Help with pressing in the column bearings

[BenGTR]

Hi there,

my attempts to press the column bearings into the two brackets failed so far. I used a G clamp and tried washing up liquid and machine oil - as the build manual suggests. After half of the job is done, the rubber buttons won't go into the hole! Removing the powder coating of the bracket didn't help too.

Any suggestions?

[spatz]

I agree had really trouble to get mine in as well, definetely a change there !
Brutal force is all that will help take rubber hammer !

[BenGTR]

My main problem is to get the two rubber buttons inside, they prefer to stay outside until they break off

[GTRMikie]

I can't remember what the bush looks like, but is it possible to use a jubilee clip to do the job, similar to how a piston ring compressor works?

[BenGTR]

I'll give that a try

[Storer]

Once it's in it is very unlikely to move. Just remember to polish the column shaft where it sits in the bush and add some grease before assembly.


Paul

[mark999]

hi just thought i would give my input did mine two month ago yes they where hard if you place a socket under your G-clamp it tends to press it in better you could try this.

[Kit2Kar]

Try putting the bearing/bush in the freezer first then try pressing in. It may work !

[Storer]

Kit2Kar said:

Try putting the bearing/bush in the freezer first then try pressing in. It may work !

Beware of this. You may well make the nylon/plastic brittle and it will explode when you try to press it in.



Paul

[738 driver]

........ if you correct the bearing housing misalignment before installation of the bushes, no shaft polishing nonsense is needed..... and maybe your bushes will exhibit less wear/lift for longer too ..

G luck.

[02PRUV]

Quick Grips work a treat. You need the the extra leverage over the g-clamps.

[BenGTR]

@738 driver:

How would you do that without welding the chassis?

[738 driver]

...... by using a bar/tube as an alignment tool and slight twisting of the top mounting bracket with some decent grips.. Its only a slight misalignment and likely occured during chassis production but when corrected gives silky smooth column operation without the removal of material/polishing process some builders have carried out.
Im sure if you build without correcting alignment and polish a running clearance you will soon have worn column bushes and excess lift (MOT issue).. The correction takes less than 5 minutes.

G luck

[AlexCim]

I struggled too. I covered the st out of mine in washing liquid and also chamfered the front edge a little too (http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xQg1IsrJ818/TYxr_nAMBvI/AAAAAAAAC30/H3mZT-UCM4g/s1600/ch-1.gif)

I didn't think doing this would be an issue as the back edge would also be full size and I really didn't see it moving around much when the washing liquid dried up and the rubber was touching powdercoating.

[BenGTR]

Thanks for your help, I got them now in. Quite stressful - for me and the bearings.

Until now this was the most difficult part of the build!

[spatz]

ok more to come !