Steering wheel/telescoping question

[93mkviii]

I know about the all too common telescoping issue Mark VIII tend to have but I just bought a 98 Mark VIII and the steering wheel doesn't move and it's tilted. I'm just curious to whether this can be a mount issue? I just thought i'd get opinions here before taking it to the shop. I know it not moving would mean bad motor but it being bent to the left(if facing the gauges while sitting in the seat) is what i'm really concerned about. Thanks for any help guys. I'll try to get better pictures but you can tell there is no space on the left side. I drove it and it turns/drives just fine.

 

[dbleb88]

steering column

Chances are the bearing cages are broken, very common. I sell rebuilt columns for $125 shipped with a credit for your old one. Easy to change. Thanx Bruce

 

[Marcus]

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. The way it's offset like that is an indication that the nylon "bearing cages" are broken. Usually when that happens, the column is loose and jiggles around as you drive, so I'm surprised you didn't notice that. Does the telescope function work? If so, does it make loud cracking noises when you move it?

If it were me, I'd take Bruce up on his offer. Rebuilding the column isn't too difficult, but it can be somewhat complicated if you don't have the tools or know what to do. And it only takes a few minutes to swap out the column once you have a steering wheel puller.