Control Column Bearing

[randyjuen3]

I have a huge gap on my control bearing. Manual says to carefully sand inside of bearing so column shaft fits snugly within the bearing halves. "Within" meaning: completely inside bearing as if it is a solid block with a hole through it OR meaning that you will use the bolts to "sandwich" and tighten as needed?

Do both pieces need to touch? Is there a risk that removing to much material will result in a weak bearing?

[Mark]

Randy,
Ideally, you should have both pieces mate together to make a solid piece with the hole just big enough to fit the control column inside. This allows for even pressure when you bolt it down. The hole should just be big enough around the column to give you very little to no friction without any slop. I use a sanding drum on mine and just kept slowly working it until I have a nice smooth fit without any gap between the two. Hope this helps.