Help With Wheel & Column Gap

[jcwillis]

Hello Everyone,

I have a 1969 F-250 Camper Special with power steering. There is a 1/2 inch gap between the wheel and the column. This gap has been there since I purchased the truck.

Is there a way to decrease the gap? I can push down on the wheel and pretty much get rid of the gap, but there is pressure pushing it back up.

It is not an asthetic thing. My signals do not always self-cancel and I suspect the little tab on the underside of the wheel may not be quite reaching the cancel thingys (gettin' technical here) for the signal switch. The signal switch is new FoMoCo (swapped in when I had an electrical problem and solved with the help of several of you).

Thanks in advance for any advice or experience you can share.

Jim

[fordman]

this happened to me when i put in a spare shaft in my collum so i could repair my original shaft. the shaft i put in was too long so i have a gap like you do until i put my original shaft back in. you can adjust your collum some but that may not help you mat have to get a different shaft modify the shaft you have or just get an entire new collum and shaft that matches your current setup.

[460 crew]

don't quote me but cant u slide the column itself up after loosening a few bolts to meet up with the wheel correctly. Been a while since i was messin with one but I do remember there beeing adjustment.

[FORDification]

I'd be willing to bet it just needs tightened up. Here's what you gotta do:

1) Loosen the two bolts holding the column to the bottom of the dash.
2) Loosen the clamp holding the column to the firewall mounting plate.
3) Loosen the setscrews in the lock-collar down at the very end of the steering shaft (see picture below).



Then you just push up on the column and slide it back up into the cab, against the steering wheel. Then tighten the collar's setscrews, the firewall clamp and the two bolts under the dash.

[cdeal28078]

My column has a bolt and clamp where yours is an allen head. Different.
Right where the allen wrench is on the picture above, That's what holds the lower bearing and race in the column.
Kieth, I think he would need to leave the bolts holding the column to the dash tight. That way when he loosens the lower bearing retainer the outer column will stay still while he pushes the shaft in to reduce the gap. He might also need to loosen where the rag joint slides on the steering gear shaft to give him more adjustment space.
I had to do that to mine after going to power-steering.
Loosen the bottom bolt where he has his allen wrench and have someone push in on the steering wheel. Move the lower bearing up against the column again and tighten it up. If you can't get the wheel far enough in then try loosening the rag joint connection.
Sorry for the book fellows. I can't seem to explain myself with few words and don't do much better with alot of words.
clint

[FORDification]

No, you're not pushing in on the shaft, the shaft stays put. You need to push the outer column housing back up into the cab, to take up the slack. The shaft stays bolted to the rag joint without any adjustment....it's the housing you need to adjust.

[fordman]

[460 crew]

2nd that motion I was getting there in my head for my post but couldn't quite picture it like Keiths infinante photo album.

[cdeal28078]

I do see what y'll are saying but I still think it could need to go the way I said. Not arguing just discussing.
I think it really depends on the situation though. On mine, after I changed the steering gear to power-steering I needed to move my steering shaft and steering wheel closer to the column. My rag joint was being pulled towards the cab. If I had moved the column closer to the wheel it would have closed the gap but my rag joint would still be pulled towards the cab.
If his steering gear has been changed it could be this way on his also.
He needs to look at the shaft at the steering box and decide what needs to be moved. If the rag joint looks fine move the column. If the rag joint is pulled towards the cab move the center shaft.
How about that?
clint

[fordman]

i see what your saying now. on my colum i dont have those screws i have a hose clamp or muffler clamp looking thing on mine. i'ts all the way to the bottom of the shaft and i dont think it's ever going to loosen if i need to loosen it. ~rust~

[jcwillis]

Hello Everyone,

Thanks to all of you for your insight. Sounds like adjusting it should not be too bad, so I will give it a shot. Probably will not be doing this for a couple of weeks as my work has me traveling.

Will let you all know how it turns out.

Jim

[Heavenlyfire]

Once again, my picture does not look like yours . I think mine is pretty well trashed. Steering has a lot of play and some up and down movement. Any ideas??

[rjewkes]

mine has recently done this as well. However when i adjusted my housing the lower bearing stuck out about 1/4-1/2".

[cdeal28078]

I can't tell for sure but the picture makes it look like you don't have any clamp on there to hold the lower bearing retainer up tight into the bottom of the column.
It looks like your bearing retainer is backed out letting the bearing and column flop around.
clint

[cdeal28078]

mine has recently done this as well. However when i adjusted my housing the lower bearing stuck out about 1/4-1/2".

Loosen the lower bearing clamp, get someone to hold the steering wheel flush while you slide the bearing and clap up tight to the outer column. Tighten clamp
clint