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I have been working on upgrading the feel and drivability of my 72 f250 4x4. I am currently stationed in Puerto Rico and have been working on my truck when I go home on leave. I am trying to get it ready for my change of station in July. I can finally have my truck with me again!! So anyways, My splines are stripped out where my steering column meets the steering shaft. I purchased a new shaft from jegs and it is home waiting till I get the other parts. I have a wheel from a 68 on it and it seems to rub your lap. Can I install a tilt column from a 78 4x4 250 into it? And also what can I do to improve the turning radius. My truck as it sits doesn't turn very well would probably take up all of 4 or maybe even 5 lanes to make a U turn. Thanks for your continued help!
Do you currently have manual steering or power steering? --this will matter as to what steering column you get, as I don't know of any tilt wheel columns for manual steering.
I converted from manual steering to power steering in my '69 F100 2WD using a Saginaw PS gearbox and a tilt wheel column from a '78 F150 with the gear selector on the column for an automatic. I have a C-4 transmission.
There were tilt wheel columns for a floor shift manual transmission but, they aren't very common.
The Bumpside through '77 Dentside trucks with an automatic had the NSS (Neutral Safety Switch) mounted on top on the steering column, inside the cab. Beginning in '78, the NSS was removed from the column and bolted to the side of the automatic transmissions.
The Bumpside columns will have two connectors coming off the turn signal switch that plugs into two connectors on the main Bumpside under dash wiring harness. The '73-'79 fixed columns and the '78/'79 tilt wheel columns will have a single (gray) connector that plugs into the main wiring harness connector.
The Dentside connector isn't compatible with the two Bumpside TS connectors on the main wiring harness. However, it is possible to wire the Dentside TS harness from the column into the main Bumpside dash harness WITHOUT cutting, splicing or butchering the original Bumpside wiring harness.
I made a 'patch cable' to go between the tilt wheel steering column harness and my '69 F100 underdash wiring harness, without cutting any of my original '69 main wiring harness. --details in the following link.
I don't know if this applies to 4WDs as well --especially since you already have power assist steering but, I had to replace the column support bracket (on the engine side of the firewall) with a shorter bracket and, I had to swap out the smaller column-to-firewall seal for the larger firewall seal.
My old fixed column manual steering support bracket on the left, shorter power steering column support bracket on the right.
My old (smaller) fixed column firewall seal on the left, larger Dentside power steering tilt wheel column seal on the right.
I found with the old closed knuckle axle the turning radius is wider then with the later 76 disc brake axle. This the only way to make it turn a tighter radius.
I'd Jack the front wheels up off the ground and check that your truck is turning stop to stop though.
I have been working on upgrading the feel and drivability of my 72F250 4x4.
My splines are stripped out where my steering column meets the steering shaft. I purchased a new shaft from jegs and it is home waiting till I get the other parts. I have a wheel from a 68 on it and it seems to rub your lap. Can I install a tilt column from a 78 4x4 250 into it? And also what can I do to improve the turning radius. My truck as it sits doesn't turn very well would probably take up all of 4 or maybe even 5 lanes to make a U turn. Thanks for your continued help!
I have a 3 speed automatic transmission and P/S
With 4WD, neither was available until 1973.
With swapped P/S, is the original steering column in place, or has it too been swapped?
1966 F100 4WD; 1967/75 F100/250 4WD:
See pic: Lower steering shaft and coupler (3B676) connects to the input shaft of the gearbox with a clamp (3D699) and thru bolt (354150-S).
I don't know exactly what has been swapped in this truck. I have only owned it for about two years and have been stationed overseas only working on it for a few short weeks at a time. I am not an expert on these by any means. I believe the steering column is original. it appears the column connects to the shaft by a clampdown style u-joint on the shaft. it appears to be stripped. I have no idea if the power steering is swapped and if it is what it may be out of. I posed a pic hoping to get some help identifying what I have. I also bought a 78 steering column with tilt in hopes that it will fit. I really have no idea.
I don't know exactly what has been swapped in this truck. I have only owned it for about two years and have been stationed overseas only working on it for a few short weeks at a time. I am not an expert on these by any means.
I believe the steering column is original. it appears the column connects to the shaft by a clampdown style u-joint on the shaft. it appears to be stripped. I have no idea if the power steering is swapped and if it is what it may be out of. I posed a pic hoping to get some help identifying what I have. I also bought a 78 steering column with tilt in hopes that it will fit. I really have no idea.
There is a u-joint (3815 in pic), but it doesn't connect the lower steering shaft & coupler to the input shaft of the steering gear box.
Should have a slip bell coupler for any body movement so you don't wear out the lower steering column bearing. Some thing has to give between the box and cab while driving.
Since it now looks like one fixed unit and can't move, and some has too give.
on my truck I believe 3814 clamps down directly on to the splines on the steering column seen on 3A526 in the pic. that is where it was stripped out. I bought a 1978 steering column on ebay. I am hoping to attach the 78 steering column directly to the stock steering shaft.
I have been working on upgrading the feel and drivability of my 72 f250 4x4. I am currently stationed in Puerto Rico and have been working on my truck when I go home on leave. I am trying to get it ready for my change of station in July. I can finally have my truck with me again!! So anyways, My splines are stripped out where my steering column meets the steering shaft. I purchased a new shaft from jegs and it is home waiting till I get the other parts. I have a wheel from a 68 on it and it seems to rub your lap. Can I install a tilt column from a 78 4x4 250 into it? And also what can I do to improve the turning radius. My truck as it sits doesn't turn very well would probably take up all of 4 or maybe even 5 lanes to make a U turn. Thanks for your continued help!
I know what you mean.I too have been going around with my steering column. Ultarranger (Steve) has good advice. It turns out on mine what happened when the power steering conversion was done they sourced a steering column out of a manual steering truck which put the steering wheel 3" closer to you. I was going to shorten my column but ended up finding one in good shape off e-bay. Measure your column and check out this site to see what you come up with.How to Shorten Your Manual-Steering Column - FORDification.com
Looks like the Ford/Thompson 'pencil neck' P/S pump.
The column isn't original to the truck, since it has the 1976/79 one piece lower steering shaft & coupler assy.
I was referring to the 3504. Do you recognize it Bill? Looks like the one on page 20 of the 73/79 illustration section 35.
Note. Even though the bottom of that illustration doesn't say it, that illustration also covers 77/79 F150/350 4X4.
