69 Valiant with Flaming river box, too short.. Help

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408STRKR

408STRKR

MrMopar
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Hey guys,

Bought a flaming river steering box and the steering shaft is too short by 1/2 inch or so. I had the same problem with stock box however the car was built by someone else prior to me. It look like a manual steering column not a p/s. The steering column does not look to be collapsed, do I just purchase a coupler? Is the steering column shaft adjustable in length at all? I found a borgeson one on manicini racing for $124 bucks. What do you suggest? Anyone else have this problem?

Jay
 
Let me chime in son...

additional info...the original column shift collar was replaced with one from a floor shift model. IE. the collar doesn't have the "ears" that the column shifter attaches to.
If the previous owner did this collar swap incorrectly, could that result in the steering column being 1/2"-3/4" too short?
 
More additional info.
Just referred to an old Chilton manual, "Steering Wheel Removal" 63-69.
It states:
CAUTION: On models equipped with a collapsible steering column, never hammer or bear down hard on the wheel during removal or installation. Either of these may cause the column to collapse which means that it will require replacement".

I have a feeling that's what happened with our column, especially considering the swap of shift collar by previous owner. He probably banged and wacked the thing to replace the collar.

Anyone able to confirm this suspicion? Can we "stretch" it back to original length? If so, does the column need to be removed?

I may PM "ssba", a FABO Senior Member as he posted some great info before.
 
It could be collapsed, only a couple of plastic pins hold the column at it's original length. if that's all it is you can just slide it to where you need it.

But, it could also be that your steering shaft was for a power steering box. They're shorter than the steering shafts for manual steering boxes. If that's the case, you need an adaptor or longer steering shaft.
 
Thanks 72bluNblu.
When you say "just slide it" I'm assuming it requires some force to move it? We tried to pull it (the shaft with the coupler on it) toward the s/box but it didn't budge.
If so, is it acceptable to clamp something to it and give it a few good blows with a hammer without damaging anything inside the column?
It's only short by 3/4" so we doubt it's a p/s column.
We appreciate your advice!
 
Take a medium pipe wrench,adjust it to the shaft size,pull down on it and tap it down with a bfh to desired length.
 
Thanks Sedanman! I'll give that a try and will update this thread when accomplished...in a few days.
 
If the spline in the end of the coupler is small (7/16- 3/8),it's a PS coupler. If it's in the 1/2" range then it's a manual. What box was on the car? Also make sure you line up the splines correctly. When the steering is straight there is a gap in the splines on the box that line up with the gap in the coupler. If the coupler is greasy I scribe the grease to mark the spot or scratch it if it's clean. It makes it easier to line things up.
 
Sedanman said:
If the spline in the end of the coupler is small (7/16- 3/8),it's a PS coupler. If it's in the 1/2" range then it's a manual. What box was on the car? Also make sure you line up the splines correctly. When the steering is straight there is a gap in the splines on the box that line up with the gap in the coupler. If the coupler is greasy I scribe the grease to mark the spot or scratch it if it's clean. It makes it easier to line things up.
Click to expand...

.............and.............if the coupler has been apart and assembled 1/2 turn off, you will find this puts the steering wheel upside down.
 
Good info, thanks guys.
The old box was stock manual and the original build sheet says it was manual steering from the factory. The previous owner changed the shift collar below the steering wheel (or the entire column?) as the original column shifter was removed for a floor shifter.
When we removed the old box we were shocked to find the coupler had only been attached to the s/box splines by about 1/4". We are lucky it didn't disconnect while racing it!!
Our little Valiant looks great but we've been amazed at several "backyard" fixes and mods we've encountered since owning it. It was very apparent last fall when #1 piston and rod went through the cylinder wall with all the fanfare you'd expect. Out with the 408, in with a frisky little 340+40 stroker. A nice 904 rebuild has been done also, mainly because we couldn't trust what the previous owner had done to that. Out of money now, lol, but can't wait to get the steering right and drop in our new combo.
Sorry for the long story...too much info, I know. :)))
 
:cheers:

Thanks to all of you who advised us on this steering column issue!

My son successfully (and easily) lengthened the steering column using technique above and it worked perfectly...even the steering wheel is centered now.

Again, thank you Sedanman, 72blu and others for your input.

Tess and Son
 
in the States....the bigger the hammer the better. American ingenuity at its finest!
 
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