Itinerant Air-Cooled

Check yours. Change it if it looks like mine did.

Top view (note the horn ground wire that gives many fits with nonfunctional horns):
[albumimg]2876[/albumimg]

Bottom view (note same wire should connect under one of the nuts to the steering box flange here):
[albumimg]2875[/albumimg]

Cracks are not good:
[albumimg]2878[/albumimg]

[albumimg]2877[/albumimg]

Some of the cracks went all the way through. This bit-o-rubber is all that connects your steering colum to the steering box. If it breaks, bye bye steering. Take the 5 minutes necessary to inspect yours and the 30 minutes to replace when due. I suspect mine was original with 180,000 miles on it.

It helps to have a partner to turn bolts unless you have really long arms. It helps to jack the front wheels off the ground so you can turn the assy to access the bolts better. It helps to remember the proper orientation of the steering wheel to the steering box so your turn signal canceling ring will still work.... (I must be 180* off, mine doesn't now)

Thanks for the info. This is on my list of things to replace now. Did you steering feel improve?

Ritter wrote:This bit-o-rubber is all that connects your steering colum to the steering box. If it breaks, bye bye steering.

Not that dire. The bolts are designed to trap each other, but the steering will be exactly as loose as Barry Smith's MostAmazinglyHorribleVWBusSteering EVER, with that 90* of play at the rim, let's see, the factory limit is an inch and 5/8", and his was approximate a foot and a half. . . or so. There is no noticeable difference in feel between a functional coupler and a functional cracked coupler.
Colin

Manfred wrote:Thanks for the info. This is on my list of things to replace now. Did you steering feel improve?

Yes, it's a bit more supple and wanders less. I'm sure the replacement coupler was not OG but it was labeled "high quality" so what's there to complain about?!

Amskeptic wrote: Not that dire. The bolts are designed to trap each other, but the steering will be exactly as loose as Barry Smith's MostAmazinglyHorribleVWBusSteering EVER, with that 90* of play at the rim, let's see, the factory limit is an inch and 5/8", and his was approximate a foot and a half. . . or so. There is no noticeable difference in feel between a functional coupler and a functional cracked coupler.

Nice to know but glad I've replaced it none the less! Mine was nearly that bad before I replaced the center pin that was f*cked beyond belief by a former "mechanic."

It's really only a 30 min job? I have the part but have been putting it off.

hambone wrote:It's really only a 30 min job? I have the part but have been putting it off.

Yeah, it's really pretty easy. A helper does greatly simplify the contortions needed. It's four nuts/bolts out, keep track of the wavy washers, swap out old coupler, make sure horn wire and steering wheel are in correct orientation, then four bolts/nuts/wavy washers back in. I think you have the funky clip/gasket thingy at the base of your steering column that I've read can be a PIA that I (having a newer cheaper bus) do not have.

Speaking of that...I know this is probably stupid, but how do you remove the plastic clamping ring around the shaft?

On the steering wheel shaft. Number 14 in the bentley on page 27 of the front axle section.

minispdrcr wrote:Speaking of that...I know this is probably stupid, but how do you remove the plastic clamping ring around the shaft?

On the steering wheel shaft. Number 14 in the bentley on page 27 of the front axle section.

I wish I had my Bentley, but it is still too far away.

Is it on the actual shaft near the steering wheel lock?

You are not talking about the column tube plastic insulator for earlier buses?

Speaking of which, it is a good idea to give us model year of your specific bus, particularly here in the Technical Forums where it is mentioned in the Read This First sticky, the one that the regulars have not yet discovered.
Colin
(p.s. congrats on the three year resuscitation of this thread!)

Sorry I thought the information was in my signature. :) 1969 tin top bus.
And its better than starting a new thread :)

minispdrcr wrote:Sorry I thought the information was in my signature. :) 1969 tin top bus.
And its better than starting a new thread :)

Ah yes, that is the steering column insulator. The shaft is the skinny one that bolts to the coupler. You need that thing to be happy or the horn may start blowing without your consent. It can only come off after disassembling things from the steering wheel on down to the upper column support. This includes working through the steering lock. It is not attached to the column tube, but rather trapped by it against the lower round cover that has those two screws that bolt it to the floor.
Colin
(p.s. it is in your signature)