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Hey guys I’m having a similar issue that everyone seems to have on the forum with a rebuilt or a reinstall of the steering column. I had Mine rebuild. It’s a ‘74 tilt. The shaft isn’t long enough to engage with the flexible coupling. I’ve been reading through JIM Shea’s papers and I’ve tried prying on the length to get that extra inch. It currently measures about 3.5 inches. (An inch short according to the paperwork). I’m afraid to hammer on it because the rebuild was not cheap. I’ve read that people have pryed on it and hammered on it. What methods have you guys used to lengthen the shaft? How did you guys pry on it or how should I pry On it? Thanks in advance
Install #1 Removed after install Install #1
You could install a Flaming River U-Joint. Then your problem will be that your column is too long. I'll barely have threads showing at the firewall using the U-Joint and a Borgeson box.
Otherwise, slide hammer, pulling from the rag joint coupler? It looks like your column could be partially collapsed (compared to my 79 T/T before I shortened it).
yes it is original to the car. Worked fine when I removed It
Check out the thread from my earlier post. Others have had the same problem. Could be the shaft took a light hit while the column was out, drove it back into the column? Others mention ways to extend the shaft.
Another thought, is the flange where the column bolts to the firewall tight up against the firewall? Nothing interfering with the fit?
Check out the thread from my earlier post. Others have had the same problem. Could be the shaft took a light hit while the column was out, drove it back into the column? Others mention ways to extend the shaft.
Another thought, is the flange where the column bolts to the firewall tight up against the firewall? Nothing interfering with the fit?
Ok I’ll check out your post. There’s the gasket for the Colum and a thin layer of ensolite maybe 1/4 inch max. I also Have the car on jack stands if that makes that big of a difference.
Went out and bought a pry bar. Reinstalled the column, and the coupler and tried to pry it forward but it keeps retracting back in. Is there something I need To loosen or remove for extend the shaft?
None of this makes sense... put your coupling back together...
The steering column has plastic sheer pins inside of it that will allow the lower shaft to collapse into the upper shaft if you are in a front end collision... this helps prevent you from being speared if there is a collision..
Did these pins get damaged when you had the column out? I'm not sure.. but the re-builder should have caught this when he had the column apart.
If you put the coupling back together, then put some channel locks on the lower shaft you should be able to drive it downward so that you can get it back into the coupler.
I found an old thread that someone had solved the problem, I PM’ed him, he sent me pictures and the how to. So the secret is to get a gear puller, Install it between the flange and the column. Then take a wood clamp and wedge it between the puller and steering box. Slowly tighten the clamp and it slowly pulls the shaft out. I actually Used a pry bar because the clamp I had Was about an inch too long. So i took the pry bar between the clamp and used the booster/Frame and pulled until it was enough to bolt it down. In the above picture you can see the blue mark I made To measure the movement. Got that extra inch!
I found an old thread that someone had solved the problem, I PM’ed him, he sent me pictures and the how to. So the secret is to get a gear puller, Install it between the flange and the column. Then take a wood clamp and wedge it between the puller and steering box. Slowly tighten the clamp and it slowly pulls the shaft out. I actually Used a pry bar because the clamp I had Was about an inch too long. So i took the pry bar between the clamp and used the booster/Frame and pulled until it was enough to bolt it down. In the above picture you can see the blue mark I made To measure the movement. Got that extra inch!
So you essentially pulled the shaft about an inch further out from the end of the column sleeve?
I wonder where the travel came from? If this works, great. I'm more curious as to where the travel came from.
Found this in Jim Shea's documentation, suggests the column can be compressed without necessarily breaking pins?
====================================
Steering Shaft Length Check
It is a good idea to check the length of the lower steering shaft #47. There are two
dimensions that can be checked; one while it is out of the column, the other when it is
assembled into the column. It is possible that the shaft could be compressed during
handling or when the steering column was removed from the car. The lengths for the
complete shaft are from the center of the yoke to the end of the shaft. If there is a
question as to exactly where the yoke center might be located, place one half of the
plastic centering sphere #46 in the yoke and measure from the flat surface
So you essentially pulled the shaft about an inch further out from the end of the column sleeve?
I wonder where the travel came from? If this works, great. I'm more curious as to where the travel came from.
The play came from the column being collapsed.. When the shear pins are destroyed the column will slip inside it's self by design... and the only way to get it to the correct length is to pull it outward and either re-melt the pins in place or just pull it where it belongs.
How this happened and like I stated above..... makes no sense... The rebuilder of the column should have caught this unless it happened in shipping or something.
It's really odd to find a column like this unless it's been in a crash... and/or again like I said above, possibly it happened in shipping of the column.
The play came from the column being collapsed.. When the shear pins are destroyed the column will slip inside it's self by design... and the only way to get it to the correct length is to pull it outward and either re-melt the pins in place or just pull it where it belongs.
How this happened and like I stated above..... makes no sense... The rebuilder of the column should have caught this unless it happened in shipping or something.
It's really odd to find a column like this unless it's been in a crash... and/or again like I said above, possibly it happened in shipping of the column.
Your saying if the column is collapsed at all, the shear pins are broken? I read about people pulling the shaft back to proper length. Is this safe? What's keeping the two shafts together, why no slop or play? I've never personally seen this shaft, asking out of curiosity, not challenging your expertise. Can the shear pins be replaced by a rebuilder? Jim Shea's paper implied the column may collapse easily if mishandled, seemed to imply the shaft can just be pulled back to proper length?
Jim Shea's paper specifies "1969 through 1976 4.70 inches to brg retainer face". It appears your column was extended about 3.7 inches in the photo. Looks like it was compressed?
Jim Shea's paper specifies "1969 through 1976 4.70 inches to brg retainer face". It appears your column was extended about 3.7 inches in the photo. Looks like it was compressed?
Yes, I think It was compressed an inch. I measured about 3.7 inches and extended it about an inch to get it to fit. I read Post after post of the problem and not a clear “how to” on how to get it back out.
04-29-2018, 10:00 AM
Steering Colum Install Help (Jim Shea Special)
