steering column help

Okay, I officially surrender and now ask for help. I have scoured this forum as well as the issca site and cant seem to find the answer to my quandry. There is a lack of caprice and roadmasters in the salvages in my area so i need to know what my options are for a steering column swap into my 94 roadmaster wagon. I can tell you that my options at the local pick a part are as follows.1994: buick lesabre, century, a couple of chevy pickups, a chevy cargo van, and a suburban or 2. There are others of course i just listed what was there from '94. There also may or may not be a blazer and s10. Dont remember for 100% on the last 2. Are any of those columns a direct fit with my wagon? Any help is graciously appreciated as always.

I have not experimented with any of the above columns. The differences will probably be in the length of the column, and the position of the mounting flange at the firewall. The Fleetwood column is about 3/4 of an inch longer, and can cause issues with the intermediate shaft not extending properly.

According to www.car-part.com the only direct swap for the ’94 Roadmaster steering column will be another ’94 Roadmaster steering column. There are other ’91-’96 B-Body columns that could be made to work, but that you are asking the question if the columns from other platforms will work leads one to believe you aren’t remotely familiar with the intricacies of the Saginaw columns.

That said, the best advice would be to locate another ’94 column complete with ignition key, either through the above website or one of the B-body forums and exchange it whole. Then take the keys from both the old and new columns to a local locksmith and have the resistances read. They will then cut a key with the appropriate pattern and resistance to permit the car to start.

-J

And JaySS, i would willingly admit that no, i dont. Steering columns are a new avenue to me. However i must also admit that im not a complete mechanical idiot. Only a partial one. With that said im off to go do my homework on saginaw columns. Once that is done will knowing what my alternatives are more or less fall into place or would this be knowledge only achieved through experience? Thank you again for your time everyone. I am humbled before you. :-)

We could also work the problem backwards... what's wrong with your column? Everything on or in it is serviceable.

I know someone who rebuilds columns here in SoCal but that doesn't help you in Tulsa. However, a lot of the little bits are interchangeable while the shafts and wiring might not be. If your tilt is all wobbly, most of those bits are interchangeable and can be tightened up if they are not broken. Do a google search and you can probably find a chart showing the pieces inside your column.

ONE WARNING! The clockspring under the steering wheel is designed to only turn as much as the steering wheel turns. If you pull the steering wheel off make sure the wheels are straight ahead and the shaft doesn't turn the clockspring anymore, that way you know where it was, any replacement clockspring should be removed from a donor vehicle the same way so that it is in the same position as the one you took off. Don't turn the clockspring by hand while it is off the vehicle to avoid problems and don't turn the steering shaft by hand if you remove the column from the car to avoid the same problems.

If you have the wheels straight ahead when removing the clockspring it will stay in that position because of a little locking lever. When you install it on the shaft again, just make sure the wheels are pointed straight ahead, and you will be fine. The lever unlocks the clockspring when it is installed on the steering column. If you do not know where the clockspring was located when removed, push the lock lever, and turn it in the direction of the arrow on the case, until it is tightened, then rotate it 2 1/2 turns the other way and release the locking lever. Center the steering and install the clockspring.

jayoldschool wrote:

We could also work the problem backwards... what's wrong with your column?  Everything on or in it is serviceable.

This. I've taken my column apart before. The tilt mechanism broke, causing the ignition lock cylinder to not be able to engage the connection that actually powered the car. It was annoying, but not terribly difficult to dissect and fix.