97 ds steering column moves up and down

[smokey tennis shoe]

On a 97 ds, all of a sudden the steering column ( wheel and all) will lift up and down about 1 1/2". It also will make a loud creak sound as soon as you turn the wheel either to the left or to the right.

It steers fine. I looked underneath to see what i could, and you can see where the end of the shaft comes thru that mounting block and attaches onto the knuckle. I can watch from underneath, and see the entire assembly, move upwards and actually moves out of the hole in the mounting block.

David suggested i make sure the knuckle hadn't dropped down the splines. but that wasn't the issue. The knuckle is tight and also moves up and down with the entire assembly.

I'm not sure a column rebuild kit will help, since the problem seems to be outside the column and shaft???

Any ideas?/

[Budule]

Either the bolts to the frame have got loose or the frame is cracked ? Nothing else holds it.

[smokey tennis shoe]

I will check out those bolts first, thanks for that info!

When you say the frame could possibly be cracked, are you talking about the actual frame of the chassis, or the those 2 mounting brackets that those bolts hold together?

[Budule]

Well , I don't think it is but IF those vertical pieces that the column bolts to had broken lose somehow , that would let it move I guess....has to be the bracket or bolts have backed out ...if I remember right , they may be "sloted" to give yo a little adjustment but not sure...

[smokey tennis shoe]

ok, i will look at that also. I will be tearing into this this week. Thanks for your time Budule.

[smokey tennis shoe]

those 2 bolts are not loose. nor is the knuckle loose. Yet I can move the entire steering wheel and column, up and down about 1 inch to 1 1/2 inch???

Looking from under the cart, where the upper knuckle attaches to the splines on the bottom of the steering shaft, i can see the hole in the mounting blocks, and can see the snap ring on the upper side of the blocks is still in tack. I can put my hand on the steering knuckle, and push the shaft etc up and down.

Any ideas what is wrong??

[TahoeDawgZ71]

Are you pulling up and down on the entire column housing or just the center steering shaft?

[smokey tennis shoe]

David, its the center shaft assembly that moves up and down. As i pull up on it, it brings the steering knuckle assembly up with it??

[TahoeDawgZ71]

It sounds like a snap ring may have just popped out

[smokey tennis shoe]

Ok i fixed the problem! What it was, was inside the steering column. If you look at the rebuild kit that is available, there are 2 black plastic "cups", one at each end of the shaft. These plastic cups, is what centers the shaft inside the tube. The lower plastic cup, was broke, which wasn't centering the shaft, allowing it to flop around inside the column.

Once i installed the new "guts", it fixed the problem!! I love learning things on carts!!!

Thanks for the input guys