Never mind.. see below.


Hello, I just signed up in search of help. (of course) I hope you'll bare with me on this long first post.

I just got a 94 Blazer the other day, not bad over all but it has some issues.

At some point someone tried to steal it. The punched the door lock and started to open up the column. The left side of the bowl is smashed, but what's broken and/or missing I'm not really sure. That's why I'm asking for some help. As is I have no high beams, so I'm debating whether to replace all the broken parts, or just try and retrofit an old style floor switch.

I don't know if the high beam switch works or not yet. The high beam control rod doesn't seem to be attached to the switch down below. But my question is about the top end... how the control arm/rod attaches to the signal lever. How does it attach? I assuming there's a big piece of the signal lever mechanism missing, the part that would somehow attach to the rod? (I know it's broken) Either that or there's missing parts.








Can anyone point me to a decent diagram or a photo of what it's SUPPOSED to look like?

I'm not sure which way to go with it...

 

There are some websites that will show you how totake the whole thing apart and put it back together. Just run a search for gm tilt steerimg column (of yours is s rilt wheel) or whatever you have and there are several good articles on it. You might also want to search this site. Bot sure but I would bet there are a bunch too.

 

The only thing of come up with on line was one vague 'how to" and an exploded diagram that didn't show the detail I needed.


I just got in the dash, the switch still works. I was thinking the lever pulled the rod up, but now I see it pushes it down.

 

Found what I'm looking for (what it should look like) http://www.am-autoparts.com/AM/Switc...-/AM-39452273/



$80 for that, $50-$80 for the bowl, looks like it will be cheaper to get a whole column from a junkie.

 

Yes. I'll bet it would. Plus you can adjust anything before you put it in. I'll see about burning off some websites I looked up when I had problems with mine. I know there was one that walked you through the whole thing step by step. Getting it out is pretty easy. Just don't forget to remove the shift indicator cable (if you have an auto trans. It just unclips from the bottom.

 

Oh well. Common sense and my wallet hit me today. No point in throwing good money after bad.

Went to Pep-Boys and spent $5 and change on an old style floor dimmer switch and put it in this evening. Works just fine. I'll doctor up the column to hide the guts and forget about it.

 

The guy who tried to steal your truck is an idiot... He broke open the wrong side of the column! Ive had to change the steering column in many customers old s10 and blazer and camaros and half tons that were recovered stolen, its always the part above the key that they break off.

Glad you got the high beams going, but how do you signal with the lever broken? Stick your hand out the window?

 

I'm not sure, they may have just been interupted before they got any farther. That side seems like the easy place to start with the big opening for the signal. Just stick a big screwdriver in and twist, or hit it with a hammer. When you start it you can see stuff moving and the rod going down to the switch more, so maybe they knew what they were doing. Dunno.


The signal, whiper delay etc. all work just fine, the lever if just a bit "floppy" forward and back since it's not hooked to the rod. I plan on making it steady with MarineTex or "the thinking mans duct tape" (silicone).

 

Nah the thing the guys need to access to steal your truck is about 2 inches behind where the key goes. It is about 2 inches long and has teeth like a sawblade on the top, put screwdriver downward in a slot on this thing and pull towards your chest and BINGO, started with no key and unlocked the steering. Thats why they bust out the part on the topside of the ingition tumbler. Ive known some people that got their stolen vehicles back and never fixed the column, they just wrapped a towel around the column so you (and the cops) cant see it all busted up.

also, instead of silicone, you may want to try 2 part epoxy... I love the stuff, and its rock solid in 5 minutes so you dont need to sit and hold stuff in place for a long time. If fix toys and bikes and god knows what else for the kids all the time, I think I use about a tube a week of the stuff. its awesome but smelly till dry.

I used to think I was funny and always epoxied dollar coins to the cafeteria tables in high school, people would spend hours trying to get the money and anyone that succeeded took a large chunk of tabletop with the coin. On the money note, another of my favorites is using the Hilti gun to nail coins down the the ashpault or sidewalk...