Steering column question! Please help!

[Cuda Cody]

Looks like everyone has already given you some good help.  Yes, the power steering and manual steering shafts are different lengths.  As posted above you can buy an adapter to make a power steering column work with a manual box.  Here's another link to a similar adapter (pretty much the same that was posted by Finoke)....

http://www.firmfeel.com/e_body_mopar_column_adapter.html

I would have to look it up to be sure, but I think the overall length of a power steering shaft is between 40" to 41" end to end.  If your shaft collapses then you'll want to make sure to fix that before you use it.  It was designed to collapse in a crash.  Once it is collapsed, you can fix it.  Attached is the Mopar instructions to repair a shaft that was accidentally collpsed.  I've seen people use epoxy and it seems to work too.  You do not want to install the shaft until it's repaired.  Good luck!   

[Wadmin1021]

That just confuses me more! What shaft do we have? Power or manual? And our shaft isn't supposed to collapse? How do we know the proper length?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[anlauto]

An E Body steering column itself is NOT designed to collapse like the A & B body ones HOWEVER the inner shaft is designed to shorten itself in case of an accident.

If you look closely at the shaft itself it's made of two pieces of D shaped rod that fit into one another. It's held in place by tiny plastic pins that break off allowing it to collapse.

A lot of times these pins break and the shaft shortens itself especially when being tossed around outside of the car at swap meets etc...

I don't have a column apart right now so I have no way of getting that measurement for you. Sorry. I'm guess if you have a power steering coupler, you have a power steering shaft.

[Wadmin1021]

Thanks! That helps! We will assume it's a power steering shaft because if it's shorter length and power coupler. So, to clarify: We get the adapter to change the power shaft to manual compatability, keep the coupler we have and fix the shaft from collapsing? That right?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Wadmin1021]

Oops.... because OF it's shorter length...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Lbs]

 Well the collapsable shaft is damaged so the inner shaft can slide up inside the outer shaft , this could disconnect the steering shaft form the coupler , there is a tiny press pin in the side of the coupler that will prevent this from happening & allowing the shoes to slide up out of the coupler so you need to be sure it is in there .

So if I understand this correctly it is dangerous and my car shouldn't be driven with the column being collapsible. The pin is in the coupler but the column is not pinned so it is still collapsible. If I need to pin the column their is a good chance mine will be the wrong length also. Am I understanding all of this correctly?? Thanks in advance for your help.

[anlauto]

No, there is a steel pin in the coupler that prevents the shoes/shaft from pulling out of the coupler, that is the most important tiny pin. The plastic shear pins inside the column are broke more often then not.

[Lbs]

Ok, whew. Thanks for clearing that up for me. If that is the case though, couldn't the cheap and easy fix for the wrong column length just be breaking the plastic pin??? :stirpot

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

[anlauto]

Ok, whew. Thanks for clearing that up for me. If that is the case though, couldn't the cheap and easy fix for the wrong column length just be breaking the plastic pin??? :stirpot

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

YES, done it many times in the past.

[Chryco Psycho]

This a great back upp to make sure it is secured far stronger than the tiny pin .
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301416193929?_trksid=p2055119.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT

[JayBee]

No, there is a steel pin in the coupler that prevents the shoes/shaft from pulling out of the coupler, that is the most important tiny pin.

Just a picture to refer to the "tiny pin". Look on the left, they call it a "dowel pin", make sure it's there.

[CUDA JAS]

Here is a little more info for you.

Jason

http://www.cuda-challenger.com/cc/index.php?topic=100056.msg985405#msg985405

[Moparparts]

The 70 manual steering column shaft is 43.86 inches in length

 

That just confuses me more! What shaft do we have? Power or manual? And our shaft isn't supposed to collapse? How do we know the proper length?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk