Just installed new steering gear box on 54 today. Problem I have is tighten steering wheel up and everything was good. Drove and came home and shaft inside column was loose and whole wheel etc. was loose with a lot of play up and down. Removed wheel and the top bearing sleeve that fits into top center bearing had moved up partially out of top center bearing. Pushed top bearing sleeve back into top center bearing and installed wheel and everything was tight again. Drove around and same thing happened and steering wheel all wobbly again. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

 

I had the same issue many years ago. Turned out my Bearing was the wrong size. Only way to install it was using heat. Sent after disassembly to a machine shop. I did not have the equipment to properly heat the steering housing. And in stall the proper size bearing. AJ

 

Perhaps a dumb question but just to make sure,
do you have a spring under the steering wheel that keeps a... guess I will call it a "pre load" on the sleeve and the bearing inside the upper end of the steering column?

 

Well I really don’t recall on my 54 and I’ve been thru that on my 55 got a new Steering wheel and installed a new turn signal six wire switch. No spring on the top, what spring are you talking about? my horn button has a push spring. But it’s not a coil. When you say spring I am thinking Coil spring.AJ
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I'm guessing the discussion is around 3520 in this diagram which corresponds to part 8M-3520:

 

Thank You bmoran4! Yes, that's exactly the spring I was thinking of. Ford Parts calls it the "Spring- steering column upper bearing.
If I am remembering correctly that upper bearing sleeve is some what tapered, so without the spring I could see it popping out of the upper bearing as the truck is being driven and the steering wheel shaft is turned back and forth.