What am I looking for?

[newby]

What would cause the steering column to move in and out about an inch? Not out of the steering box but just below the rag joint in that 2.5-3" collar. Is the a clip or stop somewhere? 1968 GTS no power steering. Thanks in advance.

 

[Jim Lusk]

There's no "rag" joint in a 68 Dart......

I'm not sure where your problem is, but I did have a problem once with the bolts that hold the collar to the column under the steering wheel.

 

[newby]

Your right ,its a metal plate with a rubber seal, not a rag joint . Didn't know what to call it.Movement isn't in the input shaft to the steering box but in the joint from the input shaft to the steering column.

 

[kocuda]

There are shoes and a clip under that seal and plate, in that small retangular shaped cup. Its filled with grease and the shaft just slides into it. If the shaft is moving up and down an inch or so the problem is in your steering column. Either the clip in the shaft is not in place( under your steering wheel) or the shaft which is 2 piece (slip joint) epoxi pinned, has popped. Either way its got to be in the column.

 

[2 Darts]

There should be a small hole in the coupler that connects the steering column to the steering box input shaft. There should be a roll pin in the hole. Without it, the coupler can slide up and down on the steering box input shaft. Also check under the dash to make sure all column bolts to the fire wall (5?) and to the underside of the dash (3) are tight.

 

[newby]

There should be a small hole in the coupler that connects the steering column to the steering box input shaft. There should be a roll pin in the hole. Without it, the coupler can slide up and down on the steering box input shaft. Also check under the dash to make sure all column bolts to the fire wall (5?) and to the underside of the dash (3) are tight.

Ya the pin is there. The steering shaft slides in and out of the coupler by about an inch. Must be whatever holds the shaft in the column housing.

 

[KosmicKuda]

This is a collapsible steering column that telescopes in an accident.
There are plastic pins (nylon?) that shear off when your chest hits the steering column. I would say these have sheared and need to be replaced. If anyone has a loose column out of a car, you need to be careful not to drop it on the bottom shaft end or you'll have the same issue.

I converted my 68 PS car to manual and the manual column I bought was already sheared. IIRC, I made some new plastic pins when I put it in the car. If you pull your column and and do some investigation, you should see the problem. There was somewhat of a visible paint or clean line I used to set the column length.

 

[newby]

Can I just put a stop collar on the firewall side up against the collar that fastens to the firewall, that the shaft comes through?

 

[chubsgts]

its probably the t bolts in the column
the hold the top half together i just went thru this with my 68
theirs two ring under the steering wheel the one furthest down has two t bolts that hold it all tight and stop that from happening

 

[newby]

its probably the t bolts in the column
the hold the top half together i just went thru this with my 68
theirs two ring under the steering wheel the one furthest down has two t bolts that hold it all tight and stop that from happening

Thanks I'll have look see.