Steering wheel bolt replacement???

[mercuryblues]

Hey folks!

With the Grand Marquis listed in my signature, I am planning to replace the cruise control switches on my steering wheel this spring (if it matters... the buttons control the cruise only and is not the optional multi-functional versions). Anyhow, I plan on removing the steering wheel to do this, but the Haynes manual says to replace the bolt holding the steering wheel to the column with a brand-new one when you reinstall it. Can anyone explain why that would be necessary? (Although I think I found a source to get one cheap if necessary, versus paying as much as $28 just for the bolt alone!!!) Thanks for your help everyone!

 

[kyxtremetuber]

Torque to yeild bolt

 

[Chris142]

Its a safety thing and they are covering their rump. The steering wheel is a press fit on the shaft and the nut is a lock nut. Its not going to come off even if the nut was loose. Getting a wheel off a column can be a major undertaking even with a puller. If your still concerned about it put blue loctite on the nut and reuse it.

 

[George7941]

Sometimes the manufacturer recommends replacing a bolt because the replacement bolt comes with a threadlocker properly applied and they have no control over how someone reusing a bolt will apply threadlocker to it. In your case, with the steering wheel being involved, it looks like Ford is applying similar reasoning. The Haynes recommendation must have arisen from a Ford recommendation.

When I had to pull a rear axle shaft out of my truck to replace a leaking oil seal, GM recommended replacing the lock bolt for the pinion shaft holding the pinion (spider) gears. I carefully cleaned the old bolt with brake cleaner, applied red Loctite to it and reused the bolt.