Drinking the Koolaide... šŸ˜Š

Clockspring....

Can this be upgraded? I haven't yet torn into my steeringwheel (perhaps this weekend?), so I haven't put eyes on it. Could a clockspring from a more recent GM vehicle work in this column? The purpose would be to use a more modern steeringwheel to add control interfaces for a new media system (phone, volume, channel, play/pause, etc.). While there is no wiring in the coach for these functions, an aftermarket info-tainment system can interface to the OEM switches via multiple methods; wireless, wire-pair, add-on box, etc. I just need to get connections from the steeringwheel switches to the steering column. So, clockspring....

UPDATE:

It looks like the entire steering colum will have to be replaced to allow a newer wheel with controls to be utilized. So, I will be looking at steering columns from the more recent versions of the vehicles that were considered good donors from the 90's. Hopefully, the basic mechanicals (diameter, length, and gearing of the central shaft) haven't changed and can be used with the existing intermediate shaft (I've got to learn the correct name of that shaft). And that the basic electrical connections (wiper/washer, turn, dimmer, horn) are still "analog" rather than operating over a bus.
 
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Tybalt39 said:
Clockspring....

Can this be upgraded? I haven't yet torn into my steeringwheel (perhaps this weekend?), so I haven't put eyes on it. Could a clockspring from a more recent GM vehicle work in this column? The purpose would be to use a more modern steeringwheel to add control interfaces for a new media system (phone, volume, channel, play/pause, etc.). While there is no wiring in the coach for these functions, an aftermarket info-tainment system can interface to the OEM switches via multiple methods; wireless, wire-pair, add-on box, etc. I just need to get connections from the steeringwheel switches to the steering column. So, clockspring....
Click to expand...
Where there's a will, there's a way. I would start with looking at the steering shaft ends. See what diameters different donor vehicles have comparatively. GM doesn't like to change things much if they don't have to, and I know most steering wheels swap around among mid and full size rigs over multiple decades. I'd say the odds of a solution are favorable if you do enough junkyard digging and measuring.
 
Matt Colie said:
A big problem (I was told by someone that knows) is that the steering wheels with PRS (Airbag) mounts are not compatible with older vehicles.
Matt_C
Click to expand...
Is that the wheel or the entire column? I may have to find a newer column+wheel that will mate to the intermediate shaft. Possibility? Options?
 
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Intermediate steering shaft re-installed and steering box positioned; correctly this time! :ROFLMAO: (At least the PO procured the "red" rebuilt steering box.)
The coach tracks down the road at speed almost perfectly. I feel I could pull a Ron Burgundy....
After the KYB front shocks are installed to reduce the "bounce", the handling should be great!
 
Tybalt39 said:
Intermediate steering shaft re-installed and steering box positioned; correctly this time! :ROFLMAO: (At least the PO procured the "red" rebuilt steering box.)
The coach tracks down the road at speed almost perfectly. I feel I could pull a Ron Burgundy....
After the KYB front shocks are installed to reduce the "bounce", the handling should be great!
Click to expand...
I'm glad things are coming along well with yours. They do drive nice when things are properly sorted don't they?

My wife just put the KYB shocks in the front of ours. I haven't had a chance to test it out yet. The old ones, surprisingly, didn't feel "blown" once removed, though the coach did feel bouncy in the front. Hopefully the KYBs will still make a difference for us.
 
My current shocks are not worn; they just aren't optimal for the application. I'm told the KYB gas shocks are the "best" for this coach.
After installing them, the next step is an alignment. Hopefully, after these three steps the coach will track "perfectly", as opposed to "darn good" after the steering was adjusted.
 
Tybalt39 said:
KYB installed. Body-roll and front-end bounce gone!
Click to expand...

Coincidentally, I just replaced all 6 on mine with KYB from Sirum, picked up at Lebanon last fall.

I was thinking they were due, b/c when hitting potholes there would be this vibration as if there were no shocks at all and the wheels were just bouncing in resonance. At certain speeds and road pothole conditions, it literally felt like they had set up in resonance for several seconds at a time. So I got shocks, drove back from Lebanon. Also, I think I went through a few hubcaps on those wheels come to think of it.....

Over last few days decided to change them. Um, ....yeah, they were due. On the passenger side, the rear one was completely disconnected at the bottom. The front one was connected but had zero resistance to movement, and water came squirting out. Totally shot lol

I'm looking forward to the next drive in it now with all fresh KYB shocks!
 
I replaced all 6 of mine with new bilstines, the old ones were completely shot, no resistance on 5 out of 6 but it was amazing how well the coach rode.
I would NOT use Bilstines again tho
 
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I have had 3 of the 4 Bilsteins fail and I personally had purchased two of them. No Warranty was allowed. Back in my sports car racing days, Bilsteins were the hot setup....
I am no longer a fan of Bilgestein.
Matt_C
 
As previously mentioned, an advantage of being late to this party is the accumulated experience of others. It was reading in this forum and others that I saw owners moving from Bilstein to KYB. So, I heeded their advice and went that direction. :)
 
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In 2002 I brought my coach home from Houston. Among other things, I checked the shocks, and found all Bilstiens. Two were broken at the top ring. Two were intact, but all of the oil had leaked out, so were nonfunctional. The last two were functional but near dead. On the advice of others on the net, I bought kyb's. I have about 90K miles on them now and my only complaint is that the bushings in the mounting rings are too soft for the application, especially the uppers. The rubber di-forms and actually squashes out of the ring; I have replaced all of the bushings with "Energy Suspension" 3/4" Polyurethane hourglass shaped bushings, Part #9.8108. These bushings have held up for 10 or 12 years now without degrading. Unless kyb has responded to other complaints relative to the bushings and corrected it with a harder material, I personally would put those Polyurethane bushings in new kyb's and avoid this problem later. Other than that issue, the kyb's have preformed well for me and I'd buy them again. Last summer I took each shock off to check for resistance and they seemed to me, after near 20yrs of use, as good as new. JMHO
 
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In my experience, the lifetime warranty is not worth the paper its printed on. Over the years I've tried to use lifetime warranty as an excuse to get another part only to be told that "no that is not covered as it's normal wear and tear which is not covered."

Advanced Auto Parts
"Limited lifetime warranty is a warranty against manufacturer defects, normal wear and tear is not included. Warranty is for the lifetime of the part and not of the vehicle. The store would be able to determine if the parts are defective or not."
 
Get your shine on at www.cruzingear.co
Applied GMC

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