Does the 68 steering column telescope/adjust?

[Chargeraddict]

Hi Fellas, I just tried to install my steering column(console shifter). It wouldnt reach the steering gear no matter what I tried so I pulled it back out of the car and used a punch on the end of the column and managed to get the column to slide an extra inch. Im not talking about the rubber bushing piece at the end because thats slides back and forth an inch or so as well.  It bolted up fine now, Im just wondering if what I did was ok or could I have broken a sheer pin or something in the column or will it telescope a bit to get them in/out of the car? I got the wheel in and the car seems to be steering ok. I get nervous playing around with steering/brakes.. Thanks

[ryan053]

I dont remember if the end of the steering column had any play or not. I do believe that there are two different length columns for either power steering or manual steering

[Chatt69chgr]

I suspect that you broke the shear pin.  I don't know enough about these to say if that's bad enough to worry about.  The inner and outer shafts are meant to collapse in a wreck.  When they do, the plastic shear pin breaks.  But the shafts are still mechanically positioned inside each other so you would think that it wouldn't be a problem.  Someone that is fully knowledgeable on these needs to chime in and give us the straight skinny.

[Chargeraddict]

uh oh.. I wonder if the guy who took my car apart originally may have pryed the column off the gear and maybe broke it then? Because there was no way I had enough column to bolt her up.