STEERING COLUMN DILEMMA

[WAYNE0]

This duster im working on for a guy is almost done. He took the steering column home and painted it. When he took it off he took it apart where those 2 little square pieces go into the coupler that goes onto the steering box. Now when he brought it back we put the column through the fire wall and tried to put it back together no go. So i took the coupler off the steering box and put it together out of the car. So now we put it through the fire wall again and i tried to put the coupler on the splines on the steering box and its way to short. It has about an 1/2 inch before it even touches the first set of splines. What am i missing ? Hope i explained this ok. Thanks

 

[cudascott]

is it manual or power steer? The steering shaft is probably collapsed very common. They are designed to collapse in collision and the nylon shear pins are easily broken when removing the shaft from the steering box.
if you have correct column for the gear box just pull the steering shaft out to couple it up.

 

[WAYNE0]

Thanks the steering box and column are original to the car. The last time we tried to install it and with me in the engine bay and him in the interior he tried tapping the shaft with a 2x4 and hammer and i still couldnt get it on the splines. O its power steering

 

[Murray]

Those "little square pieces" in the coupler may install in only one direction. Back out the column and detach them. By hand, run them into the coupler body and confirm that they move up and down through their full travel.

 

[WAYNE0]

Those "little square pieces" in the coupler may install in only one direction. Back out the column and detach them. By hand, run them into the coupler body and confirm that they move up and down through their full travel.

Yes they do They are in right.

 

[Murray]

I have to think that your column is partially collapsed.

 

[WAYNE0]

Yes it was collapsed. Thank you all.