B-bod steering column

[RobTwin]

Hi all

Wondering of anyone can shed some light on this for us....

We managed to get the steering column fitted today but not exactly how the FSM says it should fit

The dimension marked 'X' below should be 13/16" according to the manual but ours is more like just a shade under 1-1/2"

Initially, we couldnt get the column to engage on the splines on the steering box more than about 1/4" but then realised the coupler (i think they call it - the bit with the splines in) could slide further along the column towards the steering box. This was the only way to get the splines engaged enough on the 'box to fit the roll-pin.
By now tho, the dimension they say to set to 13/16 had grown to nearly 1-1/2".
The only way to reduce this would be to push the column further towards the steering box but the mounting plates are both (the big one that bolts to the firewall and the smaller 2-bolt flange) bolted up in position with the column pushed as far forward as it will go

Question is - is there a problem having the coupler this far out of position?

There does seem to be a larger gap between the cowl behind the steering wheel and the dash, where the column passes under it, but that's only going by memory of how it used to look before we removed it 3-4 years ago and cant see how to reduce that gap...




Any steering column experts out there?

[ANTON]

Before you put the column in was the large firewall plate with the four bolt holes attached to the column. The two bolt flange part slots around two lugs on the end of the outer column and the the fire wall plate bolts to it will a large rubber o-ring sandwiched between and then all must be installed in one. I have seen a few put the firewall plate in first and the slide the column in after. How do the three bolts hole line up under the dash?

[Dave999]

have you got manual steering column and a power steering box or vicey versy...

one uses a longer column shaft than the other to take up the fact that one box is taller at the worm shaft splined end than the other ...

if so you will need

coupler from

steer and gear

firm feel

borgeson

having said that if it came out ok and worked previously.....was it ok or was it hangimng on by a thread

Dave

[RobTwin]

Thanks for the quick replies

Yes Dave, it seemed to be ok before we removed it and didnt notice it only hanging on a couple of threads, so it should have gone back in how it came out. And it's all correct for power steering as far as i know.

One thing we were wondering is if any of it is collapsible enough to reduce in length while standing on the garage floor for a couple of years, with all the weight resting on the wheel? Cant see it meself, but it's something to consider

Anton - yes we had the 2 flanges loose on the column before feeding it thru the firewall, but didnt bolt them together till the splines were engaged on the 'box. The smaller 2-bolt flange is up against the 2 lugs on the column and the o-ring is in between.
We checked the photos we took before it was completely out and before we took the plates off for painting, and it all looks the same

The support bracket that bolts up under the dash all lines up too, tho we dont have a record of where the studs were positioned in the slots before removal I think the studs are now in the middle of the slots so that suggests it's in the right place.


So apart from that we're a bit stumped


(BTW we managed to lose one of the white plastic slotted inserts that fit to that bracket that the studs pass thru - does anyone have any spare? Havent got a pic to hand at the mo - I'll add one later tonite)

[Adrian Worman]

I can't see a problem there, as long as the roll pin is installed in the coupler onto the box splines, and the small pin is still in the top part of the coupler then neither piece is ever going to become detatched from the other.
If you loosen the floorboard plate and the under dash mount and you can still move the assy back and forth either side of that dimension I wouldn't worry

[ANTON]

That inner steering shaft is in two pieces if you dismantle the column and the bottom half slides into the top half and as you extend them the lock together with two D shaped ends. These D shaped end are about 4 inches long so you can make the column shaft longer or shorter by a inch or two. This system is part of the collapsible column. This is how the inner shaft gets shorter in and accident and the outer column has the diamond affect to allow it to collapse. So if you want make you inner column longer remove the two bolts that hold the bearing in place and the pull on the bottom of the shaft and it will extent to the size you want and the slide the bearing back into position and bolt it back. If you have any questions call me.

[RobTwin]

That inner steering shaft is in two pieces if you dismantle the column and the bottom half slides into the top half and as you extend them the lock together with two D shaped ends. These D shaped end are about 4 inches long so you can make the column shaft longer or shorter by a inch or two. This system is part of the collapsible column. This is how the inner shaft gets shorter in and accident and the outer column has the diamond affect to allow it to collapse. So if you want make you inner column longer remove the two bolts that hold the bearing in place and the pull on the bottom of the shaft and it will extent to the size you want and the slide the bearing back into position and bolt it back. If you have any questions call me.

Thanks Anton. We were hoping not to have to undo the 2x bolts that go into the bearing as their threads were a bit dodgy so Stu's added a little araldite to keep things in check

Should have replaced the bearing and the seal in the coupler I spose, but as it wasnt actually broken we hoped we could get away without having to to fix it!

But I dont think their relative positions have changed while it's been off the car so it's still a bit puzzling. Unless it was always like this

[RobTwin]

I can't see a problem there, as long as the roll pin is installed in the coupler onto the box splines, and the small pin is still in the top part of the coupler then neither piece is ever going to become detatched from the other.
If you loosen the floorboard plate and the under dash mount and you can still move the assy back and forth either side of that dimension I wouldn't worry

Thanks Ade, not sure we could move it any more, to increase that dimension, as it was as much as I could do to get it to where the rollpin would go in
But while it's all pinned & bolted up, I cant see anything becoming detached, like you say

[Pete]

I have not read all of the thread ( ) but the one thing that would concern me is whether the coupler has gone together correctly... they can cause problems and this could explain the change in installed column length.

I personally hate the Mopar coupler and prefer the after market UJ kits you can buy very cheaply and weld on...if you trust your welding skills However, if you are going for the "standard" look you will not want to do this.

[autofetish]

I personally hate the Mopar coupler and prefer the after market UJ kits you can buy very cheaply and weld on...if you trust your welding skills However, if you are going for the "standard" look you will not want to do this.

http://www.moparuk.com/forums/viewtopic ... 10&start=0

[Pete]

No mate, I would just buy the coupler from Hausers for about £35 - £40 and weld it on; we have just done this job on a mate's car - set the "collapsible steering" to the right lenght, rosette weld and bolt in

Not a concourse car, though

[RobTwin]

The coupler hasnt been apart Pete. Not in our lifetime anyhoo. ie not for the last 27 years