Steering column bushing or bearing at firewall?

[LeolaPA]

I have had a noise in our 95 Subaru Legacy for a year, and yesterday I found out where it was coming from. I was under the car on the steering column shaft, there is a disk on the shaft where it goes through the firewall or the body into the passenger compartment. If I grab the shaft, that disk will bump against the body sheetmetal because it doesn't fit tightly. There is evidence that someone swapped this steering into this car. I wonder if they left something out, or didn't mount something that is supposed to be there.

 

Is anyone familiar with the steering column and knows the parts that are supposed to be there?

 

Oh, the turn signal on this car does not have the rear wiper switch on it, so we think maybe it came out of a sedan to go into our wagon. Don't know if that makes any difference....

[lmdew]

There should be a rubber donut there. Hit any junk yard and pull the steering column and you can pull it out.

[LeolaPA]

This may be a dumb question, but if there is a rubber donut there, does it go in from the inside of the car? Do I have to pull this steering column to put in where it belongs, or does it go from the outside in, and I can just disconnect the column from the U joint?

[TheLoyale]

Yes about the rubber dounut, it pushes in from the outside of the firewall. And yes, you can disconnect the steering shaft from the U-joint under the brake booster (12mm bolt) then just pull on the column. Remember, there are also 3 10 or 12mm bolts holding the column to the dash (And electrical plugs)

 

Be careful putting the column back in through the hole, the dounut likes to push out and becomes a hassel.

Edited January 30, 2012 by TheLoyale

[LeolaPA]

Thanks for the info. Bad news that it goes in from the inside of the car. I'll have to get some mirrors and try to look in there the next time i have it jacked up. Kind of a pain to think about spending that time doing that repair!