Feeling bushed?

So you’ve replaced the track rod-ends, drag link and centre pin on your Bay, but the steering wheel still feels about as positive as a ship’s wheel. Things are not looking too hopeful for the steering box, but before you dive in and incur great expense, let’s try the steering column bushes first.

Our project ’73 Westy was similarly afflicted; when we purchased the Bus it had around 5in of play at the steering wheel, which would represent an MOT failure. Despite changing all the suspension and steering components, we were still left with a lot of play, so it was time to order more parts and get the tools out.

01 Order bits / undo battery clamp

In order to change the steering column top bush, you will need to remove the entire steering column. As this involves disconnecting some wiring, the first job to do is to remove the earth clamp from the battery; sparks and short circuits cause burned wiring and fires, so it’s essential that you