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Hello fellow Ford truck people! I am interested to hear if anyone through trial and error has found the best steering column to use in a 66 F100? I currently have a 4 spd and am thinking of doing an auto but want a column shift instead of putting a shifter on the floor. My truck is currently setup with power steering and has a different year column in it, I would guess a late 70's and only guessing that because it looks like the steering wheel out of a 77 half ton I use to have. Also if possible I would like one a bit shorter, I am 6'2 and there isn't much room between me and the steering wheel. I'm sure there are threads about different columns to use but thought I would just ask. Also because I am new here and need to build my post count! But any and all help will be greatly appreciated!
I have 65 with T18 4 speed and did not have to shorten column just the shaft. Also used the manual steering column collar and found the angle is slightly off requiring slight refab, possibly if I had gone with the p/s column collar would not have been an issue? Suggest if decide to try this route set in place to determine; in addition, not sure possibly later model shaft, which are shorter, would work?
I have a 78 column in my 66 and I took 4-inches out of it. Cost more in my time than in money...but it did move the steering wheel right up close to the dash. I had to shorten the column tube, shift tube and shaft all the same length and keep the tubes "clocked" to align. Instead of welding the shaft, I just cut it off the appropriate length and had the end milled to a double-D and used a Borgeson universal joint to adapt the double-D to the steering box splines. Took a lot of measuring but turned out well.
I have a 78 column in my 66 and I took 4-inches out of it. Cost more in my time than in money...but it did move the steering wheel right up close to the dash. I had to shorten the column tube, shift tube and shaft all the same length and keep the tubes "clocked" to align. Instead of welding the shaft, I just cut it off the appropriate length and had the end milled to a double-D and used a Borgeson universal joint to adapt the double-D to the steering box splines. Took a lot of measuring but turned out well.
i did something similar (or rather had a friend do it). I wish I took more off than I did, though, because the wheel is still a bit closer to my chest than I want. You can see the work in my build thread.