steering coupling??????

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carls72dart

carls72dart

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Hi everyone! My name is Carl and I'm in a bind and need some help! I just installed a floor shift column in my 72 dart. I have manual steering as well. The column did not come with a steering coupling. So I found a coupling and rebuild kit and rebuilt the coupling. My problem is I can't get the steering shaft to slide down to the bottom of the coupling. I just about have it seated on the splines of the steering box and the parts on the inside of the coupling are at the top of the coupling. Without destroying the steering column, what is the best way to fully seat the column into the coupling????? Thanks for any and all advice:)
 
Should slide right in. Assembled like pic? Packed with grease? Not much else to it. Did it slide in when you put it together, before engaging splines?
 

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the spring will hang up on you sometimes. If you get the shoes started in the coupler then push in on the high side of the spring and it should all drop in for you. Best to have two people one to apply light pressure on the column while other works the guts into the coupler.
 
Those things are a PITA. I'd love to find the engineer who designed them and feed one to 'im
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone. When I bought the column, it was slightly collapsed and did not slide very well (had to be persuaded.) I believe the problem is the column and not so much the coupling. The shoes and spring clip sit in there very tight. I don't want to gouge my column. I filled the coupling up with grease and even greased the parts going into the coupling. I read somewhere in this forum to put locking pliers on the column and tap it in. I'm just looking for the best way. Thanks again everyone:)
 
All of the column mountings are adjustable but should land about center of those slots.
If the column shaft has been collapsed, there is the problem.
 
if you are having trouble sliding the column into the coupler check that
the little pin is not interfering (near the top of the coupler)
 
carls72dart said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone. When I bought the column, it was slightly collapsed and did not slide very well (had to be persuaded.) I believe the problem is the column and not so much the coupling. The shoes and spring clip sit in there very tight. I don't want to gouge my column. I filled the coupling up with grease and even greased the parts going into the coupling. I read somewhere in this forum to put locking pliers on the column and tap it in. I'm just looking for the best way. Thanks again everyone:)
Click to expand...

I'm confused now... There are 3 separate things here (at least)
1. The splines need to engage till the roll pin hole lines up with the open area of the gear shaft. You can check that best with the coupler off the column.
2. The column shaft needs to be able to move in the coupler. But the shaft/column does not touch the coupler. It's the new shoes from the rebuild kit sliding in the coupler body that are the main issue. The shoes seat on the pin through the end of the shaft and should be able to pivot before inserting in the coupler body. The spring pushes the shoes out to the side 'tracks' in the coupler. Was the coupler body completely clean. So how would you gouge the column?
3. Last but definitely not least (and Redfish already mentioned)- COLLAPSED Column? Sounds like a big red flag to me...What are you referring to?
 
If the column has been collapsed, can it still be used? Can it be rebuilt? I bought it from a member here and he said it came out if a 70 duster. I had an original post about the manual column being too short. Redfish said sometimes when the column is removed the shaft has to be pulled down. I tried pulling on it by hand but it didn't budge. It still had pin on the end of the shaft that the shoes sit on. I tapped on that lightly with a hammer on each side and it moved. I may have chose the wrong word "collapsed" to describe it. The coupling came with the manual steering box I bought. The coupling being mounted to the steering box is no problem. I wish I could add photos to help but my phone doesn't allow me to!!!!! Thanks again:)
 
The shaft is two separate pieces. An inner and an outer shaft. The inner shaft is held in place by some nylon set screws. In an accident, the set screws break and the shaft collapses.

I assume you are saying that you want to pull the inner shaft out a little farther so the over all length of the column is longer...correct?

There are two different length shafts...one for power steering(shorter shaft) and one for manual steering(longer shaft) It sound like your new column came out of a power steering car and is now too short.
 
Burdar, thanks for the info!!! It is a manual steering column. That's exactly what I was trying to say but of course screwed it up! The inner shaft had to be slid down further to go into the coupling. The inner shaft just didn't want to move to easily. I'm at a point where the shoes are at the top of the coupling and I'd like to seat them to the bottom of the coupling. Just not sure how to do that without gouging the inner shaft. Thanks for making a bit more sense of my post:)))
 
burdar said:
The shaft is two separate pieces. An inner and an outer shaft. The inner shaft is held in place by some nylon set screws. In an accident, the set screws break and the shaft collapses.

I assume you are saying that you want to pull the inner shaft out a little farther so the over all length of the column is longer...correct?

There are two different length shafts...one for power steering(shorter shaft) and one for manual steering(longer shaft) It sound like your new column came out of a power steering car and is now too short.
Click to expand...

bingo, you need a coupler to adapt the power steering to manual.
 
If you already have a manual steering column, and the inner shaft has collapsed a little, AND you can't get the inner shaft to pull back out....you might have to disassembly the column. Then you can spray the shaft with some penetrating oil and see if it will loosen up enough to pull out a little.
 
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