Steering column and wheel
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: Winston-Salem, NC
Steering column and wheel
OK...I got one for y'all.
Since I bought my '64, the steering wheel has never fit down completely on the steering column. There has been and still is about a 1/8" to 1/4" gap between the wheel and the column. The steering is fine, and the wheel fits snugly on the knurls (spelling?). However, since the wheel does not go all the way down, the horn cannot make contact and the little tab on the back cannot go down far enough to turn the blinkers off. I've even reemed the hole in the steering wheel to try to force it down farther on the shaft...no luck.
I thought that this was just a Ford thing, but I recently bought a parts truck that is the same as mine, including 3 on tree. The steering column and wheel fit snugly and it appears that the shaft running up the column is shorter on the parts truck than it is on mine. Does that sound like it makes sense? Who knows what funky stuff other owners of my truck have done...
The column on the parts truck is in good shape. I may just swap them out. However, I was wondering if there was anything else I could do. Thanks.
Since I bought my '64, the steering wheel has never fit down completely on the steering column. There has been and still is about a 1/8" to 1/4" gap between the wheel and the column. The steering is fine, and the wheel fits snugly on the knurls (spelling?). However, since the wheel does not go all the way down, the horn cannot make contact and the little tab on the back cannot go down far enough to turn the blinkers off. I've even reemed the hole in the steering wheel to try to force it down farther on the shaft...no luck.
I thought that this was just a Ford thing, but I recently bought a parts truck that is the same as mine, including 3 on tree. The steering column and wheel fit snugly and it appears that the shaft running up the column is shorter on the parts truck than it is on mine. Does that sound like it makes sense? Who knows what funky stuff other owners of my truck have done...
The column on the parts truck is in good shape. I may just swap them out. However, I was wondering if there was anything else I could do. Thanks.
Thread Starter
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Junior User
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 74
Likes: 0
From: Winston-Salem, NC
Additional info
I tried the steering wheel off the parts truck on my truck, and it doesn't fit right on my column, either.
I need that extra 1/4 inch of room...another Quarter Pounder or two and I'm gonna rub a raw spot on my gut!
I need that extra 1/4 inch of room...another Quarter Pounder or two and I'm gonna rub a raw spot on my gut!
Posting Guru
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 2,222
Likes: 1
From: East Central Florida
Lyman,
No it won't. Because 65 & later have "split" or 2 piece steering shafts with a rag joint to create a flex coupler just B4 the Strg Box.
1964 back to '57 have a 1 piece shaft right into steering gear box without a rag joint. Thus these earlier types just sort of "float" on the steering shafts. All that aligns them are the clamps at the dash as above, Just like Falcon or Comet or early Fairlanes did / do.
57-64 also have a drag link that runs parallel to & outside front frame rail, while 65 & later have no drag link, using a centerlink instead that, runs perpendicular, across the frame rails and through the radius arms. The two systems are very much Un-Alike.
BUT . . . . Some Mast Jackets (aka tube assy's) on 65-74 Strg columns do have an adjustment nut at the bottom, except ya gotta take the whole assy out of vehicle to adjust it. Note I said "SOME". the col, in my 66 is from a 73 because I upgraded to a later "slipper style" saginaw P/S & needed a shorter column.... it has an adjustment on it.
FBp
No it won't. Because 65 & later have "split" or 2 piece steering shafts with a rag joint to create a flex coupler just B4 the Strg Box.
1964 back to '57 have a 1 piece shaft right into steering gear box without a rag joint. Thus these earlier types just sort of "float" on the steering shafts. All that aligns them are the clamps at the dash as above, Just like Falcon or Comet or early Fairlanes did / do.
57-64 also have a drag link that runs parallel to & outside front frame rail, while 65 & later have no drag link, using a centerlink instead that, runs perpendicular, across the frame rails and through the radius arms. The two systems are very much Un-Alike.
BUT . . . . Some Mast Jackets (aka tube assy's) on 65-74 Strg columns do have an adjustment nut at the bottom, except ya gotta take the whole assy out of vehicle to adjust it. Note I said "SOME". the col, in my 66 is from a 73 because I upgraded to a later "slipper style" saginaw P/S & needed a shorter column.... it has an adjustment on it.
FBp
Last edited by FordBoypete; Jan 27, 2007 at 07:08 PM.
