Steering wheel — removal and installation (Nissan Bluebird T12)

Removal and installation

1. Park the vehicle on a level surface with the wheels straight ahead and check that the steering wheel is in neutral position (see below).

2. Disconnect the negative battery cable.

3. Remove the cover or horn key. Disconnect the wires from the key (photo).



4. Check that the steering wheel and column marks are aligned (photo). If there are no marks, make them yourself.



5. Unscrew the steering wheel lock nut (photo), remove (where is it used) spring washer.





6. Grasp the steering wheel bezel, loosen it on the shaft, then remove it from the steering column slots. Some vehicles have two threaded holes in the center of the wheel to allow the use of a small two-pronged steering wheel puller.

7. When installing, thoroughly clean and lubricate the grooves and mating surfaces of the steering wheel and column.

8. Install the steering wheel onto the column, aligning the marks made during removal (photo). The wheel should be in the neutral position (see below), with the key in the lower half of the wheel. Check that the turn signal works correctly.





9. Install the spring washer (where is it used) and the nut. Tighten the nut with the specified tightening force Specification. Connect the wires to the horn key, install the cover or key, then reconnect the battery.

Neutral steering wheel position

10. Neutral position, when the steering wheel is positioned perpendicular to the panel (that is, the Nissan emblem is parallel to the dashboard), the horn button is in the lower half of the steering wheel and the wheels are in the straight ahead position.

11. If adjustment is required, first check that the wheels are straight and that the steering rods are the correct specified length (see Chapter 36 of this Section). Also check that the steering gear is exactly in neutral position (use alignment marks on gear housing on later models) and that the lower steering column joint is correctly installed. Finally, check that the steering wheel and the column reference points are correctly aligned. This procedure must be performed whenever the steering system is removed.

12. If the neutral position has changed, it can only be due to steering components that have been distorted or damaged, worn out or improperly assembled. They must be carefully checked.

13. If adjustment is necessary, reinstall the wheel on the steering column grooves. If the correct position is between the two grooves, minor adjustment of the steering rods is permissible as described in Chapter 36 of this Section.