Minnesota Focus Owners Club

Anyone ever replace them (doubtful)?

Steve, Does Ford even list the parts?


New car seems a bit loose and I don't want to tear into it W/O doing a bit of research first. If I FUBAR one trying to press it off I need to know I can repair it somehow, by not replacing the whole column.
I'm guessing I'll have to buy a bearing by size, which I'm more than capable of finding.

I've replaced them in F-series pickups, but never in a focus. I doubt they are available for a focus. more than likely you'd be looking at replacing the entire column. junkyards are the way to go

What is leadind you to this conclusion? I hace replaced many colums for.the tilt mech but never a bearing. Wounder if that fancy steering wheel has some thing to do with it. Also check the stub shaft that goes from the bottom of the coloum through the fire wall to the rack if that pinch bolt aint tight then you should be able to.wiggle.the shaft up and down. If so this is your loose feeling. It is most unselting this feeling through the wheel as.you drive. The slop in the joint allows the shaft to bend and flex making it feel almost like a bad universal joint.

It moves up-down in the upper shaft tube only.
No in-out play; which is what I'd think the pinch bolt would allow.
No play in the tilt lock mechanism, that I can see/measure.

Like I said though, it's not bad at all and if I weren't looking for something to fix you'd never know there was a problem. Doesn't affect driving the car at all.

No parts available for the column, it's one piece.

I don't often hear of issues with those bearings, in fact I can't recall ever hearing of an issue.

Nor have I.
Only reason I can see what it is is I have the column in pieces, covers aren't on it right now.

But I can see where the bearing is and it doesn't look like it's meant to be replaced. There are 2 tabs cut through and bent down retaining the bearing. So no wat to just press out and back in. I'd have to bent or cut 1 tab out then find a way to keep it in place.
I'll take a better look tomorrow and show a picture of what I speak.
But that's not saying I can't add a bearing or 2 on either end, which right now sounds like the best bet.

Why not just replace the column? Only a 10 minute job

Doc wrote:Why not just replace the column? Only a 10 minute job

I used to have a spare but nothing ever really goes wrong. Had a friend that had to slide hammer his igniton tumbler out and damaged the coloum other wise id give it ta hell. But they arf not free and im guessin that is the main drive to repaire vs replace.

Maybe not free, but certainly cheap.
Abco shows a few of them $25.99 each
Heck I'd sell one for $10 but it would have to be picked up cause I won't ship it.

Doc wrote:Maybe not free, but certainly cheap.
Abco shows a few of them $25.99 each
Heck I'd sell one for $10 but it would have to be picked up cause I won't ship it.

well shoot. I aint got nothin. Should proly get that coloum then huh?