FNG here. I've been using your advice for quite some time now but never posted. I have a 77 ford f150 with power steering and automatic. I am in the process of rebuilding the steering column and it got put on the back burner for a while. I forgot if the spring in the lower part of the column goes above or below the shift linkage. Please help. As soon as I get time I'll detail all the work that has been done to it and post some pics. Thanks in advance, I couldn't have gotten this far without you guys.

 

Above the shift linkage.
I'll post an exploded view of the column in a minute.

 

Exploded illustration from the Ford parts catalog.
The spring is basic part number 7379.

 

Thanks Mike oOoOoO. I thought that's how the diagram described it but I was thrown off a bit by this article: How to Shorten Your Manual-Steering Column - FORDification.com (fig. 11 and step 3 of reassembly). One of the first things I did after buying the truck was ordering the manual on cd but for some reason the section with my steering column is missing. I didn't want to pay what people were asking for a column so I hit the JY and have pieced one together eliminating the broken and/or worn parts from each. I'm just about done after the paint dries and reassembly. I used the inner shaft, collar, bearings, c rings etc.. and outer tube from the 77 4wd. I used the shift tube, part that holds the recently replaced by po turn signal switch (after knocking out the bearing), and steering wheel off a 73 2wd. I've been running a column out of a 78 f250 in the meantime (had to rewire harness and no NSS). I'm almost there. It has been kind of a pain but at least now I know. Also, somewhere along the line in my trucks life someone took a lot of shortcuts and easy outs. Every project is a new adventure.

 

Sorry to bug you again but in the diagram part #3668 wasn't on my truck. It was on the 73 so I grabbed it but my firewall doesn't have holes for it?

 

That's odd. I've never seen a firewall that didn't have the holes for the bracket.
I know the manual 2WD and all 4WD are the same. The 2WD power steering bracket is different. It's easy to tell the difference, the bracket for the power steering version has "P STEERING" stamped on it.