I just picked up a steering column out of a 75 today to replace the column in my 74 (F100, not sure what the "new" column is from but am assuming half ton since that's what I wanted). I have noticed some very slight differences in the columns and wanted to confirm my suspicions with anyone else who has any experience with these.

On my 74, when I look at the steering column under the hood, I can see the open end of the column, the end of the shift tube, and there seems to be a round, metal flange, about 1/2" thick, on the steering shaft just beyond the end of the tube/column and before the rag joint flange. Supposedly, the lower bearing in my column is gone, but looking at the exploded view that is on here somewhere in a related topic, there is no lower bearing on these columns. I don't recall there ever being any kind of "cap" on the end of the column, but had a cab mount failure a few years ago which tore up some of that stuff (rag joint and supposedly the lower bearing). If might have gotten destroyed by the weight of the cab resting on the steering shaft for a year or two.

Now, on the 75 column, there is a plastic bushing cap in the end of the column that hides/contains the end of the shift tube. I haven't taken it apart yet, but I suspect there will not be a lower bearing in there, either.

I have a 76 4X4 also, and it has the same or a similar plastic bushing cap at the end of the column. Of course, the steering shaft is longer and u-jointed to reach the gear box that is about 18" further forward as compared to the 2wd 74.

Can someone who has had one or any of these columns apart before enlighten me regarding if I'm correct in my assesment regarding the lower bearing? I just don't see where or how this would fit in the 74 column unless there is supposed to be some type of bushing cap.

I also saw a column for sale on Ebay that had the "full metal conversion" on the lower end. I couldn't make out the picture very well, but it looks like the plastic bushing cap was replaced by a metal one, similar to a pilot bearing in a crankshaft.

Thanks for the help.

Matt

 

I just redid my 74 F-250 4x4 steering column. The 73-75 4x4 ( I believe) steering columns did not use the plastic type end bearing. The 77-79 steering columns did use the plastic end bearing. However, the 73-75 did have a lower bearing, it was a pressed fit sort of affair and did not cover the end of the column like the plastic one does. It was countersunk into the column about .25". Ford still makes the upper and lower bearings for these style columns as I purchased them for mine. You said that the 75 column had the plastic bushing so I must be wrong on the years they were used but just because it has a plastic end housing does not mean it does not have a lower bearing (All steering columns of this vintage have lower bearings). The bearing is pressed into the plastic on the inside. Now, the flange that you see on the inside of your 74 steering column is where the bearing is pressed into. I don't understand why your lower bearing would be entirely missing as there is supposed to be a steel clamp attached to the steering shaft that will not allow the bearing to fall out of its pressed fit housing. If I were you I would just purchase the lower bearing from ford for this style column and press it in ( its faily easy to do). Or if you like the idea of a covered end housing purchase the one on ebay. you will have to modify the end housing of the 74 by welding a ring of metal on the inside of the housing so you can mount the steel end cap on. Or just swap steering columns to the 75 it will take a bit more time though.

 

Thanks for the input, Highboy. Just to clarify, this project is on my 2wd, but other than the steering shaft being longer, I can't think the columns are much, if any, different. I started dismantling the "new" column from the 75 today. So far, I can't see that it has a bearing in the lower end of the column, either. Just that plastic bushing, and neither it or the new one I have look like they will really hold the bearing, just keep it from sliding down the steering shaft to the rag joint. I measured the shaft diameter of my 76 4X4, thinking I might order the bearing/bushing combination made for that year, and put it on this column for the 2wd, but it looks like it is about 1/8" smaller in diameter than the shaft in this "new" column--5/8" vs. 3/4". The bearings I got from JBG are 3/4" inside diameter, so they seem to be the right ones.

You see, what puzzles me about the column I'm replacing in my 74 is that the end of the shift tube seems to stick out a good 1/4" from the end of the column. On the 75 column, there is plenty of clearance to allow that plasitc bushing to seat in the column, so I'd guess it's about 3/4" or more shorter than the column. I don't have it all apart yet (bolts on my steering wheel puller are so mangled I need to get some new ones tomorrow and pull the wheel off to finish disassembly).

When you said that Ford still makes these bearings, did you actually get your parts from Ford? I asked the local dealers parts counter, and they indicated I'd be lucky to find anything, and would find nothing from them. I ordered from LMC truck and Jeff's Bronco Graveyard for my parts.

I have a quesiton about the neutral saftey switch accuator; on both of my trucks, it looks like a shaped piece of u-channel, but I can't see how it's attached. On this one, it looks like a machine screw, star washer, and nut with heat-shrink tubing around the threads of the screw. One of the reasons I'm digging into this project is because I have had to bypass my NSS for several years because the accurator seems to have broken, not off but enough that it won't reliably hit the switch. I got a new shift tube just in case I needed it once I got this all part, but it doesn't have any indication how the accuator is attached, but it does have the same holes as the shifter tube in the 75 column.

Thanks again for you input and help. If my descriptions don't make sense and you'd like, let me know and I'll get some pictures of it to post or send.

Matt

 

Well, it sounds a bit unusual that your 74 column has its shift tube sticking past the end of the column housing. Mine had the shift tube and linkage about 2.5" above the end of the column. It sounds to me like maybe the shift tube has been incorrectly installed or it is an entirely different setup. My shift tube had a coil spring attached to the very end of the shaft in order to give it some preload when shifting gears. I would have no idea how yours would operate without this. I probably need to see a picture in order to fully understand your predicament. In order to properly hold the steering shaft in line it must have a lower bearing/bushing as I can not see any other way around it. I did buy my lower bearings directly from Ford. I have noticed that some Ford dealers have incompetent countermen and claim they do not carry a particular part when they most surely do, this has been my own personal experience. I am very interested in your current situation and would like to hear what you find out. Keep us posted.

 

Yeah, now that I've had the other column apart, the current column makes even less sense. I'm looking foward to the swap so I can see just how screwed up this thing is.

When I got the replacement column apart, there was indeed no lower bearing, just the bushing. The bottom of the shift tube looked like it had been worn trough, too. So, after cleaning out a ton of old grease everywhere, I replaced the shift tube (hard to push against that spring while reassembling that stuff), and put the "shell" all back together.

As for the lower bearing, I'm fabricating my own holder for it. I'm using the lower bushing, but making relief in the webs to secure the lower bearing and it's rubber bushing/sleeve. Then, I'm putting a large fender washer that I have machined to fit over the bearing and hold it into the bushing with machine screws. Might not be perfect, but it should work quite well, and better than just the plastic bushing or nothing at all. I figure this is a fairly low-sheer stress device, so it won't take a great deal of engineering, just some good old-fashioned home shop fabrication.

So, I'll keep you posted on what I find out.

When you removed your column, did you remove the steering shaft from the rag joint, or did you remove the whole rag joint assembly from the steering gear box? Seems like the two nuts on the rag joint would be the way to go, but I wanted to see what you did. Thanks.

Matt

 

Just remove the ONE 12-point bolt above the steering box itself. MUCH easier, and it allows you to remove the ragjoint stuff out of the truck where there is more room.

 

I removed my steering shaft by uncoupling the U-joint as I do not have a rag-joint. The rubber bushing with the internal bearing you described is exactly what I used on my steering column for both upper and lower bearings. If you had the right steering column housing that rubber bushing should just press into the flange on the bottom end of the column tube with your fingers ( its just an interference fit). I am still confused as to why your 75 column does not have this flange, unless your 75 column was made to install the plastic end piece, in which case your rubber bushing/bearing is not made for that particular column. Oh, wait I remember you did say that the 75 column had the plastic bushing. Well, just to clear things up the columns with the plastic end bushing are all that is required on those style like your 75. The columns using the rubber bushing/bearing did not have any plastic end plate or anything at all on the end of the column, it was open to all the elements. This is the style of my 74 F-250 4x4 column. There are benefits to the rubber bushing/bearing style as it dampens the shock and vibration of the road via the rubber bushing plus it encases a real bearing not just a bushing like the plastic end caps have. However, the plastic keeps out all the elements. Now there is also one other type of column I have yet to mention which might be of some interest to you in regards to your 74 column. This column may or may not be similar to your 74. This column is exactly identical to the column I described that used the rubber bushing/bearing except that it uses a cheesy tin style bearing that is pressed into both the upper and lower housing column. It was used on manual transmission style trucks and had a slightly shorter overall length because it had no need for the lower linkage/lever of the automatic. I mention this style because maybe just maybe your 74 outer column is actually that of a manual column and that would explain why the shift tube and linkage hangs out the bottom. It could be that somebody just cobbled the parts together and made it work. The reason I redid my column was because I swapped my automatic tranny to a manual one and decided to replace the column with a manual column. This is how I found out all the differences between the manual and auto columns. My auto column used the rubber bushing/bearing and the manual used the crappy tin bearing. So when I swapped the column out I decided I did not want the crappy tin bearing and instead wanted the rubber style bushing/bearing. Well the flanges that the bearings press into are totally different size for the rubber versus the tin bearings. In order to fit the smaller rubber bushing/bearing into the larger tin bearing style column I had to machine a brass bushing that would incase the rubber bushing/bearing inside the brass I.D. and then press the brass ring or O.D. into the steering housing flange. This was well worth the effort and it sounds like you are doing the same thing with your lower bearing/end cap. It sounds like a good idea. Its got to be better than the stock plastic end cap.

Its amazing how many different steering columns were produced by ford for these year of trucks. A person does not realise it until they have to tear one apart and compare it with another.