when tightened would clinch the spline. Mine had what looked to be a factory silver mark on it which aligned with the slot in the splined shaft. The connections were all factory as the castle nuts all had their original yellow paint on them and it was obvious they had not been removed. I am curious about this now, as mine has been un-tightened for 20 years???? How would you tighten it there is no other flats on the tube and mine had no evidence of scratches. Please dont say channel locks!

Rob
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Hold the steering wheel while tightening that nut, it gives plenty of leverage to counteract the wrench on the nut! (The steering wheel, of course, being bolted to the other end of that tube)

Regards,
Gordon

 

The threads on this nut are very fine, and the taper angle that it squeezes is very shallow -- it takes very little torque to tighten this joint so just the drag of the front tires on the ground is enough to resist during tightening (but no harm holding the steering wheel too as mentioned).

The upper shaft axis with the steering wheel is on its own bearings, and the lower shaft axis passing thru the floor is also essentially on it's own bearings -- turning those shafts does not change their lengths or relative positions to one another = no need for telescopic action during normal turning of those shafts. Telescopic action is only needed when those axes are moved relative to each other (i.e., during tilt adjustment).

On F models where the Driver has a quick release lever to make steering wheel tilt adjustments (e.g., TR), those have no nut and a sliding spline joint (with minimal play), but there is no nominal sliding action except during the tilt adjustment itself.

 

Steve,

I am curious. I have a few GT4 buddies and I have heard that some have quite a bit of play in the steering universal joints. Mine have almost zero play after 50K and wonder if my spline being loose for 30 years has caused less stress on the joints over time by allowing a bit more flexibility? I want to do the right thing here and still perplexed as why mine was not tightened and what the seemingly factory mark aligned with the slot means? BTW I took this apart several time while working on my steering and noticed that the splines slid in perfectly when aligned like this but any other orientation was a no go, hence I thought the mark was for the alignment in that orientation. I spent hours trying to get the wheel straight and wheels pointing forward so I took this part more than I want to admit!

Rob

Once again I appreciate all your feedback and dont mean to be
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More likely, on your buddies' cars, someone made a tilt adjustment without loosening and retightening the large nut -- which would put some weird loading on the U-joints in the use afterwards.

If you're happy, I'm happy (and the only downside to leaving the large nut loose is adding potential play between the steering wheel and the rack), but, if there was some critical adjustment procedure to always allow telescopic sliding with minimal play, I'd have guessed that F would've written it down somewhere. Mathematically, there is no need for any sliding motion (after proper adjustment)....

 

Me too. I can see my gauges without tilting my head and actually can sit in it normally

Thanks