another steering column puzzle??

[northeastmopar]

While I had my column out during resto work, I decided to take it apart and also restore it as best I can. So I took it all apart and blasted and painted the parts. Put it back together and I am now trying to install the lower shaft coupler to steering box. What I am finding is that the inside solid shaft with the cross pin at the end needs to come down about 2" for me to line up the roll pin to install the grease packed coupler? Where I am confused is this collapsed tube thing? Mine appeared to be fine and I did see those plastic inserts. But if it did collapse that would mean it would need to get longer which contradicts the inner steel shaft as now it would be even shorter? One thing I did do was to install a tuff wheel and tuff wheel adapter. The adapter is original mopar? Would this change how far that solid shaft extends out the other end? My better judgement tells me NO. But the solid shaft is also registered in place by the other internals so it has to be where it has to be, if that makes sense? So what am I overlooking???? I only have about 2" off solid shaft protruding out from the inner tube? Not even enough room to install that grease coupler?

 

[grjammer]

You have likely collapsed the inner shaft. the plastic inserts you are seeing are probably just hole plugs at this point. If you changed from a power to a manual it would be short as well. remove the lower bearing hardware and retaining collar for it and try to extend the shaft.

 

[northeastmopar]

You have likely collapsed the inner shaft. the plastic inserts you are seeing are probably just hole plugs at this point. If you changed from a power to a manual it would be short as well. remove the lower bearing hardware and retaining collar for it and try to extend the shaft.

NO changes. Same steering column that fir perfectly before I played with it. Those plugs look like they are right in the slits where they belong> My issue is, even If I could pull that inner collapsible shaft down, that would make the solid shaft end protrude actually less and create more of a problem, correct?? My issue is that the solid shaft needs to move out beyond the end of the collapsable tube further, but I don't know how it can> Because it is bolted at the top end and everything up there works fine?

 

[northeastmopar]

I just tapped it out with a of the bottom so it is out about 4" now? I guess I will have to bolt it in to see if I went far enough out?? I am also noticing that there is basically two tubes and a solid shaft on my 72 Demon column. The outer tube has a mesh style center area that looks to be there to collapse upon impact. Then there is a tube inside that one which is a two piece tube with those white nylon slits which appear to keep those two tubes in place. Then we have what I thought to be a solid metal shaft which the coupling goes on the end. I have a white nylon washer in between the bottom end of the outer and inner center tubes which is then held in place by a clip from the outside which sits in 3 small slits. My inner shaft has nothing between it and the center tube. Just the open space around the shaft. I did notice that now that I tapped it down a bit, the solid shaft does have a through hole drilled through it like it was suppose to have a pin? Am I missing a bearing of sorts that keeps that solid shaft in the center of the inner tube and also prevents water from going up there??? I don't believe it was there when I took it apart and I did notice somebody had hammered the coupling like it was apart once before?? I think I may be missing something here??