How to fix steering wheel play

[@d4a]

Here's the adhesive you are going to need to perform this fix: amzn.to/2qo3gw7

[@diesistkeinname795]

Since many other MR2 drivers are watching this: In case of the MK3 the lower universal joint of the steering column is usualy at fault. It sits unprotected down there at the steering rack, exposed to the elements. If you own a MK3 and you have excessive play or friction in your steering, it is corroded and you will need to replace it. If it hasn't gone bad, grease it to prevent corrosion and keep it going for years to come.

[@jalins6]

That was an outstanding explanation. I am a mechanic with nearly 30 years experience and I actually learned something today. More importantly though it was explained in a concise and easy to understand way so that anyone could do it, experienced mechanic or not.

[@jerrygraves6531]

It's actually cool that you're still willing to learn

[@jalins6]

Oh by the way, this worked perfectly on my 1987 Celica GT-S. I know you used your MR-2 as an example, but it’s exactly the same on my Celica. I don’t know if you already knew that.

[@RonVanDam33]

Alright so, Someone tried to steal my truck and damaged the ignition. My dad says it the steering column that’s damaged. Is it fixable?

[@jalins6]

@@RonVanDam33 The older the truck is, the more likely it is easily fixable. The newer the truck is the harder it would be to fix it, but not impossible. If it's truly the steering column, it will be labor intensive and will likely also require a wheel alignment, but it can be done.

[@GlycerinZ]

agreed, I've found many people to think they know everything. Learning is a lifelong process.@@jerrygraves6531

[@GoddamnHikari]

I hadn't even realized I had this issue on my aw11. It has completely revolutionized how my steering feels. thank you D4A. You're a legend.

[@RA-uj3nm]

Just did this a couple days ago in my 87. Awesome results!!! No longer scarey to drive on the freeway. Thanks for the tutorial.

[@vanboschmichael]

Hey, just curious to know how the windshield adhesive has held up a year later?

[@tomasrodrigo3807]

@@vanboschmichael seems like it failed and OP crashed.

[@siyabongankosi3150]

😂😂😂😂

[@RA-uj3nm]

3 years later, I run into this again......😆. It's still working perfectly. 👍👍

[@catslife5501]

Hi, I know this is quite an old video but it is a great help for me. I have a 30 year old Ford Bantam in South Africa and will be doing this repair. Thanks you so much.

[@dantelee224]

Very informative. Thanks for taking your time and actually breaking down the why

[@MattJonesYT]

Window weld is also great for stiffening up motor mounts to prevent torque steer.

[@JeffReeves]

This is exactly what I need to fix my steering wheel play once and for all. I think I'll tackle this project sometime this Winter.

[@d4a]

+Jeff Reeves Good luck :) Hope the video is useful. It's an easy job really.

[@pce0513]

Thanks! I have an sw20 with minor steering wheel play but a rebuilt rack so I'll be sure to check this out next, cheers.

[@bglove4882]

Really good instructions. Easy to follow his explanations. Thanks friend.

[@Mango_McPoo]

Us 60 series Landcruiser owners: "You call THAT play?!!"

[@d4a]

🤣🤣🤣😂

[@HiFiInsider]

is there rubber in a 95 Civic? I could not tell from the service manual.

[@rezaazad4978]

Thanks for details. Question: How do I take the piece off the bottom side of shaft?

[@NathanClevenger1337]

This isn't what my issue is, but this solution to THAT problem is pretty good! Way better than welding it as you've described why not to.

[@bobbondarul7448]

Nice. This is my next problem to solve on a caddy 2012. Last night the steering wheel started to move by itself for a couple a seconds Thank you

[@DaveMaharaj]

Thanks, very informative and well explained.

[@klobe9]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video, you make it look very easy. Just a couple comments/questions, during the video you made some vague comments I was hoping to have a little clarity on: first how do you know you've applied an appropriate amount to the upper piece? Secondly what is the dry-time for this adhesive when its sealed like you had it? Thanks for your time!

[@d4a]

I applied a bit more than needed and then wiped off the excess, that way I knew the cavity was completely filled. The two parts become bonded in just a few hours, but the curing time is 24hrs and I wouldn't touch it before that, maybe even leave it for 48 to be extra safe, since this is a moving part, unlike a windshield, and this product being a windshield adhesive a steering column isn't really its intended field of application :) , but works great nevertheless.

[@klobe9]

driving 4 answers so just literally fill in any empty space, in your example that included the middle where metal on metal contact had worn it down a bit? And let sit for 48 hours to be safe.

[@d4a]

Yes, but before that I wire wheeled all the old rubber until I had bare metal on both parts.

[@guywithatippmann]

@@d4a I know it's been years but did you have to do any serious cleaning to the bore of the top part or does the rubber all come off with the lower part? Is just prepping the bore with a solvent or cleaner sufficient?

[@SWAGCOWVIDEO]

I recently rebuilt the front suspension in my Fiero, and now it has this same problem. I never thought to look passed the steering rack though.

[@JackMeyHoffer562]

Wow, never thought of checking this. I thought I had bad rack and pinion bushings, I'll check this first. Thank you!

[@John-zz5gt]

Excellent Tip. Thank you sir

[@kenselleck2414]

Excellent video as usual!

[@jhuntosgarage]

Excellent topic. Thanks for sharing!

[@morrisl7]

5:00 make sure u clean the inner tube you insert the shaft (5:53) into if u want a tight bond with the adhesive.....

[@stylze5767]

Meanwhile i can turn my steering wheel from 11 oclock to 2 oclock of play

[@jayyagami3522]

Me too 😕 hoping it will be fixed tomorrow and not cost arm and a leg. The mechanic apparently didn't notice any problem with it lol. Gave the car a road worthy certification. To me, it does not feel roadworthy to be able to turn my steering wheel around and nothing happen to the wheels til like 20cms of turn

[@4netta]

I noticed something is wrong when I parked my car with a steering wheel turned by 60 degrees and the wheels were straight...

[@syklystevens2581]

@@4netta 🤭🤭🤭 Imagine that....

[@yannb1622]

Well found ! I really like your videos, very instructive

[@rudi3mz]

Thank you for the good ideas

[@humanmale4610]

Good video...easy to understand....thx.

[@fd9431]

Video is good to go. Thank you for posting.

[@ImTheWeapMaster]

Very useful video! I've read about it but didn't know it was this easy...

[@d4a]

Koen Beckers It really is a half hour job and makes a big difference.

[@DiegoRodriguezAW11]

brilliant as always mate, thx!!

[@neil_digital]

Thanks for the video

[@halleplayz775]

Super intuitive thanks

[@jeremiahhale5001]

Hey that’s not a stock steering wheel. I’ve used both on my 88 mr2 I actually like the stock wheel better then the after market ones. Nice video 👍

[@d4a]

+Jeremiah Hale Yup, definitely not stock. The car didn't come with a stock steering wheel, but I might get one someday, although they seem to get more expensive everyday:). Glad you like the video. Thanks for watching.

[@pawpawbandit3871]

great lesson!

[@abdalqadr1]

Smart man thanks from Iraq for you

[@samkara1271]

Great video.. thanks for sharing..

[@nicolasbusse]

Great video, loved the english used (can't place the accent tho). Thanks for the explanation

[@RockyNerd]

Greatly appreciate your time and information!

[@al8161]

Very interesting Do you think this would work as a way of stiffening the silentblocks instead of going to the polyurethane ones I mean in using normal motor mounts and filling them with the windshield adhesive Or is it too soft?

[@d4a]

+Alberto Laita We were thinking the same thing! I actually filled out a motor mount with this thing as an experiment and let it dry. Looks like a great solution to me. Noticeably stiffer than stock but more flexible than polyurethane. Will have to wait until I actually drive the car with the mount installed.

[@azza-in_this_day_and_age]

@@d4a how did it hold up 5 years later @driving 4 answers ?

[@carlosjaureguijr5635]

Yo bra, it is a very good jnstructional video! I commend you. Thanks

[@static_Tricolor_camry]

There's a lot of Steering shafts available for my Camry. I'm also replacing mine because my steering wheel has excessive play and my Front Left wheel bearing makes a scraping noise when I'm turning. I just replaced my Front Right CV Axle, and Front Right wheel bearing I noticed a difference it rides smoother and quieter.

[@jeandebeer5470]

I have a tremendous amount of play. Im gonna check it out!!!! Than you

[@jamesclaypool9272]

Outstanding wideo thank you very much

[@chanhducphung2826]

Thank so much for your great details video

[@highwinds71]

Well that looks easy enough to do . Thanks for making this video

[@FrankBrankerSR]

Thanks for the tip

[@1smae100]

I got a 2010 on turns the steering wheel doesn't return to the center fully once the car is straighten. Dealership told me it's normal and part of this cars suspension. I notice it gets kind of stuck and I have to straighten it out myself I mean it's not to bad but makes it harder to park smh

[@muhanc.a.9299]

Cool video, I suscribed to see what else you've got.

[@rogersgonc]

Nice tip!

[@M.A.S.-SuperiorService-]

Great video!

[@philliplabuschagne5508]

Thanks man, I have a VW golf mk1 pickup that I need to do this to. 👍

[@krudmuphinstudioz]

Any tips for separating the shaft and collar assembly if the bushing is too tight? I have a lot of play in my steering shaft, but it's super tight and I can't pull it out easily like you. Not enough room to swing a mallet at it either...

[@zainhindi5896]

Bet shoe goo might be a decent thing to try as well pretty easily available

[@umae.t2414]

Very useful

[@engalipak]

Excellent

[@amadorbimmen]

Great idea!💡

[@CORLEONESPORTS97]

good video.... long live motherland

[@nickcarr3856]

I have a 1964 humber super snipe series 5 - is that too old for the solution in this video do you think? many thanks

[@robertorochamartinsrocha7041]

Nice video and idea... could be a shorted video. 👍

[@jourycara9398]

Well done

[@MiguelGonzalez-yl5vf]

Good video

[@workingclassperson2124]

MR2’s RULE!! 93’s as my favorite

[@isonovoso8312]

Great Job!

[@Mr.M1STER]

I must look into this on my 91 civic. There is free play in the steering and the same clunking sound like yours. Thanks for the info.

[@sirsendit9770]

Tie rods on a civic

[@namechange9470]

@@sirsendit9770 Bad tie rod can give steering wheel play?

[@Tade734]

Came across your video , I want to ask, what could possibly be reason why my car is moving to the right side each time I set my steering wheel straight ...and the steering wheel suddenly becomes too easy especially when turning to the right ..will appreciate any answer to this .

[@oldowl4290]

I have an old VW MK3 Carbio and it's got at least 3cm of steering wheel play. And this is after a very recent full suspension rebuild and rack rebuild. My issue is with the steering column fully disconnected from it's U-joints and the rack. I can hold the bottom of the column where it inserts into the first U-joint and I can still easy move and rock the steering wheel back and forth (meaning left to right like you are turning). It's overly loose and wobbly. If it was just 1cm of left / right play I could live with it but 3-4cm (or 2cm each direction) is noticeable when actually driving as the play is still felt when driving down the road in a straight line.

[@kingdavid2018]

Does this exist in the sw20 manual rack also?

[@musicvids9759]

Does the steering wheel play fix apply to RV's (1997 Georgie Boy Pursuit?)

[@johnnyrockett8999]

Thank you Bro

[@joshualeija9984]

You have to be creative when you’re a mechanic

[@JTNaise]

Halo mate, I got a question for ya. I have replace sets of rack end, tie rod, steering rack bush & lower arm. Then it kinda solve the free play issue for a bit. Later, when I took a hard turn left and back on straight road, the steering wheel noticeably unalign to the right. Then when I took a hard turn right, the steering wheel become straight back to normal. What could be the problem. A bad rack or the shaft bush like you have said.

[@edgarbatista1856]

Question my honda civic 2002 Steering wheels turn, but wheels won't. What do you think it is

[@smartman123]

very professional

[@isaakromero2542]

My actual steering wheel is floppy, I think I over tightened the nut after putting on a aftermarket steering wheel, is there a way to remove the wobble? Possibly some washers or do I need to replace the whole shaft?

[@VanessaPerez-jr9fl]

I have a 2003 Honda Civic stick… the wheel locked and while trying to unlock it, it sounded like something popped? Is it fixable ? Car won’t turn on either but the key ignition makes it noise

[@rickproulx6667]

How do you fix the steering wheel when it squeaks turning left or right 88 MR2. It seems it's coming from the column.

[@d4a]

+Rick Proulx My steering wheel squaked before I did this. The same thing as in the video might very well be the case. Give it a try and see if it gets rid of the squeaking noise.

[@jeremypinder4436]

my steering wheel have plenty of play so is this the culprit cause i will do this right now my steering wheel is hard to turn sometimes and that's dangerous so i want my steering strong and sturdy and not loose i been driving like that for a very long time and it's time i fix it

[@sadboycali]

Wouldn't it cause the metal to rust because the moisture can't escape?

[@opproav]

Thanks for this info! Can I use JB Weld? I have some and dont want to spend more unnecessary money on this car. 😞

[@d4a]

Urethane windshield adhesive is 10$. Jb will just crack, it's not flexible.

[@zeamagogu4029]

How do you keep the metal parts from touching during cure?

[@klydiscope2002]

How do I get to the shaft

[@ancientdiscoverys]

Will this adjustment put extra pressure on the rack and wear it out faster ?

[@d4a]

Definitely not

[@ancientdiscoverys]

@@d4a ..I ask because a week ago I suddenly had alot of free play. My mechanic didn't see anything broken under the car so he adjusted mu steering rack with that yoke thing. Still had free play. Next day loud clunking. Turned out my tie rod was busted and he didn't see it. Make a long story short he adjusted the rack for nothing now I'm paranoid if I should leave it or tell him to put it back where it was

[@lennardobailey3295]

I just having this problem. I am going to see if this works. I hope so, old cars are expensive.

[@tomw.4255]

Tell me about it man. I got new shocks put in last year and my car still picks up alterations in the road so badly...just pisses me off to no end, makes me feel like i didn't even get the new shocks in the first place. I think this video addresses some of that though so that's cool

[@lawrencepayne773]

Me too.

[@tomw.4255]

Just got new front cv axles because i had very bad torn boots and thought that would fix my steering wheel play, but it didn't. My situation is to even turn left for instance, you have to turn it 1/2 to 1 full rotation more than you otherwise should have to. I have an 4-wheel drive izusu rodeo.....do you think your fix in this video would suffice? Thank you for any feedback..

[@d4a]

I don't know how the steering column is set up in that car. If it has a rubber insulator like this and it has deteriorated than fix will definitely help a lot. Take a good luck at the column and you will know. Most vehicles have some sort of rubber in there that can either be replaced with a new OEM part of fixed like I did in the video.

[@tomw.4255]

@@d4a thanks!

[@TheKingreddragon]

how has that fix held up?

[@Mathewmartialart]

How long did it take to cure

[@rahmaningram3064]

48 hours

[@MohdAli-uy5fg]

I have 2001 WS6 , i installed BMR rack kit and i face now issue with steeringwheel play , do i need to replace my bearing ?

[@michaelangelowalters175]

How do you fix the wheel back to its place once the wheel start to burn rubber?

[@Hogib35]

My steering wheel goes left and right.. not up and down.. what can be the cause.. bolts loose

[@ericryan1681]

Yeeee. Thank you sir.

[@jn8922]

Just had my tyres changed and had a wheel alignment done but now my steering is so loose. I can't sort it out myself so I'm gonna have to take it to my mechanic. Thanks for the video...at least I understand more.

[@rusbinmontejo6379]

Or what's the name exactly of the material u have use that way I can find it,?

[@d4a]

You can use 3M Window Weld or any other type of windshield adhesive (glue)

[@rusbinmontejo6379]

Ok friend thank you

[@louiswalker5510]

heck yeah! Thanks bud

[@jedgr]

Is this possible for Opel Astra G ? Thanks

[@thewesley95]

So this fixes the play without adding vibrations to the steering wheel like welding it would?

[@d4a]

Exactly!

[@allanwright5231]

I have toyota vista 2001 so it the same for my car. Just remove the bottom of the steering wheel shaft. Can I grease the shaft as it's a moving part?

[@d4a]

Which part exactly would you grease?

[@bismagulzar1757]

If it is worn out then what will we do that

[@greglaprete3903]

how do i fix my steering wheel from pushing in and out when my hands are on it?

[@josefslivka4805]

can you come to fix it my 012 grant carravan i have that problem

[@dovendyr1956]

thanks