help with steering wheel connection

[c-gar]

I tighten it, it gets loose. The bolts/nuts aren't backing off, but something in the connection is. The play in the system is from the two bolts holding the steering wheel flange to the shaft. I assume the inner pipe could be collapsing and I'll soon find out when I take it off.
Any suggestions? Is this a common steering wheel assembly? What can be done to improve this setup?
thanks

 

[mckutzy]

It possibly could, the splines are stripped out, or it has worn a groove and that's why it spins...

 

[c-gar]

The tube isn't collapsing and looks to be in OK shape. The bolt heads appear to be pulling through.

Again, I don't know if this is a common setup or not.
There are no splines on the shaft, it is just two allen bolts going through the collar the steering wheel attaches to. The holes in the collar are drilled larger on opposite sides so the heads of the bolts rest on the steering tube and the nut pulls the collar against it. It looks like the holes in the tube were drilled out a little too big and the bolt heads are starting to pull through.
I'm thinking of getting a small piece of pipe or a roll pin to fit through the holes of the steering tube so the bolts would tighten against that and not the tube itself.

 

[c-gar]

quantity over quality

meh, it's close enough. but really, how much is my time worth?

I wondered why the cotter pin on one of the front wheel spindles was threaded through as a single strand and eventually found out that the hole for the safety wire was drilled off center. After a few broken drill bits I was able to get it straightened out.
Now I discovered why my front end alignment has been so difficult. The holes through the steering column are a little off center too. Anywho...

Here's the plan to fix my steering wheel from loosening up...
Bintelli website gives the steering hub description as follows:

I hope to add 3/8" spring pins as shown in red in this sketch.

This should stop the bolts from biting into the steering column.
I love Fastenal...
https://www.fastenal.com/content/product_specifications/SP.P.pdf

 

[c-gar]

I drilled through both sides of the steering shaft and slightly into the collar so the tapered end of the pin would bite into it. The cut end of the pin is flat for the head of the bolt to spin on. Hopefully it won't loosen up over time. If it does, I'll be getting a new steering column because the pin's can't be punched out from the other side. If it doesn't hold, there's really no point in keeping this one anyway so I figured cutting it out later if I had to wouldn't be so bad.

 

[bob58o]

I'm not much help, but have a cigar.... One of my favorite songs...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMr3KtYUCcI