I have a 1979 150 4x4 auto with tilt steering which is wore out. I want to replace the entire column with a solid shaft model or install a solid shaft in my existing column if possible.[Borgeson?] Does anyone know what other vehicle solid shaft column would bolt in? Everyone seems to have a different idea and I'm totally confused. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

Get a none wore out from from a 77-79, I believe it at least needs to be out of a 4wd, to go back in a 4wd. Borgeson makes replacement steering shafts (for inside the engine compartment). https://www.borgeson.com/?target=sea...&including=all

https://www.ididit.com/search.html?f...7CFord%7CTruck

https://www.ididit.com/ag-1372677.13...ord-truck.html

Might reach to DRBFAB https://drbfab.com/

 

I replaced the non tilt column in my 79 F150 4WD with a tilt column out of a 78 F150 2WD. It fit right in. I'm sure you could do the opposite, non tilt 78-79 column into your 4WD. Naturally it will need to be an auto or manual column, same as what is in you truck.

 

Any reason you don't want to just rebuild it? Probably quicker than finding a decent replacement?

 

--- sounds good, am wundering about the wiring? Did it switch over to?

 

I actually just tore down my auto tilt column and converted it to a manual tilt column. Super easy, but to look factory it does require a piece of plastic trim that is only available on eBay and it's really expensive. I didn't lose sleep over it, though. I want my Bronco to look like a factory 4-speed truck.

The non-tilt columns are a pain because they either have a welded wrag joint flange or they're splined so the 2wd/4wd thing matters. Thankfully the tilt columns are much easier to interchange.

 

The 2 pins that hold the housings together have worn out the soft housing and are loose. I thought if a same year 2 wheel drive non tilt was the same it would be an easy switch. Will have to see about wireing and if bottom of shaft is splined or will connect to my shaft under hood.

 

Almost forgot, it's really, really easy to rebuild the tilt columns. The retainer clips suck if they break as they're a pain to source but other than that there is a nut that can loosen in the joint, and there are 2 bearings that are readily available. In 30 minutes you can tear the whole thing down and rebuild it, and it's not expensive.

 

Ahhh, gotcha. That would be a pain. Drill them and use some solid pins to take out the slop?

 

The wiring plugged right in when I made the swap from non tilt to tilt.