Steering Column got shorter....

-
frederick_76

frederick_76

Well-Known Member
Joined
May 2, 2010
Messages
771
Reaction score
146
Location
Milton, Wa.
Need some help here... I picked up a floor shift column for my 69 Valiant. When I was TRYING to install it, it felt like it was sliping onto the steering box just fine. But when I got out of the car to see how far it needed to go, I found that the shaft had slid all the way into the column.

Did something on the inside give way, can this just simply be pulled back out, or do I need to tear the column apart to pull the shaft back to the proper length? Thanks...

Oh, its a P.S. car and column....
 
plastic dowels of some sort hold the shafts together...design to shear the plastic dowels in a wreck and allow the column to collapse so it does not center punch you in the chest
 
Are you power or manuel steering? Is the column power or manuel.The colums are different.Manuel is longer, Power is shorter
 
70aarcuda said:
plastic dowels of some sort hold the shafts together...design to shear the plastic dowels in a wreck and allow the column to collapse so it does not center punch you in the chest
Click to expand...

So it needs to come all the way apart to replace the plastic dowels???
 
the plastic only stop the column from coming out....which the steering box should do anyway.....

i dont know who still sells them....
 
Its a plastic/epoxy injected into the void between the two pieces to hold them in position for assembly and keep it from rattling.
I extended a ps column from an F body to fit my Demon by separating the two pieces about 2" and drilled holes through both pieces. I drove nylon "roll pins" through the holes to hold it in position. :-\"
 
Jimacuda said:
Its a plastic/epoxy injected into the void between the two pieces to hold them in position for assembly and keep it from rattling.
I extended a ps column from an F body to fit my Demon by separating the two pieces about 2" and drilled holes through both pieces. I drove nylon "roll pins" through the holes to hold it in position. :-\"
Click to expand...

That is some good info... Thanks jimacuda..
Looks like I need to find instructions on how to pull it apart to do that...
 
Mine also collapesed and I drilled mine out and installed small brass bolts. Figure brass is soft enough to shear.
 
straightlinespeed said:
Mine also collapesed and I drilled mine out and installed small brass bolts. Figure brass is soft enough to shear.
Click to expand...

There is enough travel in the box coupling to make one think the shaft itself moved.

Brass would bend and smear for lack of a better term. Anyway it wouldn't allow the parts to slide very easy after it did become 3 pieces. I'm really not sure it would work at all.
If I was replacing what the factory used there, I would use Plast-Aide.
 
RedFish said:
Brass would bend and smear for lack of a better term. Anyway it wouldn't allow the parts to slide very easy after it did become 3 pieces. I'm really not sure it would work at all.
If I was replacing what the factory used there, I would use Plast-Aide.
Click to expand...


Well since I have a very odd noise in the upper column when I turn the wheel. Kinda sounds like something is loose and banging around. So when I take it apart, I have a 2nd manual shaft and may swap it out. I would install the plastic roll pins if I knew where to find them.
 
I ran my 75 Dart Sport for years with the plastic pin sheared. Never had an issue.
 
Here we go again.
A simple question and not one answer to the actual question.:banghead:

Slide it back out and run it, or take it all apart and fix/mod it.
 
You should be able to put a pair of vice grips on the bottom of the shaft and tap it back out.
Once it's in place it should stay. I've also see some small u clamps at the base of the collar to keep them from sliding back in.
 
I wouldnt waste my time pulling the entire column. I would also slide the shaft back into position and run it.

If your not comfortable with that. Then you will have to pull the column and like stated above pin it back into place. Much more time consuming, but piece of mind.
 
TrailBeast said:
Here we go again.
A simple question and not one answer to the actual question.:banghead:

Slide it back out and run it, or take it all apart and fix/mod it.
Click to expand...

I do appreciate all the advice, but that's what i wanted to hear. Thanks guys!
 
I found this one in the shop. Put a clamp like this on it and it CAN'T slide back in!

shaftclamp.jpg
 
straightlinespeed said:
Well since I have a very odd noise in the upper column when I turn the wheel. Kinda sounds like something is loose and banging around. So when I take it apart, I have a 2nd manual shaft and may swap it out. I would install the plastic roll pins if I knew where to find them.
Click to expand...

I found them in the wall of trays at the local ACE hardware.
 
This is a related question, so rather than start a new thread I will stick it in here... my 73 Duster had 4-speed, and manual steering. During the restore, I have decided to switch to power steering. The aforementioned plastic shear pin is sheared on my manual shaft..... any opinions on the wisdom of just sliding the shaft on down to the correct length for a power steering box, then using a power steering coupler to finish it? I also have a 73 Duster power steering column I could disassemble and get that shaft (probably not sheared, either) but don't know if I want to go through the extra work. There is plenty of other stuff to do on the restore!
 
The manual steering shaft is already too long for the power steering gear by about 3 inches. You can leave the manual shaft collapsed that much but you have defeated its safety feature.
 
I should add this, if you have a good tight coupler with its cap still in place, its best not to feck with it. There is a lot of work and aggravation hiding under that little cap. Its easier to swap an entire shaft than rebuild the box coupling.
 
I accidentally sheared my pin cause I set the column down a bit hard on the concrete. So, I clamped a pair of vice grips on lower part near coupler and tapped downwards / outwards on the top side of VG w hammer to the correct length and the plastic shear pin holes were nearly lined up.

IT seems unlikely mine would slip in or out on its own considering how much force was required to pull it back out to position.

A person could get a plastic bolt at the hardware store and drive into place where the shear pin resided.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top