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Where do I begin.....If any of you have been following along here with the steering scenario it is now getting a little more specific. There have been 5 or 6 guys communicating privately with me on this, Lez, Mark, Carl, Justin, Paul, and others and the help and support has been greatly appreciated.
I think it is important to note here that every one of your cars has the exact same steering set-up inside the car under the dash, ie the rubber "dampner" coupling and the lower steering shaft with the big nut(just inside the firewall)on one side of the rubber coupling and the opposing flange on the other.
The problem in a nutshell, is "If any mechanic or inspired owner ever decides to somehow improperly adjust the lower steering shaft under the dash (big nut at the firewall) he will cause the rubber coupling to be destroyed. Also, if the wave (spring) washer is not installed correctly just before and under the self-locking nuts (4 of them) then the rubber coupling will also eventually be destroyed by pulling the nuts through the coupling.
More detail, "If any mechanic or inspired owner decides to remove his lower dash and under dash trim pieces and lay on his back, head looking up, he will see all the aforementioned pieces. In my car someone ???????? (you can get dizzy trying to figure out who) worked on the steering at some time in the past (near or far back) and improperly adjusted the lower steering shaft far too short (far away) from the Flange. Then they over-tightened the big nut (just inside the firewall under dash) so no one can ever get it undone again to re-adjust it!!!!! So, when the coupling was attached between the two mounting bolts from the lower steering shaft and then to the two opposite mounting bolts from the Flange, it had to be distorted (stretched) badly to be connected. Then if that wasn't enough they didn't use any wave (spring-locking) washers in the proper place (under the final nut) so each time the wheel was turned in normal driving the rubber coupling was drastically being pulled and eventually the nuts came through the rubber coupling and once half-way through it only takes one bolt or nut to cause a large and "destroying tear", that will destroy the rubber coupling and cause total loss of steering instantly. Yes, there are four connecting bolts, but if "One" bolt comes undone, the whole steering is lost!! It only takes one bolt to break the connection.
So, if one is installing a new rubber coupling between the flange and the lower steering shaft, he must install it with the lower steering shaft (big nut loose) adjusted close enough to the Flange so that the rubber coupling (once attached properly in place) is sitting normally with no tension in either direction (with the electric adjustible steering columns adjusted as far up and out as possible), and the final locking nuts must be positioned on top of the spring washers just before they are tightened down to 16lb Torque to keep them from being pulled through the rubber coupling.
I don't know if this is clear, but if anyone wants more info please let me know. I am sure that most of us at one time or another are going to have some problem in that area and it will be good to have this information at that time as I could not find anyone (mechanic or otherwise)who knew very much about all these particulars. It's one of those things that you really have to go through for it to be simple... otherwise it's greek.
Anyway, my problem at the moment is that someone had tightened the big nut in my car so tight that it wouldn't come loose. So I had to remove the shaft from the splined U-joint under the hood where it enters the steering column so that I could remove the entire shaft out of the car from under the dash. Then once on the bench and using a huge vice with shop rags on the jaws to keep any damage from occuring I took a huge wrench and holding one end with the vice I tried to losen the big nut! No way, in fact before my eyes I began to witness the end with the coupling mounting bolts (in the vice) begin to bend as I tried to loosen the big nut. They must have tightened it with an impact wrench on high!
So, tomorrow I will bite the bullet and go to a high tech machine shop and I will have it loosened safely regardless of the cost because I don't know if you can get a new lower steering shaft without spending a fortune at BMW and it might take two weeks to get it.
So, once I get the nut loose, I will determine the exact and proper method of adjusting the lower steering shaft in the car and exactly how to tighten it properly so that it is safe but can still be untightened without taking it from the car. (may not be possible) that may be the only way to loosen the nut, I'll let you know) and then I will button it up and again have safe steering as far as it is comprised under the dash and directly behind the steering wheel down through the firewall.
My my, ain't these cars a trip! I haven't wrenched in a long time and I am getting sore :-) !!
Later, Kurt Grayson
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