Replacing Lower Column

[jimistdt 1]

Hello all, I've just got the lower column U/J to replace on mine as my steering is incredibly stiff, to the points it's unsafe to drive.

 

I'm struggling at the moment, possibly due to the limited room down the back of the XUD engine.

 

The bolt on the bay side is a 13mm head and a 16mm bolt, but I'm struggling atm.

 

Any tips, pointers or useful guides anywhere that I may have missed will be more than welcome.

 

I have to go out now but I will check back later.

 

Thanks all...

 

[jimistdt 1]

I did manage to find a Topic by Lagonda, it goes into removing the intermediate joint in good detail HERE, although, this is managed without the head and exhaust on the car, which are the two main bits stopping me accessing the bolt in the engine bay.

 

Is it possible to access the lower U/J through the hole in the bulkhead where the large rubber grommet is if I remove the grommet? Saying that, I've also read it can be difficult to refit the grommet.

 

 

I have the luxury of being able to spend a few hours on it tomorrow, I also have a couple of other jobs to do, backlogged due the recent arctic weather, namely, strut top bearings and driveshafts to swap. I think I'll see if there's much more room with that lot out of the way. I think I'm going to invest in a 16mm ratchet spanner too.

[Tom Fenton 1,536]

Can you not get at it better from underneath?

[welshpug 1,645]

I did it from the side and underneath whilst fitting a replacement steering rack, ratchet spanner is a good call.

[jimistdt 1]

I did try yesterday to get at it from above and underneath, I had difficulty with the ratchet trying to engage it on the head and still have room to swing the ratchet, even with various combinations of short and long extensions and the u/j on the ratchet. Probably the turbo doesn't help much.

[jimistdt 1]

F***ing b**tard c*nting piece of s*it.

 

 

Right, the columns actually held with 13mm bolt and nut, it had some divvy cover cap on the nut.

 

I now have removed the nut on the u/j, loosened the 4x 11mm nuts under the column, I'm still no nearer, just getting really f***ed off.

 

Plus the sp*z's at Pershow gave me a top mount bearing kit, can anyone guess which parts of the bearing kit was missing? The bearing!

 

So, can anybody help me out before I find a nice quiet corner and have a little sob?

[pug_ham 243 3 Cars]

The bolt securing the lower column to the shaft is usually a tabbed type that doesn't need a spanner on the head because it locates into the u/j with just the 13mm nut clamping it tight.

 

I'm thought the bearing was in the kit you showed me when you came round with it a week or so back.

 

Esaiest way to do this is from underneath imo, fully remove the bolt from the rack side & the column inside the car, slide the uj off the rack & then it should just slide right out into the engine bay.

 

I wouldn't try removing the grommit in the floor because they can be a real PITA to get back in.

 

Graham.

[jimistdt 1]

Got it out, I'll expalin later, but lets say that I'm not surprised the u/j was not 'sliding' anywhere, it has only one plane of movement. Shocking.

 

Anyway, must dash, I've a car to rebuild.

 

Thanks for the pointers everyone.

[jimistdt 1]

I've added a few notes for the benefit of any searchers;

 

I'll point out that I had my struts and shafts off today at the same time as swapping the u/j, due to refreshing parts, so the car was on axle stands

 

Remove nut and bolt at bottom or the steering column that secures the top of the intermediate joint (u/j) in the drivers footwell.

 

Moving outside the car, the bottom of the u/j can be got at through the drivers side wheelarch, this will be much easier with the wheel off the car. I needed a 13mm socket on a short extension connect to a u/j connected to a long extension connect to the ratchet.

 

Turn the steering wheel so the nut of the bolt facing the arch, it's easiest to see the bolt from the top of the engine looking down.

 

Back inside the car, it is necessary to remove the cowling from the underside of the steering, most of the fixing screws are obvious apart form the one behind the air vent (just pulls out.) , just take your time. I'm not sure I needed to remove all of the trim like I did, but it makes it easier.

 

There are a total of 4 nuts holding the column. Remove lower pair , the top two have two nuts on each thread, the first ones hold a plate with various connectors, I unplugged these, and moved it aside. Remove the two remaining nuts whilst supporting the steering column.

 

The column will easily slide off the u/j in the footwell, once clear re-fix the column loosely with a couple of bolts.

 

Moving back outside the car, and working in the arch, see if the u/j will come of the rack. Mine took a bit of persuasion. I used the long extension and gave it a few taps and it eventually came free.

 

 

From underneath the car, the u/j will slide through the grommet in the bulkhead, over the top of the subframe. In the same manner offer up the new u/j.

 

And that's all I managed today due to running out of light, energy and enthusiasm.

 

Once you've done all that it should be obvious how it all goes back.

 

 

************************************

Graham: I did both strut top bearings, or at least that was the plan, it wasn't 'til I stripped the second strut and I went to get the bits out of the bag I realised the was no bearings! Being Sunday there wasn't much I could do, I rung the dealers, gave them a bollocking, but there was only the sales team working.

[pug_ham 243 3 Cars]

************************************

Graham: I did both strut top bearings, or at least that was the plan, it wasn't 'til I stripped the second strut and I went to get the bits out of the bag I realised the was no bearings!

So the bearing was missing out of one of the ist you got or both?

 

I'm sure the kit you opened when over here had the bearing in place because I sat it together & turned it iirc.

 

Graham.

[jimistdt 1]

The dealers has ordered another kit, he says you can't buy the bearing on it's own, so he'll rob the bearing out of the bag. I have done the nearside side, that's complete, that was the side I had at your house, but the other one had also been opened and resealed with sellotape, somebody had already robbed the bearing. Now he's having to rob one out of a bag for me, and no doubt someone else will fall to the same fate I did!

[pug_ham 243 3 Cars]

You can buy the bearing seperately but not from Peugeot.

 

Graham.

[jimistdt 1]

If you find yourself in the situation whereby you need to change your lower u/j, I'll give you a little tip...the job can be done in 5 mins flat if the grommet is removed...the bolt is right there in front of you.

 

I was worried that the grommet would be an @rse to get back in, but if you look at it, it's like an inverted triangle, put the two top corners in the bulkhead, get a bar (jack handle), two or three smacks and it's back in.

 

Much easier than rolling about on the floor.

 

Many have said that it's possible without removing the grommet, not in my case, whether it's due to the power steering, build tolerances or different designs of grommets.

 

That's all, happy trails