Help. GM column

I have a mid 70's tilt column floor shift in my ride that needs new bearings. Stopped at the classic car auto parts store and a hot rod shop and both said I am not going to find new bearings.
Mine is junk and I must replace bearing or find another column. Any help or suggestions on finding them?

 

I'm thinking I'd check an industrial bearing supply place. If it's just a plain vanilla roller or ball bearing, you would only need to match up the inside and outside diameters. I'd be greatly surprised if the same bearing is not used in some industrial application on some sort of machinery. Most hardware stores also carry an assortment of common size bearings.

 

Take the bearings out,go to N.A.P.A. and match them up to new bearings.

 

I call BS I found some from LMC for my 70 chevy truck column. I bet someone has them.

 

Are you talking about the 2 bearings in the tilt housing? If so, they likely aren't serviced seperately any longer by GM, but they also used to be included as part of a "bearing kit" that also had the rack and sector gear for the ignition lock cylinder and a few other bits.

It was GM #7844651 but I'm not at work now and don't know if it's still serviced or not. Any GM dealer should be able to tell you if it's still available and check that it's correct for your application.

Also, NAPA or someone else may be able to cross the GM number.

 

First bearing in. The one mounted below the spring and C clip. The one at the bottom of the column is very dry and the one at the top is in pieces.

34Toddster, if you are calling BS tell me where to get it from. The parts store I went to had 30's brake shoes hanging on the wall, a 67 GTO NOS fan sitting on the shelf and at least 30 parts catalogs dating back to beyond my youth.
They could have missed it but they usually find all the hard to find parts.

I will try the bearing place that our company deals with tomorrow and see if I can get a retro fit bearing.

 

kinda funny what the guys who apparently never took apart a GM tilt column suggest...

Is it this style? or does it have the threaded shaft? They can come apart when you release the lock plate. I have a bunch of the balls too, they're laying in the bottom of my box of GM tilt column parts. You kinda need to look everything over and see if the parts are missing or damaged, or just disassembled.

 

A good solution would be to get the better looking stock column

 

That looks like the one Squirrel.
I don't have a box of bearings thou.

I did go threw all the other parts and everything is nice. The star screws were loose when I got the column so I thing they drove it that way for awhile.

The Mid 80's boxy columns were not cheap enough when I started this build.

 

If you need any of the parts I have for the column, send me a PM and I'll mail them to you.

 

I used to buy them from GM.

 

GM #7844651 shows possibly in stock at BERGER CHEVROLET, INC. and TODD WENZEL BUICK PONTIAC GMC in your neck of the woods. Berger also shows having GM #7844650 which might also include the bearings you need, or #26001827 which might be just the bearing. At least this way you could look at the actual parts instead of ordering blindly.

Happy hunting!

 

....Not trying to hijack this thread, but just wanted to say, Squirrel, you are what the HAMB is all about......Don

 

Squirrel, these are pictures of what I have.
Missing 4 ball bearings from the outer bearing not sure what else.
I usually only take the columns down to tighten up the three star bolt and reassemble.








And thanks for the offer, I may take you up on it.

 

Thanks ClayMart, I will try and swing by Berger tomorrow with the column and see what they have.

 

I am sorry I can't tell you where I saw it but I do remember seeing those in one of the catalogs I have had in the past.May have been one of the Camaro catalogs.Hopefully the lead from ClayMart pans out but if not, try one of the GM repro parts dealers, maybe Camaro or Vette or truck supplier.

 

If you pm me your address, I can put the bearing parts in my picture, and enough of the balls to fill up all the holes in the cage, in an envelope and mail them to you.

Or you could just evenly space the missing ball holes around the bearing and put it all back together. You just add some grease to the cage, and put the balls in. Be sure to look carefully in the lower part of the column for the missing ones first?

 

Try these businesses for parts, I had these bookmarked when I needed bearings for my local GM column, www.columnsgalore.com, www.steeringcolumnservices.com, www.rrsteeringcolumns.com

 

Sent ya a PM, I have a bunch of that stuff.....

 

Upper bearing part # is 5693941 for 69-75 gm.part is discount from gm.but just ran it on gm locator...kmb warehouse in new york is showing 2 in stock....tel # is 718-892-1186. Hope the helps....got all the parts catalogs back to late 30s..

 

I have one of those out and I'd bet the lower one is identical to every other one of those columns they made. The upper one is probably tilt only, but the balls inside may be shared with the regular one. The columns change some in '78.

Now the floor shift tilt is not cheap - I've seen the Camaro one go for as much as $300 - but the standard column is still dirt common.

 

Squirrel, thanks again for the offer to help. You have been a great help to me in the past just by your post in other topics.
I have taken Igosplut up on the extra parts since he had extra parts from the columns he repaired.

And thanks for the part number from the GM guys and letting me know who has them in stock.

I am sure this thread will help others out also. Since most of us have more then one old car we work on and there not all HAMB friendly.

If all this help does not get the job done I will dig this thread back up.
Thanks, Dave

 

hello i have a 1963 pontiac catalina with tilt function and tried to fix bearings but i can not take it apart i dont vant to brake anything is there a special tool?
ken sweden

 

How far apart are you taking it?

 

hello i can take it apart today and send pictures is there any bolts from underside? could not get this bottom of.
1963 pontiac catalina no colum shift and tilt.
ken sweden

 

here is photo, someone before me had bondoed lower part of collum thas why i did not get this part of .
top bearing is off but i think is next bearing.side (plugs)is out but here is where i dont have a clue.
ken

 

the top bearing is not balls it is (rolls)rullar on sweden language.
ken

 

Looks similar to mine but not. Do you have a bearing below that you are trying to get out? The GM columns I am familiar with only have the tilt ball below that point.

Wish I could help more Ken but I am not familiar with these columns.

 

ok i looked in shop manual i try follow instruktions and hope for the best,
i remembered that i did buy this book tis summer. if i need bearings is there a list nr you have avaible.
thanks
ken

 

I do not, but hopefully one of the GM parts guys will chime in again with the part numbers you are looking for.