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C5 SWH
28-08-2007, 20:31
Ive done a quick search and i know you can get them welded up in the car, but im going to take mine off to take to a mate to be welded.

How hard is it to remove?whats involved?

thanks 8)
Coops
28-08-2007, 21:33
most of the panel around it off, then undo a few bolts and the pinch bolt to the steering rack iirc, fairly fiddly but not to hard so long as you take ur time
C5 SWH
16-09-2007, 22:43
sorry to sound stupid whats a pinch bolt :oops: :)
Allan
16-09-2007, 22:47
at the bottom of the column, it connects to the rack (under the car) you need to undo this, its covered by a black rubber cover where the shaft goes out of the foot well
BristolSam16v
17-09-2007, 09:47
A ratchet spanner comes in handy here for the bottom bolt ;)
Lunner
17-09-2007, 10:10
Best way to access it is from the drivers side wheel arch
wilkieswms
20-03-2008, 01:21
mmmmm
BristolSam16v
20-03-2008, 02:18
As above, need to take a few of the panels off around the column which is pretty simple, also need to remove the ignition barrel from the column. Its held in by metal locks on the barrel itself, you have to turn the key round in the lock until you can push them in then push the barrel out. Then its 2 top bolts and 2 lower bolts holding the column in.

Then its just the lower bolt holding the column to the actual rack, have to disagree about going through the wheel arch, no point faffing about with jacking the car and taking the wheel off, just get a ratchet spanner in through the footwell pretty easy to do takes 5 minutes.
arj256
20-03-2008, 13:43
Make sure that you remove the pinch bolt.
The bolt has a cam profile on it which acts as a safety device stopping the column coming off 3/4 up.

You dont need to remove the barrel. Just remove the 4 bolts which you can see supporting the column, and the plastic shroud and 2 additional torx bolts.
disconect the wires and should come free.

I would advise welding it up out of the car imo.
When i welded mine, the rubber inside the UJ caught alight on the bench lol.
BristolSam16v
20-03-2008, 17:19
Yup sorry for a sec I thought you were swapping columns, so forget the whole bit about removing the barrel!
katbloke
20-03-2008, 18:15
helps to be anorexic too oh and made of rubber
summeh
21-03-2008, 01:09
Best way to access it is from the drivers side wheel arch

I find the best way to access it just by getting your head in the foot well (from inside the car), although Lunner is a tall lad so can see he might find this difficult :wink:
eternalife
21-03-2008, 03:47
Best way to access it is from the drivers side wheel arch

I find the best way to access it just by getting your head in the foot well (from inside the car), although Lunner is a tall lad so can see he might find this difficult :wink:

Agreed.
I have done a couple. Always from drivers footwell - never had any probs.
Wobba
02-11-2008, 16:56
Hi guys, I am not finding this as easy as people make out. I could not get tools on the footwell gap and I also found removing a replacing the pinch bolt very hard due to the usual shit Clio access. There is no way to get the bolt off easy as it just spins and spins as you turn the nut, there is alos limited access so using another tool, say a molegrip, is hard.

I also found jacking the car up to be a pointless exercise. Access was still too poor. Only way I could do it was by taking the heatshield off and moving the rubbers. Even then I could only loosen the bolt. I am not looking forward to putting it back together!

Maybe I am tired after 3 weeks of fitting and removing duff suspension, or because it has been raining non stop and I am not in a great mood, but this sucks!
Wobba
02-11-2008, 17:48
The rubber gaitor is a bitch as well. Cant get it on the new column.
Mark One
02-11-2008, 18:45
pinch bolt can be had from inside the car or the wheel arch. Both require a ratchet spanner (or an extra hour lol) and neither are fun.
summeh
02-11-2008, 20:55
it's prolly easier with a normal spanner as you'll get more "undo" per stroke. I did it with a normal spanner and it only took about 5-10mins, very annoying though.
Wobba
02-11-2008, 23:24
I've done it now, and it's all together again, apart from the inner gaitor which I decided I cba to do for now. Sure it lets in more noise but I dont care for now, it was driving me NUTS and I was tired and had to get it finished.

The problem for me was not understanding how to undo the pinch bolt. Sussed it now.

I managed to get good leverage in the end on the nut from the footwell, jammed a screwdriver in the bolt bit and shoved carpet out of the way. Had to do it in the dark with minimal light, was not fun.

I just wanted a good ol' Wobba Whine on WC...not had one in ages. It felt good.

Plus the splines on the wlded column had a drop of weld on the, it was there before the UJ was welded, but it made it so I had to grind it away to get the steering wheel on.

Was tired and teasy after working on suspension in the pissing rain on Saturday.

I got to say, the suspension is sorted now and the handling is unreal. THat part of Project 217 has been ticked off the list!