Upgraded lower steering column bearing kit for G-body - questions

shoedoos said:

69hurstolds, you're right, in hindsight it would be just as easy to order this $18.85 set from ebay...

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-5...0001&campid=5335822911&icep_item=380919719937

As I investigated the bearing/carrier etc, I figured why do I need the steel retainer/wire clip when there is a perfectly good one on my column already? If anybody finds the bearing at a reasonable price feel free to post your info for others to see in the future.

And fleming442, yes, it is an optical illusion, also distorted by the fact I laid my new firewall gasket over the top of that linkage pocket...

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But with shipping you're still looking at around 22 bucks each to the door.
I totally plan on re-using the existing steel housing and clip. I got the bearings from JC Whitney from ebay. Also got the plastic retainers from somewhere on ebay. It was like 9 bucks for 2 of those shipped. The bearings were free shipping but they tagged me a couple of bucks for taxes. They were 18.88 each for the bearings. Something like that. So I didn't get the kits. The Omix-ADA part number for the entire kit I found by accident later. It was under p/n 18019.03

Interesting. In all my years working on G bodies this is the first time to come across this issue. I wonder how widespread and common this potential problem is....Now I have to check my cars.

IMO, the bearing upgrade would be worth it because the original "bearing" is nothing more than what appears to be lip seals or a ridge like deal IIRC. I reused the one in the 84 H/O when I went through that car, because I only had to re-tighten the lock plate bolts but otherwise everything was in pretty good shape. But I took it apart to clean and re-grease everything.

shoedoos said:

Good to see Gbodyforum gets an honorable mention.....

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I talk up this forum in quite a few videos. I love this place! The collective knowledge about these cars goes deeeeeep on here.

Hutch

With the music, how could you not go deeeeeep?

shoedoos said:

Good to see Gbodyforum gets an honorable mention.....

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Thanks Hutch! Thanks shoedoos! I have the part# saved, and will install this while the column is out.

JAMCAR223 said:

Thanks Hutch! Thanks shoedoos! I have the part# saved, and will install this while the column is out.

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Y'all got me thinking about it too lol. I'm not pulling my column though. Curious the difficulty of doing the swap with column in car.