how to identify

[rbkt65]

what year steering columns are? i have the ones i brought home from moparty and have one from a 70 dart and a 71 dart(i think). how do i identify what years they are? all are column shift and i know that the blue one i have came from a 70 dart that i stripped out.

 

[Mr. Sinister]

The ‘70 column doesn’t have a 4 way flasher switch on it, it was in the dash.

 

[dd70340]

69 was the last year for the flasher switch on the dash. 70 was the first year for the steering wheel lock and flasher switch on the column. I think the 70 column with auto shifter is pretty much identical to the 71 column except for how the flasher switch operates. The 70 flasher switch is activated by pushing it in, however people were accidentally turning it on while exiting the car so the 71 switch was activated by pulling it out. The two switches are interchangeable so if the 70 column's switch was ever replaced it would probably be with the 71 and later switch.

 

[rbkt65]

Update. The 1 pulled from the 70 has a light under the 4 way knob. The other does not. But could that have been a lighting package?

 

[cudamark]

what year steering columns are? i have the ones i brought home from moparty and have one from a 70 dart and a 71 dart(i think). how do i identify what years they are? all are column shift and i know that the blue one i have came from a 70 dart that i stripped out.

Some photos of the columns might help us I.D. them. In 1970, the key was released by putting the shifter in Park. Later columns had a lever you had to push to release the key. The lock cylinders and housing also changed after '71 from a spring loaded blade retainer, to a round pin retainer. As in many years, the changes may not happen exactly with the model year change.