-mikko- 10 Report post Posted February 12, 2014 ...today I was going to remove that old cracked grant rubber steering wheel and install Nardi wooden steering wheel. As you might know, hub was tight, I mean really tight!!! Before using any puller tools I deciden that I just grab that wheel and pull hard and so I did => result was that hub stayed in place and whole steering axle inside column moved inch out!:scared: Will I broke anything if I just push it back in? It seems that it is not going straight back into its original location. Should I take whole steering column away from car or how should I proceed? Thanks allready:blush: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
69volunteer 84 Report post Posted February 12, 2014 The steering wheel is attached to the inner column which is attached to the steering box through your rag joint. I would check there first. That has a splined connection that is held in place by a bolted clamp. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miketyler 15 Report post Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) The main shaft is actually two pieces where one slips inside the other. I am told this was part of an impact absorbing design. I learned this when i did my tilt conversion using a 71 Lincoln tilt column. There is a step in the process where you must extend the length of the donor column shaft to the same length as the original. EDIT: after thinking on this, the 2 piece shaft was a design feature of the tilt unit. The fixed steering was a one piece shaft. The only movement then would be as Volunteer described in the rag joint. Edited February 13, 2014 by miketyler Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-mikko- 10 Report post Posted February 13, 2014 I´ll check that rag joint first, I have non tilt column in my car.. Thanks!!! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Grabber70Mach 107 Report post Posted February 13, 2014 I thought that in 68 it became a federal mandate for manufacturers to have colabsable steering columns this would be a two piece steering shaft. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmlay 80 Report post Posted February 13, 2014 The 69 has a collapsible shaft. It is 2 pieces, lower slides over the upper. If I recall correctly they are injected with a plastic so that the 2 pieces do not rattle, appear as a single part. When it collapses the plastic will fracture & the shaft will compress. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miketyler 15 Report post Posted February 13, 2014 My 70 fixed steering had one piece....now I need to go back and look and be sure. Regardless, one inch is a lot to get out of a rag joint! Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmlay 80 Report post Posted February 13, 2014 Agreed, it will not be th rag joint unless it is completely destroyed. I can dig out mine this weekend & take pictures if needed. Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
jmlay 80 Report post Posted February 13, 2014 (edited) Mike, I found an image online depicting the 2 piece shaft. Note the 2 white dots, this is the plastic bonding material that holds the 2 pieces together and allowing the shaft to collapse.: Edited February 13, 2014 by jmlay Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-mikko- 10 Report post Posted March 15, 2014 It seems that those plastic pieces were so brittle that it gave up! Rag joint is ok, but I can pull steering shaft easily out or press in :helpsmilie: Is there any fix ideas or is this time to buy Flaming river, ididit or CPP tilt column :huh: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
miketyler 15 Report post Posted March 15, 2014 (edited) I went and looked at mine and indeed it is a 2 piece unit and telescopes. The telescope function is a force fit and the plastic supplies this friction. I have not had the shaft assy apart on mine butI think it would be a simple matter to pull them apart and fix the plastic friction insert. I think you may need to pull the column though to do this. The unit is designed to take compressive force. Extending it may have slipped past the machined area and the plastic is loose and floating in the outer housing, Edited March 15, 2014 by miketyler Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Rsanter 152 Report post Posted March 15, 2014 There is a snap ring on the bottom and top of the collumn bearing. You are either missing the bottom one or you poped it out of its groove when you pulled the wheel. Take the collumn out and take it apart. It's not that much work and not that hard to do Get everything back how it should be and you will be fine Bob Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
-mikko- 10 Report post Posted March 16, 2014 There is a snap ring on the bottom and top of the collumn bearing. You are either missing the bottom one or you poped it out of its groove when you pulled the wheel.Take the collumn out and take it apart. It's not that much work and not that hard to do Get everything back how it should be and you will be fine Bob That upper part of steering shaft moves up if I pull, snap rings are in place => it actually pulls that bearing out of it´s location, because it is not that tight (there is rubber around it)! I believe that I indeed must take that column out... Trickiest part of removing that column is ragjoint bolts, because my car is with manual transmission and clutch linkage is in the way along with disc brake master cylinder... Good thing is that I´ll be able paint the column at the same time :thumbup1: Quote Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
