Frustrating experience I had last night with Cruise replacement

[Mattchu60]

I replaced the multi-function stalk on my 87' last night. A 10 minute job turned into a 2 hour disaster. I got a new stalk for the truck and pulled the old one off, the wires for the cruise switch had broken off which is why it stopped working.

Took the bottom panels off under the dash for accessing the cruise plug, taped the new plug to the old wire and started to pull it through, no luck, it would go a little ways and then stop. Kept pulling back adn forth, all of a sudden the wire came untaped inside the column and pulled out the bottom, with the new wire still inside, so pulling it through was shot.

I decided to pull the cover off which is under the tilt to help it through, I didnt realize (or know) that held a few things in place and a few peices fell out upon removal. On top of that I couldnt get the dumb plug to go through the column.

Ended up comparing the new/old plug - the new one is about 3 times as thick and wont fit through the "tunnel" in the column for the curise wire. I was not happy about that, but frustrated beyond belief as I had made no progess and had a big mess on my hands. After about 30 min I figured out how to reassemble the parts inside the column which control the high/low beam and managed to put it all back together. I ended up routing the new cruise wire underneath the column.

started around 9pm, got done after 11:15. I did drive it and I now have cruise control, so not all was lost, but it should have been easier.

 

[Boone83K10]

you should have used either a mechanics wire or soldered them together and pulled it through.

but at least you fixed it.

 

[Mattchu60]

I got a new wire routed up there at one point, used some think copper wire. It didnt matter though, the plug wouldnt fit through the space.

 

[VAL]

You bought the wrong lever for your year truck. I did the same thing, I was able to get it through with a little persistence(I think I got lucky), and when everything was said and done, the dang lever wouldn't engage the right turn signal because the lever was a little fatter towards the shaft part that actually goes into the column and was rubbing on the opening. Turned out I had bought a lever for 89-94 GM truck. I eventually bought the correct lever, but had to cut off the end piece to get the wrong one out. Yeah I was bummed about fugging up a brand new lever, but I got the fugger fixed.