BT67Dart
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I'll look into norms.... what experience did you have with the 67 column?
67 Dart - Converting Steering Column to manual?
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matthon
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It fell apart.
The lower plastic bearing/retainer is a failing point, no availabile steel bearing replacement, parts are not easy to find or interchange with other years.
There is a bearing some say fits, but it doesn't.
67 is an intermediate year, shares some things from earlier years, some from later, some good (threaded speedo), some bad (steering column), some 67 specific.
67 Steering Column - Help
The lower plastic bearing/retainer is a failing point, no availabile steel bearing replacement, parts are not easy to find or interchange with other years.
There is a bearing some say fits, but it doesn't.
67 is an intermediate year, shares some things from earlier years, some from later, some good (threaded speedo), some bad (steering column), some 67 specific.
67 Steering Column - Help
BT67Dart
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Looks like you had some challenges with that column to say the least. The ER-16 steel bearing with the bronze sleeve looks feasible, would be able to withstand header heat as well vs. the plastic bearing insert. When I rebuilt a column for a 68 Barracuda, I had a bronze bearing made to fit. Worked like a champ.
I located a 67 floor console steering column, checking to part availability for it to make sure I don't get boxed into a corner.
matthon
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I bought it, it doesn't fit at all, still sitting on the shelf.
68 column hasn't had any issues with headers, big block so they're as close as they get.
matthon
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BT67Dart
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Nice find! Sent a message to seller.
BT67Dart
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Bought one! That will make things easier.
1967 console column
1968 column shift column
I'm missing the part that the turn signal attaches to
Left is the 68 column shift, shift tube
Right is the 67 console shift tube that supports the ring without the shifter lever.
1968 column shift column
I'm missing the part that the turn signal attaches to
Left is the 68 column shift, shift tube
Right is the 67 console shift tube that supports the ring without the shifter lever.
BT67Dart
Well-Known Member
Thank you for the pictures. You can definitely see the differences between the 67 and 68 years. I am taking the path of swapping out the entire column instead of the piecemeal approach. The latter of which looks like too much of a headache.....
Wise man.
One final thing.
The coupler for ps has a smaller spine than the coupler for manual steering, so if your new column doesn't come with it you will need to find one or buy new. The internals are the same.
BTW, if your new column is missing any parts screws bushings pm me I'll make you an incredible deal.
BT67Dart
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Will do. Thanks!
stillrunners
Just a wrench short of a full tool box !
Dang....learn something new every day - thanks !
stillrunners
Just a wrench short of a full tool box !
And wouldn't you know I have a bunch of 1967's....
stillrunners
Just a wrench short of a full tool box !
Thanks....but wouldn't you know my best one is most likely the 67 - 3 on the tree I took out to put in an automatic....
Map63Vette
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So is the only purpose for the inner tube to hold the shroud where the shifter lever would have been otherwise? Don't mean to hijack too much, but I'm planning an EPS swap into my car and trying to make sure I fully understand steering columns before I start buying stuff to cut up. I would just cut up what I have in my car now, but it's my daily and I'm sure it's not going to be a weekend job getting it figured out, so was looking into getting another column to play with. My car is a 67, but I'm fairly sure it does not have a 67 column in it right now. I found a 68 column housing in the for sale section here, but it's just the outer housing with no inner tube or shaft. I'm trying to figure out if that's going to cause more trouble in the long run or if it won't matter due to how much I'm going to have to modify stuff. My plan is to try to mount the EPS unit roughly in the area where the 3 bolt column bracket goes, so I would be sectioning the housing to install it inline and cutting up shafts just the same.
BT67Dart
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From what I read on the steering column manual, the inner tube was used for structural and vibration concerns. I have read that some don't use them, no idea if they had any issues.
Eps was something I checked on, but I already have too many projects for this car, don't want another one. Will be interesting to hear how yours goes.
Eps was something I checked on, but I already have too many projects for this car, don't want another one. Will be interesting to hear how yours goes.
I believe so. On the floor shifter cars the inner (shift) tube runs from the former shift column shift lever collar to the lower bearing. But does not rotate
Map63Vette
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Okay, that sounds promising. I think my column was originally a column shifted manual and I remember taking the shift tubes out of it, but it was so many years ago that I couldn't really remember what all it looked like. That would probably also explain why the tapered shroud behind my steering wheel is so loose as well. I can see where they bondo'd the old hole shut that the shift lever came through. I went to take it apart one day to see if I could mount the shroud better, but it was going to be more involved than I felt like getting to take it apart at the time, so I never got that far.
I'm also debating how much of the "collapsible" part is still going to be left by the time I get everything mounted. The EPS unit is going to sit pretty much right where the "mesh" part of the column is today, so that's likely going to be difficult to retain. I can still make the steering shaft slide as the unit I got is out of a Corolla and came with an upper shaft that has a slip yoke style setup, but it might be too long by the time I get it mounted in the car, and I'm not sure if I can make the housing collapse with it or not.
I'm also debating how much of the "collapsible" part is still going to be left by the time I get everything mounted. The EPS unit is going to sit pretty much right where the "mesh" part of the column is today, so that's likely going to be difficult to retain. I can still make the steering shaft slide as the unit I got is out of a Corolla and came with an upper shaft that has a slip yoke style setup, but it might be too long by the time I get it mounted in the car, and I'm not sure if I can make the housing collapse with it or not.
matthon
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It holds the steering shaft steady and straight from the upper bearing to the lower bearing.
It's integral to the column, if it's removed the shaft is flopping around inside the outer column from the steering wheel to the steering box.
You'll feel it in the sloppy steering, it's not safe.
If just the lower bearing is removed the shaft flops around inside the inner column, which flops around inside the outer column.
Either way, at the base, the shaft will make contact with the inner, or outer, column and wear out both.
Map63Vette
Well-Known Member
The inner tube I'm thinking of can't be attached to the shaft or it would have to rotate with it whenever you turn the wheel. There is a lower bushing and an upper bearing in my column that the shaft rides in, so it's fixed at both ends. The inner tube would have gone between those two points, but not extended fully to either of them as it has to be able to rotate independently with the shifter (if it's a column shift at least). On a non column shift I assumed this was just a filler piece that help the rear shroud that goes behind the steering wheel.
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