Steering Column: Description and Operation

Steering Column:

The steering column has three important features in addition to the steering function:
1. The column is energy absorbing, designed to compress in a front-end collision to minimize the possibility of injury to the driver of the vehicle.
2. The ignition switch and lock are mounted conveniently on the column.
3. With the column mounted lock, the ignition and steering operation can be locked to prevent theft of the vehicle.

The column can be disassembled and reassembled. However, to ensure the energy absorbing action, use only the specified screws, bolts and nuts as designated, and tighten them to the specified torque.

Handle the column with care when it is removed from the vehicle. A sharp blow on the end of steering shaft or shift lever, or dropping the assembly could shear or loosen the fasteners that maintain column rigidity.