Steering column rebuild 67 barracuda

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Ahhh...I get. You're working on a column for a column-shift car that has the inner "shift tube" to shift the trans. Makes sense why it needs a bit of support down near the bottom as there is nothing else to hold it. Then the steering shaft itself is supported inside the shift tube.
Mine is a floor shift column and doesn't have the inner shift tube. It has just the steering shaft poking down out of the column to mate up with the steering gear through the steering coupler. Makes sense to me now!
 
Demonx2 said:
You're working on a column for a column-shift car that has the inner "shift tube" to shift the trans.
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'67, at the least, has the inner tube on floor shift/manual trans columns.
 
matthon said:
'67, at the least, has the inner tube on floor shift/manual trans columns.
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agreed. I have outer housing with the mesh part that is 2.25" opposed to the smaller diameter 68/69 and an inner tube that is currently a bit loose. Ill have to get it secured somehow. I think I may have mislead the conversation when I referenced the 'shift tube support'. I do not have a column shift, but I do have an inner tube, but maybe not a 'shift tube'.....not enough experience .....yet....to know what Im looking at.

Thanks all for the input and interest.
 
Well fellas,
best laid plans. upon re assembly I got too aggressive with tapping on the lower bearing. I had to tap a little more than when I was setting up before paint. Well the paint ended up taking up any tolerance I had on the lower shaft and I have collapsed the steering shaft. So, Im trying to get those little holes with the now sheared plastic nubs to line up but cant be sure if I have the correct length.

Whats the cure? anyone got a length? anyone ever just use one tack weld once length is set? tack weld would break just as easy as anything? I really tried hard not to bugger this up. Its somehow a blessing in disguise, but the disguise is so good, I am unable to see it.

I got some plastic things to hold the inner tube in place but they were for 68+, and I broke those too, so I am thinking of ways to hold that inner tube in place. this is a floor shift so this 'inner tube' is not a 'shift tube', although I might be the same size and the factory could have attached the column shift linkage to it. Im thinking of just touching up the 'webbed' part of the outer housing to make it fit the plastic pieces better so they dont break. I hope the pictures tell the story.
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Looks like the holes are lined up. Shaft total length isn't critical to thousandths. Column will adjust at its mounting to get the correct depth in box coupling. I don't know whats best to replace the factories plastic stakes. How strong it might have been? If they injected ABS, a 2 part epoxy fill might do. Are those white 68 pieces totally broken to falling out of just cracked? Where would any force to move that tube come from?
 
Thank you for the reply @RedFish.
The plastic jobbies are cracked but could work if I grind a little on the part they straddle. It appears either the paint buildup or being 67 column the 'mesh' part is slightly more robust. I have attached the factory's way of affixing the bottom of the inner tube. I did not replace the part as its hammered but now realize its job. my fault in not realizing what it was for. My quest now is to find it new or clean it up and re use it. One pic is up her dress looking at the inner tube from the bottom, next pic is of the collar with spring that keeps inner tube centered.
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clementine said:
So I wonder if a tack weld would be fine.
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I just don't know. It was a safety feature and I've read that the OEM plastic wasn't nylon pressed or driven pins but injected plastic of some density. Figer it out versus over thinking... that's where we are.
 
Imo, if the plastic keeping the collapsible shaft at a certain length is broken or gone it's not a big deal.
Once the column is mounted, the inner shaft can't get pulled out from inside the car because the upper bearing is locked in place with a clip, and it can't get pulled out the bottom.

If the inner tube plastic is broken that might be a different story, as the lower plastic 'bearing' doesn't 'lock' it in.

My garbage column before, from bottom up, locking collar, spring, steel ball bearing inserted into bottom of plastic. Other side of plastic has bottom of inner tube inserted into it. Plastic secured with bolt.

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This is the latest with this 67 steering column. I have used the ER16 lower bearing with a bronze bushing to take up the difference in the tube size. I will probably put some kind of set screw into the bushing for added peace of mind.
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I could not find or did not recognize what could be used to stabilize inner tube so I tapped in some 8-32 screws to hold it in place and also used (Mopar All 62-79 Steering Column Bearing & Isolator Insulator) for the upper bearing. I got the wires from........ah....cant remember. Made some bolts to hold the upper bell (to what I think is better....we will see) and am confident that the little plastic things that I broke when accidently collapsing the main steering rod are not an issue as I can barely get it to move (although it would collapse in accident). slapped some paint on her and now working on the steering wheel gettin the cracks filled. Oh, and check out my friends (yes, I actually have them) custom steering column holder for the vice!!!
 
I've read the 67 is different, I just noted mine is similar due to the size, main tube is 2.25"

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Have you looked through the discussion in How To?
www.forabodiesonly.com

How To Replace your Lower Column Bearing: Better and Cheaper!!!

72bluNblu submitted a new Article: How To Replace your Lower Column Bearing: Better and Cheaper!!! Ok, so this is for a floor shift column. It can be a formerly column shifted car, but the outer shifting tube has to be removed for this to work. Mopar originally equipped these cars with a...
www.forabodiesonly.com www.forabodiesonly.com
 
Mattax, I did look at that thread, its how I found this thread, I was just wanting to see where clementine found the bronze bushing, I couldn't find it
 
billsdartgt said:
Mattax, I did look at that thread, its how I found this thread, I was just wanting to see where clementine found the bronze bushing, I couldn't find it
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Found it!!

All yours Bill.

I checked out the steering column i rebuilt. It is a 67 (bigger tube). I did have to split it to increase the ID to go around the bearing.

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Clemetine - Thanks - I have found a few options I am going to try and see what I can do - I will reach out as soon as I know how things go. I do like the flange on the bushing you have vs. what I have coming, will see what works. My column is the bigger tube and in my 69 Dart, I have no way of knowing if its original based on all the info I have read but no reason to believe its not.
 
billsdartgt said:
Clemetine - Thanks - I have found a few options I am going to try and see what I can do - I will reach out as soon as I know how things go. I do like the flange on the bushing you have vs. what I have coming, will see what works. My column is the bigger tube and in my 69 Dart, I have no way of knowing if its original based on all the info I have read but no reason to believe its not.
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Bigger tube is one year only. (As you know, just reiterating for clarity) 1967. As a result the flange that centers it through the floor board is also 1967.

Keep in touch with other needs, Im happy to help.
 
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