I want to swap out my non tilt to a tilt in the 74 F250 4x4. Is there anything i need to know or can i just pull a tilt and swap it in an hour?

What year tilts will work? I assume 73-79....

 

That would be wonderful if it could be swapped in an hour, but it ain't gonna happen!

Tilt wheel feature introduced in 1978. There are three different types: 4WD only; A/T only; 4 speed only. Not available w/a 3 speed manual.

The tilt columns are not the same as 1973/77. And 1973/75's w/4WD: It's a real b!tch to install a tilt column in one a these trucks.

1973/75 F100/250 4WD: The lower steering shaft & coupler attaches to the input shaft of the gearbox with a clamp and thru bolt.

1976/79 F100/250 4WD, 1979 F350 4WD: The lower steering shaft & coupler is a one piece assembly. Attaches to the input shaft with a rag joint.

1973/77 F100/350: The NSS is located on the column, same C4/C6 / 1978/79: The NSS is located on the transmission. C4 uses a different NSS than the C6.

 

Haha yea I knew it wouldn't be that easy. So is it doable then? Sounds to me that I should just keep the non tilt.

 

I belive your only going to find a tilt colum in a 78 or 79 atleast I've never seen a factory installed one in anything older.
I put tilt colum's in both my 77 & 76 4x4 F150's and niether of them took me much more than hour to swap out and both colums came out of 2wd 78's.
Hell it took me a month to find the one I put in my 76 just to turn around and buy a parts truck with one in it a week later. LOL
Your's being a F250 you mite have issue's with the steering shaft connections maybe ?? idk I haven't had a 250 in a while. I kept both my factory steering shaft's from the none tilt colum.
So as long as your steering shaft will slide over the spline's of the steering colum I would think you'd be fine

 

Hmm alright. I'm waiting for numberdummy do chime in again but from what he says it sounds like its more complex...... And I can get one from the parts yard right now so I'll see.

 

Yeah your's being a F250 I can't say it will be as easy as mine were but I'd be grabbing it up quick if it was me but I have to fight for them with a local jacka$$ that buy's everyone he see's and turns around and sell's them on ebay at $200 a pop so I grab them when I can

 

The problem, as I stated in post 2 is: How the 1973/75 4WD's lower steering shaft and coupler assy attaches to the input shaft of the steering gear box: With a clamp & thru bolt.

Tilt wheel intro'd in 1978. The 1976/79 4WD's one piece lower steering shaft and coupler assy uses a rag joint to attach it to the input shaft of the steering gear box.

The gearbox input shafts are different between 1973/75 and 1976/79. So how are you going to be able to use a 1978/79 tilt column with your 1973/75 input shaft?

gpence didn't have a problem because his trucks are: 1976 and 1977. If he had a 1973, 1974 or 1975, then what?

And btw: There are TWO different one piece lower steering shaft and couplers used 1978/79, they do not interchange. 1978/79: F150 Regular Cab & Bronco / 1978/79 F150 Super Cab & F250 & 1979 F350.

ALL 1976/79 4WD's one piece lower steering shaft & couplers are obsolete. Peeps that need one a these puppies have to use a Borgeson replacement.

1967/75 F100/250 4WD's use the same lower steering shaft & coupler. It's made up of 18 individual replaceable parts, including a u-joint.

 

Yea I guess I can't..... What about the aftermarket tilts that bronco graveyard has? Item number 27031A

 

I have no clue, as I dealt with genuine Ford parts for 35 years (1962/97), not aftermarket parts. Ask Bronco Graveyard if it'll work on a 1973/75.

 

here's my question that I'd ask "do you have to change steering shafts?" as long as the steering shafts connect to the steering colum the same who care's how the steering shaft connect's to the steering gear............... you see what I'm getting at here?

whos got a pic to post up of how the shaft connects to the steering colum on a 75 or older F250 4x4???

all I'm saying is if your steering shaft connects via the little block that slide's onto the splined steering colum's shaft it'll work just fine.

The tilt wheel thats in my 76 came out of a 79 F250 2wd

 

You don't seem to get it! 1973/75 does not connect the same as 1976/79.

1973/75: CLAMP & THRU BOLT / 1976/79: RAG JOINT (steel/rubber coupler). So, the steering gear input shafts are different.

1973/75 couplers are different than 1976/79 couplers. 1973/75 does not connect to the upper steering shaft the same way as 1976/79.

And, the 1967/75 F100/250 coupler is the same. There are FOUR different 1976/79 types. Two for 1976/77, two for 1978/79, none interchange.

The 1973/79 Ford Light Truck Parts Catalog is available on a CD (was scanned from the loose leaf paper version) from hipoparts.com. Get one, then y'all will never have to ask for a pic again.

FTE member mikeo0o0o0 has this CD catalog, will scan and post pics from it. I'm using this catalog on original FoMoCo microfiche slides.

 

ok thats what I was trying to figure out.
So he need's the steering shaft & gear from the truck with the tilt colum. simple as that.

When I buy & put together a 76 & older truck I like to swap out whatever I can from the 77-79's onto them. I like the tilt wheel's & ELE ignition & the steering linkage the T style from 78/79 has a better feel for the road than the older Y style set up

as far as pic's go if it was easyer to post them I wouldn't ask but it's a PIA so I dont feel the need to go thru opening a photo bucket account or whatever to do that.
If who ever wants to send me a CD catolog I'll take a look at it.

 

and none of your post address how the STEERING COLUM SHAFT ATTACH'S TO THE STEERING SHAFT. you only state that the lower side of the shafts mount to the steering gear box input differantly.
so yeah I got what you said 100% but you missed what I was getting at.

 

If you can stuff an integral steering gearbox on it you can swap a tilt column in. Heck, Dad stuffed a dodge NV4500 behind a 390 in his '75.

"If it's made out of metal, it can be fixed".