• Steering columns can be disassembled with some simple tools..Jupiterimages/Polka Dot/Getty Images
  
  Maintaining a properly functioning steering wheel is essential to driving any car. Steering columns involve not only the wheel mechanism itself, but the electrical wiring for items such as directional blinkers and hazard signals. Many steering column tools can be found at a general hardware store, but specialty tools may require a trip to an automotive shop.
  
  

Wrench

• Having a wrench handy is important when beginning to disassemble a steering column. Detaching a series of bolts on the interior and engine side of the steering column are essential to removal. Loosen any bolts under the plastic steering mast covering or those attached to the column firewall. Insulation and flange plates are often attached by bolts and will also require loosening to remove the steering column. Wrenches can be purchased at almost any hardware store.
  
  

Lock Plate Remover

• Once the bolts are loosened, the lock plate must be removed on the steering column. Detaching the lock plate allows you to access steering column mechanisms. A spring coil locks the plate into place, and the special remover tool easily releases the coil pressure without damaging the column or its connections. You can access important wiring -- such as the car horn connection -- after the lock plate is removed.
  
  

Screwdriver

• A Phillips-head screwdriver is another critical tool for working on a steering column. Screws often hold the turn-signal handle and/or ignition lock in place. Screws may also insert into lock plates to offer additional stability and security. The screwdriver is essential to detaching additional minor, albeit important, connections for maintenance once the steering column is entirely removed.