[DeTomaso] steering slop

[MikeLDrew at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/25/12 17 54 24, justingreisberg at hotmail.com writes:


> But there is more play in the steering column, at the "slip joint" where 
> one piece of linkage slides into another.  I tried to pinch this in a vice, 
> which really did not work, and I added rolled up sections of aluminum foil 
> to take up the space bu
> t still allow it to slide in an accident, but this loosened up quickly.
> Any ssuggestions?
> 

>>>Wilkinson told me he takes that assembly to a machine shop that has a 60 
ton (!) press.   They smash the hell out of it.   Problem solved.

Alternately, you can jam bits of this and that into diagonally opposed 
corners to take up the play.   Small pieces of steel rod might work?

Wilkinson used to sell replacement for the nylon 'tits' that clip onto the 
male portion of the assembly, but for some reason he hasn't carried them for 
several years now.

Finally, you can spot-weld the assembly together.   Small welds should be 
strong enough to keep the two pieces from rotating apart from each other, but 
weak enough to break in an accident and preserve the collapsing feature.

Mike