Shoddy Steering Column Restoration - I Was Burned!

Caveat Emptor!

Those words could never be more true. At least in this case. Last year, I purchased a restored floor shift steering column for my project Nova from a vendor other folks on this board use. As many of you know, the car is a very low original mile piece (9300 or so miles) I’m using for the basis of a Day 2 car. Once the column arrived, I shot a few photos of it for a magazine article (sourcing the outfit that supplied the column) and put it back in the box it came in. Last week, I took it out to detail it.

When I looked at the column, it seemed to me that the rag joint flange was quite a bit closer to the lower bearing than in my original column shift column. Sure it enough it was. Then I started to take a far closer look at the column. Here’s what I found when I took it apart:

This is a look the two shafts side by side (my original column shaft at the top and the “new” floor shift job on the bottom):

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column1.jpg

Close up you can see the “new” shaft is definitely shorter. How much? Just under 5/16-inch. There’s no way the rag joint can “stretch” that far.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column2.jpg

Here’s a look at how they “fixed” the collapsed shaft. It was ground down and peened so that it more or less worked. Nice. Too bad they didn’t know how to use a tape measure …L-O-L.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column4.jpg

On the flange end, they didn’t bother to clean the corrosion before the shaft was rattle can “restored”.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column12.jpg

When I took the “new” column apart, the lower bearing was dry. Before I reassembled it, I lubed it with the grease GM recommends. It’s nothing trick: White Lithium Soap Grease.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column6.jpg

Upstairs, I discovered the shift tube (interlock tube) had been greased with what looked like tractor grease. Not only that, it was full of grit. So I cleaned it up and re-lubed with the correct grease.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column8.jpg

I had to dig out 40+ years of dry white lithium grease and tractor grease and grit out of the shift (interlock) shroud. I re-greased it.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column9.jpg

Here’s a look at the inside of the signal lamp/switch housing. You can see just how “restored” it really is.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column7.jpg

This is what the signal lamp/switch housing looks like on the other side. As you can see, there’s nothing restored to it at all. I suspect they pulled the shaft, tried to fix the collapsed segment, buttoned it up and rattle canned the whole works.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column11.jpg

Here’s the thrust cup out of the “restored” column. Like much of the new restored column, it wasn’t touched. The black grease is full of grit.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column10.jpg

And the final touch of quality is this: The signal lamp/switch housing is dented. Nice.

http://i942.photobucket.com/albums/ad262/cscraba/Resize%20Album/column5.jpg

At the moment, I’m waiting to see what becomes of this. I contacted the outfit I bought it from and we’ll see if they pony up and fix the problem (I’ll keep you posted). I’m hoping they’ll stand behind their product, and hopefully no one else will get stung by this kind of shoddy workmanship.

Any thoughts? I’d appreciate your comments.

Wayne

[njsteve]

Once compressed in an impact, those sleeved shafts are not designed to be reused...ever. When originally built, there is a liquified plastic that is injected in order to fix the outer sleeve onto the shaft and once the plastic pins are broken in an impact, the shaft is not safe to be used again.

The plastic was designed to slow the collapse of the column when your body hits the steering wheel in a crash. If it is no longer connected as originally designed and you get into a front end crash, the column will instantly collapse and provide no reduction in your chest's impact speed. Think of jumping on a pogo stick with no spring in it.

It's about as safe, and about as legal as repacking a used airbag into your steering wheel on a modern car. Once deployed, it aint gonna work in a second crash.

You may want to bring up the above fact to the seller. If I recall correctly it is illegal to sell "counterfeit" crash safety items.

My point exactly. Thanks Steve!

WS

And Steve...

I wasn't aware of the legality of selling something like this. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif I really do appreciate your insight. Thank you.

Wayne

[Xplantdad]

Wayne...that just sucks. Hopefully they step up to the plate and make it right <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/dunno.gif

[Fast67VelleN2O]

Was anything new on it other than the lower bearing?

Hi Guys..

I agree...it does suck...L-O-L. After examining this mess, I didn't think I could trust their mechanical capabilities, so on my end, I robbed all of the good stuff from my original column shift column and using bits of the floor shift column, made one assembly. Over the years with drag cars, I've had more than a few GM tilt columns apart and reassembled (I'd remove the air bag, and disable the steering lock, amongst other things)....those tilt columns are a nightmare compared to these <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/crazy.gif So....I just plugged away in my spare time over the weekend and now have a pretty good floor shift column. It just needs some paint touch up (the rattle can paint job from the restorer wasn't exactly close to right either) -- I had to paint the interlock housing and the switch housing so they'd match, and of course, I chipped it during the reassembly.

As far as what was new inside from the restoration shop, the bearing was new. The bearing retainer clip (on the rag joint end) was new <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/laugh.gif . And the turn signal switch was new, although it looks like some sort of generic copy. It had different numbers of wires in the bundle, different color codes but ultimately, the same number of terminals used. I just put my old one back in. Aside from that, the rattle can paint was new ....L-O-L.

I figure I can ship 'em back the rest of their worn out junk, although in the interest of saving the next guy, maybe I won't. One way or the other, I expect it'll be interesting.

Wayne

Small update. I spoke with the outfit that actually built the column (actually, I called them this AM -- Mondays are appropriate). They want a link to this discussion, so I gave it to them. I also passed it on to the guy who sold the column to me. You see, I bought it from one known vendor who had it drop shipped from the restoration house. I should point out I have the original box the column came in. On that box was the shippers full name and address typed right on the UPS label. Sure enough, it is the same as the outfit who supposedly built it since I have a rather comprehensive paper trail -- the direct shipping info, several copies of invoices from the selling dealer, UPS docs, Canada Customs docs and so on. As you might have guessed, this paperwork is necessary in order for the part to cross the border. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/cool.gif

Now the builder suggests it probably isn't one of his columns. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/laugh.gif that means he didn't ship it directly to me? And that means he didn't sign off <span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="text-decoration: underline">all</span></span> of the documentation necessary for Canada Customs either? L-O-L.

And one more thing: He stated he doesn't use lithium soap grease inside a column. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif. I have plenty of GM Service Info that states otherwise. And I suspect if they had actually taken the time to clean the column internals, they'd have found a 42 year old collection of dried white lithium grease <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/hmmm.gif I guess dirty farm implement grease is better.. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/grin.gif

The intrigue is building. L-O-L.

Wayne

[njsteve]

Oh, I think that Customs violation combined with the international sale of counterfeited safety equipment is starting to look much scarier to them at this point.

[kwhizz]

Wayne.....Stay &quot;Firm&quot; and Fair......Hopefully it will work out.........

Ken

Thanks for the advice Ken. I really don't want much out of it. It would have been nice to have a salable column (my old column shift job) to sell, and of course, I can't tell you how much I like working on columns...L-O-L. But I think what I'd like most is for the people involved to act like men and own up to the fact they have a wee problem with quality (or perhaps never had any to begin with). I'd also like them to fully appreciate the fact they are, in the end, playing with people's lives with junk like this. That might ultimately save someone some agony or injury down the road.

It is kind of interesting though because I suspect they're now dragging their feet, waiting for an attorney or six to look this over. I thought of that for a bit, then called the NHTSA. The nice man there was all ears. His suggestion was that in addition, I should contact the folks at the Federal Trade Commission in America and share my findings. He also thought Transport Canada (our version of the DOT) would find it rather interesting too. As I now understand it, and as Steve (above) has made mention of, these folks certainly don't take tampering with safety equipment lightly.

When I spoke with the outfit that built the column this AM, I told him I was inclined to link this posting to other Nova, Camaro, Chevelle, GTO, Firebird sites. I haven't done that yet, nor have I made a formal complaint to the NHSTA, the FTC and TC although I suspect Karma might have the ultimate say <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif

Anyway, I'll keep everyone informed, one way or the other.

Wayne

BTW: Ken, you have a PM on the way.

[njsteve]

If they were smart (the lawyers, I mean) they would have immediately advised the guy to send someone to your shop to collect the evidence...er parts, and handed you a full cash refund plus a hefty &quot;inconvenience fee&quot; for your troubles. <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/naughty.gif

This should get interesting real fast.

[Charley Lillard]

It sounds like the columns you see at swap meets that are spray painted to look new but not much else. Guy doing it in his garage to columns he gets from wrecking yards. Some of these guys probably supply the larger vendors. The large vendor will probably make it right but the guy in his garage that is actually doing them probably spent his money on making the rent.

Good news for me at least: The folks I bought the column from are standing behind it and they're providing me with a full refund. And from now on (for me, this is the most important part), they're going to carefully inspect every column they get from the builder. As you can well imagine, the guy I bought if from isn't very happy about it either. He has a business to run and obviously can't afford to have crap like this.

Wayne <<GRAEMLIN_URL>>/smile.gif