Need Power Steering Shaft
Doesn't that defeat the "controlled collapse" function of the steering column in a crash??
Yes it does to a degree. Please dont assume from that post that you could just tap the shaft from the bottom up after the steering gear is removed. Doing that would wreck the signal switch and other parts in the top of the column.
You'll need to take the columnapart down to the bare shaft to properly alter its length. More like 3 inches difference in amnual and power steering gearboxes. You probably wont need a different spline in the lower end of the box coupling either unless you put a later model power steering gear in it, which would also require a different pitman arm, center link, and idler arm.
Installing the correct year model steering gear is simple, just more difficult to find than the later.
If you could find someone parting a later model, get the entire steering.
That would consist of column shaft with box coupling, steering gear, pitman arm, center link, idler arm.