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Trying to do multiple things to my car right now (fix burned out bulbs, replace speaker, etc) and one of the last things is to pull out the driver's side dash to get access to the speedometer. I've been following this:
I've gotten to the 'drop steering column' step. I removed the bolts but my column barely moved, it just kind of stayed where it's at. How far is it supposed to move? I'm at this stalemate now where I can't move the dash panel any farther forward because of the steering wheel cover getting in the way...only way to go is kind of up and forward. Thanks!
I just dropped my '68 standard (no tilt/no tele) column....at first it only moved a little after removing the two large bolts....then I got a mirror and saw a 3rd bolt on the right side of the bracket....I removed it---wiggled the column a little and it dropped down about three inches....I also found there is much more room to work with if the steering wheel is removed.....
Hi Taylor,
There are 2 bolts in the steering column jacket at the point it passes through the firewall.
Those 2 bolts must be removed for the column to drop. With the bolts out the column drops a few inches… enough to get some working room behind the left side pad.
When those 2 bolts are removed the column MUST be supported at the steering wheel end because of the pressure an unsupported column would put on the rag joint.
Regards,
Alan
This is about the opening you get with a dropped, but not removed, column. It depends what you want to do if it's enough or not.
Hi Taylor,
There are 2 bolts in the steering column jacket at the point it passes through the firewall.
Those 2 bolts must be removed for the column to drop. With the bolts out the column drops a few inches… enough to get some working room behind the left side pad.
When those 2 bolts are removed the column MUST be supported at the steering wheel end because of the pressure an unsupported column would put on the rag joint.
Regards,
Alan
This is about the opening you get with a dropped, but not removed, column. It depends what you want to do if it's enough or not.
After I posted, I searched and found out that I needed to remove the firewall bolts too. Mine doesn't look like that Alan though, it has about 10x more dust, lol. I was able to get in from the side on tachometer and from the bottom on the speedometer...I was trying to go from the top before and that didn't work at all.
After I posted, I searched and found out that I needed to remove the firewall bolts too. Mine doesn't look like that Alan though, it has about 10x more dust, lol. I was able to get in from the side on tachometer and from the bottom on the speedometer...I was trying to go from the top before and that didn't work at all.
So it is the firewall bolts that help drop the steering column a few inches to get the dash installed?
What I did was remove the bolts that go through the firewall as well as the ones under the dash, but before I removed the dash bolts I supported the steering column by a strap from the steering wheel looped to a piece of broomstick (suitably padded) placed across the roof gap with the T top off. A light ratchet strap does the job nicely and allows you adjust things easily.
So it is the firewall bolts that help drop the steering column a few inches to get the dash installed?
Yep. But the bolts that hold the column to the large main brace have to be completely removed also.
The red arrows show the bolt holes for the main brace/those are the wrong bolts....The two firewall bolts holes are hidden on the firewall behind the brake pedal arm and the cooling fan relay (yellow arrows).......
On my 68 I had always "worked around" and not removed the steering column when working on driver side dash. Last time I had to work on my dash I just removed it..... egad! It makes things so much easier.
dropping steering column question
