Steering Column Installation

[RobotMan 264]

I am trying to install the refurbished steering column in my sons Mach1. The problem is the steering column shaft is not reaching the rag joint. All of the parts are original except for the rag joint. The steering column has been completely disassembled and reassembled. I have made sure the lower slip bracket down at the firewall is as far up the shaft as possible. But I am still 1/2” short. Any ideas or maybe someone has run into this before. Also does anyone have access to take dimensions for how much the inner shaft extends out of each end of outer column.

thanks

Rick

[JET 445 43]

There is nothing wrong here, you just need to pull the inner shaft out a bit, you might need to give it a light tap with a hammer just to make it slide out.

[RobotMan 264]

1 hour ago, JET 445 said:

There is nothing wrong here, you just need to pull the inner shaft out a bit, you might need to give it a light tap with a hammer just to make it slide out.

I thought the inner shaft position was set by the upper bearing between 2 retaining clips and could not move. Am I missing something?

[jmlay 80]

The column is designed to collapse. The upper and lower shaft as I recall had a passage injected with a plastic, not unlike some modern ujoints, to keep the shaft from making noise. As stated a couple of raps on the end of the lower should break it lose and allow it to be extended for connection.

[Vicfreg 771]

Jet and jmlay are correct.   Pic below shows standard and tilt wheel steering column tubes and steering column shafts.  The third one down from the top is a standard steering column shaft that is common from 1968 and up.  1968 was the first year for the collapsible steering column.   There is an upper and lower shaft that are a near oval shape, the upper (inner) shaft is smaller and inserts into the lower shaft..  The pic has an arrow which shows where they meet. The two small holes originally had a thermoplastic squirted in there to "retain" the position. In reality, the upper part of the shaft is retained by a C-clip that traps the column in the steering column upper housing at the bearing.    The lower shaft is mounted to the rag joint.

So, just tap the rag joint end of the shaft until it moves out and is mated to your steering box side of the rag joint.   

When I rebuild my steering columns, I put a scribe mark on the mating point as the shafts can move around if you bump them during dis-assembly/re-assembly. 

Hope this helps.

 

[RobotMan 264]

Thanks guys!  Tried bumping it out this afternoon and it worked. Appreciated the help. 
 

Rick