Steering column / coupler issue - ever have this problem ??

[sportony]

Have a 68 charger with floor shifter, power steering. Guy that I bought the car from just had the steering box refurbished before I bought it from him.  I Noticed that when I bought the car the mounting under the dash wasn't attached and the coulumn would always kinda bounce around.  It steered great though.  I then tried to attatch it to the column to the mounting bracket (which is attached to the under dash housing with three bolts and white rectangular nylon slider bushings), but the 4 bolts on the column (2 on either side) woundn't line up.  I ended up pulling the column out of the coupler.  This allowed me to achieve proper alignment with the mounting bracket (four bolts) and it appropriately fit the under-dash bolts (the three that connect to the metal mounting bracket thru the white rectangular sliding nylon bushings).

NOW - the column won't reach the dang coupler !!  I see why the guy that owned the car before me never correctly attached the under-dash mounting bracket to the column - if he did, then he woudn't have been able to steer the damn thing because the column woudn't have reached the coupler.   Something is definately wrong, but hell if I can make heads or tails out of it.    IS THE METAL MESH housing that surrounds the column under the dash supposed to be slightly wavy ??  OR is it supposed to be  smooth and straight ?

The only thing that seems to make sense at this point is to custom fab a coupler that is about an inch longer than standard (get two couplers, cut the end of one and weld it to the original one).

Also, How much force does it take to get that damn coupler pin out ??    Does it only come out one way, or can it go in either direction    Should I throw a torch to it to get it hot and    
 then try punching it out ?     ANY help greatly appreciated ...


Thanks

BTW.... this all started from trying to replace a simple turn signal cam that busted...........

[Ghoste]

Is the car power steering or manual?

[sportony]

ALSO - I noticed the metal mesh to the steering housing around the column does slightly wave "up and down"....... Is it supposed to be straight and smooth ?  if it is, then I think I found my problem..........

[sportony]

Power steering car.....

[Ghoste]

Mesh should be straight, that's the collapsible portion.

[sportony]

BALLS..........

Looks like the guy that owned it before me must have hit something or wrecked it, and slightly collapsed the mesh , making the column shorter than it should be......  that explains why it woudn't moun't correctly up under the dash.............

[Back N Black]

The steering shaft has two plastic pins, so the column can collapse during a crash. Sounds like you pins are broken and the shaft has collapsed. You can pull the shaft back down and put a couple of plastic screws back in there, not a big job. I will try and dig up a pic.

Edit http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,43930.0.html

[sportony]

There is a guy in the next town over who is parting out a 68 coronet 4 door auto (shifter on the column)  - does that shaft interchange with mine, or is it completely different ?

I gotta be honest, every picture of a column that I have seen on Ebay or on this site seems to have the metal column mesh be somewhat "wavy"........ as opposed to completely straight and smooth.  Are you sure it is supposed to be completely straight and smooth ??  Just asking,..... not trying to put anyone's knowledge to the test..........

[68neverlate]

Edit http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,43930.0.html

Just saw this and wondered if there may be another reason for the column being too short.  Does your mesh look like the mesh in the link B N B posted up??  If it does, your column may not actually be collapsed (that's the way it normally looks). 

You mentioned that the previous owner had refurbished the steering gear box recently... do you know for sure that it's the correct one for your car?  It could be that the gear box is too short and that's why your column isn't reaching.       

I'm no expert on the matter, just throwing out another possibility...       

[sportony]

Yep - it looks just like the one B N B posted up.  

Good point bout the steering box being incorrect.  Any way to cross reference the numbers to see if the steering box that is on there is correct ??  

I think the first character is a "G" but can't be for sure.  Anyways, The number on mine says   "G-2267262"  

***  Just ran a search on the number and it looks like that is indeed the stock power steering unit........

Oh well.

[A383Wing]

I bet the inner steering shaft that connects to the box has either been pushed or has slid up into the outer shaft..It can be pulled back down with a little help and then you can get it back on the steering box.

The 67 & up columns & shafts are designed this way so the steering column & steering wheel does not go through the driver's body in a head on crash

Bryan

[Rolling_Thunder]

inner column has been collapsed -

outer shell should look slightly wavy - that is normal

[sportony]

Thanks for all the info guys - much appreciated !  However, it seems as far as pulling it back out (and getting it to go into the coupler),  the inner column shaft is "stuck".  I can push it upwards towards the steering wheel all day, but when I try to pull it out, it will only come out so far, and nothing more.  BTW, The shaft attatching to the steering wheel also comes forward without any problems.   I tried looking under the column where the mesh is, and I noticed only one of the holes where (I assume) the plastic screw inserts.  I did not see two of them, which lends me to believe what you guys were saying is obviously true - that the column has partially collapsed.

Before I break something and regret it - I want your opinion.  Do I just keep banging downward on the shaft (on the roll pin) to try and get it to free up, and come back down into the coupler ?  Is it possibly "rust welded" somewhere that I cannot see it ?  Do I need to take the column out of the car to do all this ? 

Any help or advise appreciated....... thanks again.

[gtx6970]

I have a 68 and a 69 column here .

I'll take some measurements on length and post them tomorrow afternoon

[sportony]

Sorry to bring up again, but was wondering if anyone might have the stock length of the inner steering wheel column, from tip to tip.  Still working on  this thing..... thanks again for any help. - Much appreciated.

[gtx6970]

Sorry to bring up again, but was wondering if anyone might have the stock length of the inner steering wheel column, from tip to tip.  Still working on  this thing..... thanks again for any help. - Much appreciated.

I will be at the shop for a few minutes tomorrow afternoon.

I have a 1969 power steering column apart and can measure the inner shaft

[gtx6970]

Ok,
Just measured a 1969 B-body power steering column inner shaft and it's 41-5/8" . measured end to end with the lower coupler body removed

[sportony]

Thank You SIR !!!!