Steering box to column alignment

[green69rt]

Just got my steering box in and just looking at it, the steering box input shaft and the column may not form a perfectly straight line.  Not really sure till I mount the column.   Probably only a couple of degrees.  Is it OK to shim the box to make it straight or is there some play in the coupling to allow for miss-alignment?

[John_Kunkel]

The steering column is held in placed by the dash clamp and the floor plate, the floor plate holes are enlarged to allow the column to be centered on the steering box. The floor plate is often called a "Duffy" plate.

[green69rt]

The steering column is held in placed by the dash clamp and the floor plate, the floor plate holes are enlarged to allow the column to be centered on the steering box. The floor plate is often called a "Duffy" plate.

So, what I think you are saying is, there's some room for adjustment on the column and I should leave the box alone (which I prefer)?

[davidcam69]

Mine had a shim on the box and a couple on the upper column.  Had my wife hold the column inside the car.  I aligned the splines witch went on easily.  Started all my nuts and bolts loosely.  Tightened the upper column first and aligned  the "Duffy plate" which does have room for adjustment.  Everything fit nicely.

[Ghoste]

Not sure there is any sound engineering to my thinking but I would leave the box as is and use the plate John mentioned as that is the way the factory designed the process to be done.  Plus the fact that in my mind, I'm thinking that if you shim the box to meet the column then you throw it off underneath and that is where you want angles as precise as possible?

[green69rt]

Not sure there is any sound engineering to my thinking but I would leave the box as is and use the plate John mentioned as that is the way the factory designed the process to be done.  Plus the fact that in my mind, I'm thinking that if you shim the box to meet the column then you throw it off underneath and that is where you want angles as precise as possible?

That's what I was thinking.  Anyway, I'm going to put the steering column in and see how things look before messing with the box.

[Nacho-RT74]

Needs to be aligned on both sides... steering box needs to be perpendicular to the firewall with shims then the column shaft aligned straight to. Then maybe some extra adjustment on box if column is a bit offset

[green69rt]

Well, folks, I guess I was crying wolf.   I just spent some time getting my old steering column out and fitted to the car.   It centers nicely in the brackets inside (pic #1.)   The column looks to be within a degree of the input shaft on the steering box (pic #2) and up and down looks OK once I tighten up all the mounting nuts (pic #3.).

I'm going to call it good but still maybe CDR will come over after I get the column rebuilt and give an opinion.

Sorry I took up peoples time on a non-issue.

[cdr]

looks great Mitch!!!!   

[A383Wing]

Just for info, the coupler at the end of the column is designed to swivel and act like a u-joint to take up any slight mis-alignment to the steering box....notice I said "slight".....

Bryan

[green69rt]

Just for info, the coupler at the end of the column is designed to swivel and act like a u-joint to take up any slight mis-alignment to the steering box....notice I said "slight".....

Bryan

I'll be able to tell if there is any wiggle room when I get the column apart.  Right now I think I'm in good shape.  I eyeballed a straight edge along the shaft, etc and couldn't see any poor alignment so I'm hoping I'll be able to meet the "slight" spec.

[375instroke]

Shimming the box affects bump steer, so unless you measure it, doing so can have a detrimental effect on handling.

[Bronzedodge]

I believe the FSM says to have the steering coupling attached, then tighten the floor plate last, so as not to side-load the bushing at the end of the column.