From Power to Manual Column Options

[Cazbah362]

I have a 70 Duster which I am changing from an column automatic to a floor manual. What is the best route at the best cost or DIY, here are some ideas I have, what are your thoughts or ideas or suggestions.

Any modification to the current column will be to remove shifter arm, the indiator bar, and collar for column shift and install the roller bearing as suggested int he "How to Articles."

Weld an extension on?

FirmFeel adapter - 125ish adapter, and you still have to use your old rag joint

Flaming River coupler: 160 Adapter, to me the cleanest of the above items, just a bit pricey

Manual floor shift column, totally cleanest but they are difficult to find and expensive.

Suggestions, thoughts, ideas, past experiences

 

[ssba]

Its a good place to be undetected cheap if
you have the time, tools and the correct
spline factory coupler available.
Done a few of the 67- 69 columns myself.

 

[KosmicKuda]

If Flaming River still sells their flex coupling, that looks good but I believe there is not a sliding joint present. In other words, as the relationship from K-frame to firewall changes during driving, there is not a mechanism to allow for the relative movement. Think of it as the spline between a drive shaft and the trans output shaft. The factory coupling allows for that.

This may not work for you but this is how I did it. I bought an original manual steering column for $80 about 10 years ago from a guy in Detroit. One of my co-workers was going there for business and he was nice enough to hook up with the guy, give him my money, and bring it home. Buying it sight unseen of course it ended up being worse than expected. My original power steering column was in better shape cosmetic-wise so I ended up disassembling both columns and just swapped the actual steel inner shaft. It also came with a Chrysler coupling rebuild kit so that was a bonus. ($30 at the time)

 

[pishta]

I bought a manual shaft for a Auto column, it was 18 shipped from someone. Its a job to swap them out but you get to inspect all your steering wheel stuff while you are at it TAKE PICS at every step, some of those things in there defy logic in their placement. You can also weld on a 2.5 extension if your up to it. Buddy just bought a flaming river adapter, it wasnt the old male/female I described to him but more of a U joint setup. IIRC the male/female adapter was stock on some vans? anyone?

 

[rmchrgr]

I think the best way to go about this is to find a manual steering shaft and coupler with the correct collars. You don't need to find an entire column, everything else will be the same so you can swap the shafts, coupler and collars while re-using everything from your original. I always like to use factory parts if possible. Of course finding these parts relatively cheap or easily can be a task but look around enough and you will find what you need.

That being said, the Firm Feel coupler does the same thing as finding an original manual shaft. If you don't care what it looks like, then get the FF adapter and be done with it.

Technically you don't need the floor shift collars, they basically just make it cleaner and more 'correct'. You can remove the column shifter and the associated linkage and the column will function the same. However, if you just take out the shifter, the indicator and shift tube will remain in place. The lower bearing is basically used to keep the shaft in place when you remove the shift tube. The coupler and upper bearing will generally keep the shaft in place but the factory used a lower bearing on floor shift columns (no shift tube) so it's probably a good idea to have one there.

Also, IIRC, floor shift cars have a different type of key release so you need to get the little spring and bushing that goes inside the collar for that. I could be wrong on that though, someone will have to confirm that.

 

[Cazbah362]

Thanks all - I think I will keep looking for a reasonable column to replace this one.

If not, I will keep an eye out for a steel manual rod to replace this one with. Any ideas on who may have one?