53-56 f100 column repair
 

this is my thread on how i repaired my stock column (to the toyota box).

some facts i found out. the steering shaft is 3/4", has 40 splines for the steering wheel, has a 11/16" threaded area with 5/8-18 threads for steering wheel nut. it also has about a 1/16" before the splines and about 1/16" between the splines and threads. 1 1/2" muffler pipe is real close to the same thickness as the stock column and the toyota p/s box is 11/16"-36 splines.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=40219

the column was cut too short, the shaft was exposed 8" inside the cab and had some funky welds.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=40218

the fix was to build a new shaft and extend the column. i had a HAMB member in oregon make me a new shaft with a double d at the bottom (easier to find a u joint) and stock at the top.
i repaired the column using some muffler pipe and a homemade aluminum V block.
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=40220
next step is to find bearings (i haven't received the shaft yet to measure). CPP makes a bushing and stop collar kit, but i really would like to find a sealed roller bearing.....more to come.

Looks very professional!

IMHO roller or ball bearings in a steering column is major over-engineering. The shaft turns at an extremely slow speed, not very far, and and has no substantial side loads (unless you are sleeping on the steering wheel), the definition of a bushing application.
Turn bushing(s) out of a HMW plastic such as delrin, they will last longer than the column.

i've been looking into delrin as the lower bearing is being a real pain to find (size wise). mid fifty has theirs listed as delrin, but cpp doesn't say.

Know someone with a lathe? Doesn't need to be a super high precision job. Slide fit on the shaft and housing. add a flange to keep it from sliding up the shaft and as a dust cover if you'd like. Ididit secures theirs with 2 small roll pins pressed into thru drilled holes (so you can push them back out with an L shaped tool from inside the bore should you have a need to take the bushing out again, ask how I know). There is at least one supplier of small sections of delrin on Ebay. do a search on HMW plastic.

more................
i bought the kit from mid fifty (delrin bushing and stop collar), got the shaft from a HAMBer in Oregon.....it looks great.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=41521
https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=41520

bought a new u joint from limeworks in whitter (these guys are great and close to the same or cheaper then mail order giants).

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=41519

i originally bought the floor plate with the collar support from mid fifty, but it didn't look right. the collar was 2" ID, the stock column is 1.5" OD and it has set screws in the collar to hold the column.....kinda hokey, but worse with that gap. i cut off the collar, welded and re-adjusted the holes for the column and brake arm. went back to limeworks for the column floor mount...again great price.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=41517

here's the column primed, ready to go in for the last test fit, so i can drill the holes for the floor mount and then everything gets painted.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=41516

i fixed the little dimple that i missed after i took this pic.

slow going because other cars and it HOT!!!
more to come.............................................. .

column is in, just finishing some details.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=42035

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/p...ictureid=42034

now i'm thinking of putting a tube in where the shift tube was to hide the turn signal wiring.

Very nice and clean.

anyone know what outside diameter the stock shift tube is.

My guess would be the next smaller fractional size to the width of the notch in the column drop?

Excellent work!

the hole in the column top under the steering wheel is about 7/8. i was going to look at thin wall tubing, make a plate to bolt it to the column in the stock location and maybe wedge it in the column drop. but i though 7/8 might look to big.

You could use 1/2" (nominal) electrical conduit tubing it is ~ 11/16" OD and inexpensive at any big box DIY store. It's been a long time, but it seems that in the back of my memory there would have been a thin strip of rubber spacer (inner tube might work?) between the tube and drop to keep it from rattling.

sounds like a plan.......i knew i kept those old inner tubes for a reason :).

I have a partially cut up inner tube from a truck, one from a car, and one from a bicycle (different thickness and diameters) that I keep handy for making rubber gaskets and parts and even big HD rubber bands from.