Identify steering column

[pickly]

These are some photos of the steering column in my 72 F100 automatic transmission. I can't tell what year this steering column is from. I think the previous owner put this in and sort of made it work. The other day my shifter gave out and now I can't start the engine because the NSS is stuck. This column currently has a 3 spoke wheel with a horn button that you push down and turn.

When I took it apart I can see that the metal has fatigued on the shift column and is not allowing the gears to be shifted.


Can anyone identify what year this steering column and shift collar are?
Can I use this column and put a 72 wheel on with a horn bar?
What year shift column do I need to get to replace the cracked one?
How do you get the wires loose from the turn signal switch? Do you have to cut them?


Much thanks!

[fordman]

that shaft looks like it is out of a 67-69 truck.

now here is the real deal. there are 3 steering columns for our trucks. manual steerign benidxx power steerign and saginaw power steering. and they were made with two different steerign column shafts. it the years from 67-69 and 70-72.

so to fix or replace your shift collar you need FORD PART # IS D5TZ-7228 B the nss can also be bypassed temporarily to start the truck. you can also put a two spoke 70-72 steerign wheel on any 67-75 ford truck column. they will also fit up to 79 but they wont look right. because in 76 the shift bowl collar got slightly larger around. so i have been told. in 1978 the shift collar got alot larger and will really look different any may not work at all. anyway i hope that fully answers your question. if you have any more just ask.

[fordman]

here is a nos new old stock collar. http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-73-7 ... 33597bb51b

[pickly]

Thanks for the info!
Does anyone know the trick to getting the wires loose from the signal turn switch so that they pass through the collar?
Looks like that are pop riveted in place. I'd hate to cut them and then end up with a bigger problem

[BobbyFord]

Thanks for the info!
Does anyone know the trick to getting the wires loose from the signal turn switch so that they pass through the collar?
Looks like that are pop riveted in place. I'd hate to cut them and then end up with a bigger problem

The wires come out of the plastic plug where they plug into the dash loom, using a little wire terminal tool like this:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl= ... f%26um%3D1
Tape a length of bailing wire to the end of the loom before pulling the wires up the column, that way you can easily reattach the turn sig. wires to the bailing wire and pull them back down after the collar replacement.

[pickly]

Hey all!

one more question! the wiring figured out and found a short in the wires coming to the steering column. I have a question about putting the steering parts back together. How do you get those stupid square ended bolts that hold the collar on? I can get the top one to seat in the little slot on the column but I can't get the bottom. This causes the bottom part of the collar to stick out and cause friction on the steering wheel as it turns.

I've tried having the bolts and the nut loose when i push the collar in place and i've also tried to gentle seat the bolt in the slot but if it gets bumped it falls down into the shift tube!

ugh!

any advice?

[70_F100]

Screw the nuts onto the bolts about 2 turns, or until they start to get hard to turn.

This will hold the bolts to keep them from falling out, and since the nuts have a self-locking feature, it will provide enough friction on the threads to help you maneuver the bolts into place.

[Mach428]

I just went through all of this on my truck as I installed Saginaw PS and had to rebuild the column. The wires for the TS switch are held into the plastic plug by means of a metal "tang" protruding from the metal part of the connector. I didn't have the tool referenced above so I simply used a very small flat-bladed screwdriver and pushed the tang toward the center of the metal pin. Once you do this, the wire and pin will slide out from the back.

To re-install, you simply bend the metal tang back toward the outside and push the pin into its respective position in the plug. You will see once they are removed. It's VERY simple once you get the first one out. LOOK very closely at the metal pin and you will see the metal tang to which I refer.