[artillerystevens]

I just tilted the steering wheel up when getting in my pickup and then back down. Hit the key and the key turned freely and nothing came on. The rod connecting the lock cylinder to the ignition module disconnected inside the steering column at the top. I took the steering wheel and top components off then the lock cylinder and the sleeve from the steering wheel to the where the tilt is. My question is, how the heck do I get it apart from there? Or how can I get inside and see what happened?

[artillerystevens]

Found a post on another site going into great detail on the tear down of a fiero steering column, luckily GM doesn't reinvent the wheel. or steering wheel in this case from vehicle to vehicle and mine was almost identical to that. It turns out my rack assembly broke. Looks like a cast aluminum piece to me. It seems like the jerk of the tilt steering popping up just gave it enough of a pop to snap. It is only 35 years old after all.
If anyone has the same problem and comes across this post here is the link:

http://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/088020.html

[Bryan59EC]

Been thru this twice on my 79
also 3 turn switches due to the tilt.
Tilt is the most used item in my cars is the tilt.

Broken racks and broken wires on the turn switch.

up - down - up - down-----wires and racks wear out.