Tip & How-To about Chevrolet Monte Carlo
To start: Make sure the steering shaft and or wheel is not turned during this repair =|= You can damage the air bag system coil. Put the key in and lock the wheel or use a seat-belt and tie off the wheel so it will not turn. Take the battery loose. check your radio for any codes to reset it after finished or turn off the lockout before you disconnect the battery. If you have a 3.4 DOHC engine remove the air cleaner and duct work. You will have to jack up the front of the car and make it secure with good supports and locking the rear wheels, You will be under the car so - be safe, be sure, be safe. You have to remove the front tire/wheels and your jack stands have to be behind the front sub-frame, you can not use the sub-frame for support during this job. Set the wheel straight ahead. Pull back the boot at the bottom of the steering column shaft, mark the coupler and steering input shaft. If you have the 3.4L DOHC remove the right side engine splash shield, and the exhaust pipe / catalytic / converter assembly . Separate the tie-rods ends from the steering arms, count how many turns it takes to remove them. then you can some what preserve your front-end alignment. Support the rear of the sub-frame with a jack giving room to access the rear most part of the sub-frame. Remove the rear sub-frame bolts, loosen the front bolts Do Not Remove them!!! lower the rear approx 5 inches DO NOT LOWER TO MUCH YOU CAN DAMAGE SOME ENGINE COMPONENTS. Remove the heat shield form the steering gear. Take any pipe or hoses loose form support clips on the body. You will need a drain pan to catch any fluid that drains out. Using a flare nut wrench take loose the pressure and return lines from the gear. Plug the lines to stop fluid from draining out of the lines. Remove the gear retaining nuts and bolts. Pull the gear out of the supports move it forward and detach the steering coupler from the steering shaft. Support the gear and it comes out the left side wheel opening. To reinstall pass the new gear through the left wheel opening and place it in position in the mounts reinstall the shaft coupler and the bolts/nuts in the supports. reattach the lines, the heat shield, and if you can find them you should use new sub-frame bolts, run the rear in first and then the front, one at the time and torque the bolts to 133 ft-lbs. Reconnect the tie rods to the steering arms. Reinstall the exhaust system now. Check the wheel center using the marks made on the shaft, be sure the coupler is seated before you tighten the pinch bolt. Reinstall the front wheels, lower the car off the stands. Reconnect the battery. Fill the power steering pump to the recommended level start up the car and ck for leaks, have the alignment checked per a tire / alignment shop.
Pull the horn pad from the steering wheel - 1988 Sunbird shown
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Detach the horn electrical connector
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On some earlier model vehicles, you must remove a retaining circlip
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Unfasten the steering shaft nut
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If there are no factory alignment marks, matchmark the steering wheel to the shaft
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Use a suitable puller to remove the steering wheel from the vehicle
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When installing the steering wheel, make sure the align the matchmarks made during removal
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To install:
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