Does anyone know for sure if the late 70s tilt steering column etc will work in the '67-'72s??? (I've heard both ways - that it is a 'bolt in' and also that it won't work because the lengths are different)

Has someone out there done this???

Thanks for the help!!!

 

I checked in with Ford and several wrecking yards and was told Ford started making the tilt wheel in 73 and that year will not fit. I've seen many custom web sites but geesh they wanted 400.+ for handmade tilts... if you get different infor please let me know cause I really need one bad. I'm at the point where I'm just going to put on a smaller steering wheel.

 

Yeah, I was under the impression that they were too different to work but I saw a post last week that said it would work. I'll have to try and find that again but I don't remember the topic (it wasn't steering column). Anyway, thanks for your input!!!

 

I found the other post - "1972 Ranger XLT" Here is a quote (copy and pasted) from a response regarding PS change out from 'mk'!!!

"There definitely is an article in the tech department on this website regarding this very project. The only other piece you need apart from what Dennis mentioned is the newer proportioning valve. Any p/s column from 67-79 will fit as well so if you want to get fancy, swap in a 79 tilt column. "


Can anyone confirm/deny this??? especially mk???

thanks

 

Did I hear my name? Yes, this is definitely doable. Ford's first tilt columns in the trucks were 78-9. I bolted a 79 tilt column into a 68 merc a few years ago. No problems with fit. You just have to get the wires figured. Of course, this is a p/s only swap.

 

Dittos on it will work with powersteering. I have two tilt setups waiting to install in my two 66s.
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

Thanks guys, I'm glad to hear it.


Now, for the 'hunt'!!!!! ;-)

 

How OE does the tilt installation look? What about the tranny gear indicator on top of the standard PS column. What about the point where the column goes through the lower part of the dash.

Thanks.

Joe Herman

 

what model year should we look for? Is it really agood fit? How different were the wires and such? I have PS in my 69 and would love a tilt instead of swapping to a smaller wheel!

 

I installed a tilt colum out of a 79 2wd F250 in my 67 F100. It fits fine but the shift rod for the automatic transmission was too short by about an inch and the odd shapped 5 bolt plate at the bottom tube doesn't fit flush against the bulkhead (firewall).

Jerry

jrzeman(No Email Addresses In Posts!)

 

When I did mine, I recall the inner plate to firewall fit was okay, but the bolt pattern I think was different. Lonnie , there is only the 78/9 pickup tilt column available as a bolt in swap. I have never measured a car column so I don't know about those. The prndl indicator is lit up at night on the newer column. The plug at the bottom is quite different but it doesn't take much to pull the wires from it and hook them up to the harness plug. The lane change feature on the newer signal switch is a lot more convenient than the full on or off design of the old one. Hmmm, maybe that'll be my next project, adapting a newer switch to the old column.

 

Guys, Best as I can tell all columns from 65 - 79 are the same length. There are two column shaft lengths one for power steering and one not.I just got hold of a 78 that we parted out and it had a tilt that was in pieces when I got it. I pulled a tilt setup out of a van cut 6 1/2" out of the shaft and fitted it into the F150 column, and now it is complete. That floor boot is different and you should be able yo slip your existing one and use it on the tilt. These things are just too simular. The earlier ones had a deeper cuff under the dash that can be removed and mounted on the later model. F150, 250, or 350 should be the same also.

I have read recently that the book says tilt was available from early in the 73-79 series, but have only seen them in 78-79 Lariats.

Joe you will need to be runing a C4 or C6 for correct shifting patterns.
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In the cool still quiet of night, you can hear chevies rusting away.

 

I don't know why you might have had shift rod problems, Jerry. When I bolted that column in in place of the 70 p/s column that was in my truck, the C4 shift rod snapped right into place on the new column.

 

I just put a 79 bronco column in my 70. I had to change the wire ends and figure out the color codes, but that was fairly easy. Somewhere i have the schematic to color code to the old harness. I also have bought another tilt column with cruise controls that i'm going to replace the first one with. The only real problem i've seen is that the 79 had a plastic boot that matched the top of the column to the dash, and this piece won't match on the 70 because of the 70 has a small metallic boot that covers the dash attachment bolts.
I had to drill new holes for the bottom boot but that was not biggie either. You could've had the thing mounted in the time it took to write all these letters
I'll have a column for sale in a few weeks. it's a 79 bronco auto shift with no tilt or cruise. Those options are only on the lariat and are going for around 250 to 350 bucks.

 

I will check but I think I have a C4 tranny. Thanks.
Joe