62 steering shaft coupler

Look on the top of the coupling; that is a plate that has ears that crimp over the upper edges of the sides. Are the ears all distorted and broken? It takes a lot of force to get the clips to clip back in place like a clamp. (See the link below)

If the ears are all distorted or broken, and you don't have the $$ for a kit, you might try to tack weld them back together with very light MIG welds, being careful to apply a wet rag quickly after each small tack weld to keep the heat away from the rubber.

Here is an article on rebuilding these early couplers:
http://www.1962to1965mopar.ornocar.org/ml-houstons-steeringcoupler.html