Play in steering wheel on 64 Cad

[Rob Shatsnider]

How much play, moving the wheel left to right, should there be in the steering wheel of a 64 Cad with a tilt wheel.  I am trying to determine if I need to replace the powersteering gear box.  Is there an adjustment on the gear box that will remove too much play?

[Jason Edge]

Have you checked the steering gear to steering column coupler (rag joint)? If the masticate rubber is torn or badly stretched you will get a lot of play in the steering wheel. From there check all steering components including the tie rods, tie strut bushings, etc. I had a driver with worn tie strut bushings and that actually introduced quite a bit of looseness in steering. If you end up needing a rag joint, I have plenty of the non-tilt type for $40 + s/h. There are rag joint repair kits out there available thru most auto parts stores but they look pretty cheap if you ask me, and do not have the nice grounding wire. A nice used one should look like this:

[Jason Edge]

Here's a video I finally found and loaded to our YouTube channel from 7 years ago that takes a look at a used but nice condition rag joint: https://youtu.be/SZX4B8GKmoE

I will also post here on our Video Page.

[Rob Shatsnider]

You said you have the "non-tilt type", does that mean there is another type for a tilt wheel?  I have a tilt wheel.  I had the front end rebuilt, including springs, about two years ago, but I will check the tie rod end just the same.  Does Cadillac have a limit on the amount of play in the steering wheel?

Thanks

[Jason Edge]

The steering column in tilt column equipped cars has a smaller diameter than non-tilt equipped cars, so the upper half of the "coupler" for tilt column cars is different.  My car with all new suspension components (well.. not new now but with < 3K miles), and a VG used rag joint, has no perceivable play.

[Jason Edge]

That is.... the core lower shaft in tilt columns is smaller diameter than non-tilt.  Ironically, the column "Jacket" has a wide diameter on tilt columns than non-tilt...which is why all the mounting brackets and hardware is different requiring over a dozen "attaching" pieces of hardware if you go from non-tilt to tilt as I did in my 64 Coupe de Ville.
See picture below for lower shaft and jacket references:

[259hmccgp0k5b]

First look at the rag joint. Have someone turn the wheel back and forth well looking at the rag joint. My 62 look like new and compleat! But when the wheel was turned it was sloppy and needed replacement. NAPA sell a kit for it. Now the box will tighten up some slop by backing off the locking nut and turn screw clockwise. Do 1/2 turn at a time. Just enough to to stop the slop.