I own a 1996 Chevy suburban that I need to give some tender loving care to. The first problem I have to deal with is that the steering wheel lock locked up. I couldn't get the key out of the ignition, I couldn't turn the key, and the steering wheel was locked. I was stuck in the middle of nowhere and had to take unconventional and drastic measures in order to get the car started. In doing so the housing around the steering column needs to be placed as well installing new ignition. Currently I use a screw driver to start the car. Before I jump into this with both feet and fix it, I would like to get an idea of how easy/difficult it is to be replaced the housing(DIY) or bite the bullet. Could someone point me in the right direction as to what parts I need and where to find them? My next problem I need to address maybe more difficult. I get this grinding noise sometimes coming from what I think is the transfer case when I put the car in reverse. Up until now all I do is stop put in drive and back onto reverse. Can anyone suggest what might be causing the problem?

 

steering column... buy a used one. cheapest way out. BE VERY CAREFUL with the airbag as you DO NOT want to eat it... Heed my warning !!! A good service manual is always the best bet before you start any repair.

every time you put it in reverse or just when it's cold. suspect the brakes first. then check the drive line next

 

Thank you for your response. I too was a bit concerned about the air bag and since your was the first and only response I had received I decided that the best option was to go ahead and have a mechanic do it for the tune of 800 bucks. They were able to remove and replace the ignition housing and install a new ignition.

 

Good for you... Now onto the grinding noise