Steering Column

The steering column is the mechanical linkage between the steering wheel and the steering gear. It houses many different switches and is able to tilt to various positions for driver preference. It starts with the steering wheel bolted to a shaft that runs down the center of the column to the upper steering shaft. The upper steering shaft goes through the dash panel and connects to the lower steering shaft and the lower shaft is then connected to the steering gear. The upper and lower shaft connections are made by U-joint type knuckles. The steering shaft is centered by various roller ball bearings which are housed by the casing of the steering column. The tilt steering wheel is controlled by a mechanical lever on the side of the steering column which uses a cam to lock and unlock the steering wheel. When the tilt wheel is unlocked it allows the steering wheel to adjust to various positions, using a pin-type pivot in the steering column. On vehicles equipped with the gear selector mounted on the steering column, the steering column uses a cable to select the transmission gear. The steering column switches (multifunction and ignition) are mounted to the steering column. These switches are covered by the upper and lower steering wheel shrouds and can be accessed by removing them.