collapsible steering column

[dotcentral]

What year did Ford go to the collapsible steering column? Was it 68 when things like side markers started showing up on cars?

[flyboy2610]

My '68 does not have a collapsible column. It still has one of the old 'spear you through the gut' style.

[FORDification]

All '67-'72 trucks have a solid column. However, this was Ford's half-hearted attempt at the collapsible steering column, in that it wasn't hooked directly to the steering box....but with the rag joint. Collapsible steering columns became mandatory for cars in '68 (some other makes got them the previous year) which was a direct result of Ralph Nader's 'Unsafe at Any Speed', but I'm not exactly sure when Ford started putting actual collapsible columns in the trucks.

[mk]

I think it was in 80 that they first used a collapsible column. They had a half price special on columns at the local pick a part so I grabbed an 87 tilt column to take home for comparison to my other spare columns (71 a/t and 79 tilt). I've got a side by side pic but not sure how to include it in post. It is unfortunately too long for an easy swap.

mike