Brown truck under the knife project -Rebuilding steering column-

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

I want to rebuild my steering column in the brown truck, its driving me nuts. Its a tilt column, and as normal with these old tilt columns you can lift the wheel up and down and its kinda loose that way. Plus my ignition switch is getting very sticky or stiff with the cold weather. Anyone know how to do what I want to do with this column? I have no clue whats involved in tightening the column up, but I believe that the ignition switch just needs pulled and cleaned.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

Here is a question I asked a month ago with no response :



http://www.oilburners.net/forums/showthread.php?t=26341



I, too, am bothered with some loose motion in the column and, on these cold mornings, my key-switch has been quite stiff.

I would not be adverse to moving the key-switch from the column to a more sensible spot on the dash, like the older trucks, maybe even add a push-button "start".

 

[LCAM-01XA]

I ditched the stock ignition switch an all associated bull right about a week after I got the truck, I'm running on toggles and knobs and can't be happier. As for the steering wheel slop, I got that too, I drive with my wheel all up, (my seat is like 3" higher than stock, to match the wheel height) so I don't use the tilt much, if at all, but still the thing really annoys me, if someone knows a cheap fix please do share... One of these days I'm about to swap the whole column with one off a Lincoln Town Car, much nicer tilt mechanism and higher tilt angles too.

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

my seat is like 3" higher than stock

MINE TOO; I get in any other truck and feel like I am sitting on the floor.

I also keep my column in the highest notch; some day I am going to figure a way to just lock it there and maybe eliminate some of the slop.

My wheel doesn't flop around like many I have seen, but about twice a year the column will decide to "un-tilt" while driving, a real waker-upper.



What years of Lincoln column can be made to work ??


Has anyone done this ??

 

[LCAM-01XA]

Well I have an '88 that I may be scrapping soon due to not being able to take it with me when I move, so that's what I'm planning on using, but anything from '80-'90 that is fullsize Ford car (so Lincoln Town Car, Ford Crown Victoria, and Mercury Grand Marquis) has the same column.

 

[6 Nebraska IDIs]

Ivan, those fullsize ford car columns are the same thing as whats in our trucks?

 

[Cincinnati Guy]

What about a column from a 97-91 ford truck?

Ill have to check out a column from a car.

I dont like the steering wheel on my 85, wish I could get one from a 87-91 on mine, but they dont fit, so changing out the whole column is the only choice right?

 

[MIDNIGHT RIDER]

I dont like the steering wheel on my 85, wish I could get one from a 87-91 on mine

I am just the opposite; I much prefer the 85 wheel.

 

[towcat]

if you don't like the skinny rim on the earlier trucks, the E-series in the late 80's to early 90's had fatter rims and very "gripable" and it's a bolt-on too

 

[fsr7]

I don't know about the 87-91 columns, but the 92-97 is definitely different - they have a ujoint in the cab about 8 inches up from the firewall that allows removal of the column without taking the big grommet out of the firewall. They also mount under the dashboard on a wider track than the 80-86's do, if I recall correctly... I rebuilt a 93 column at one point, most of the play that those columns get comes from a couple of worn bearings at the top and bottom of the internal shaft. They are cheap to replace, I'm sure its a similar system in the early 80's columns as well - and if the play isn't to bad yet, replacing those bearings should completely eliminate the play. The only difficult part of the process on the 93 was getting creative with the large spring that holds your tilt mechanism up - big spring in small place, not fun to take out/get in...

 

[FordGuy100]

My column is a little on the loose side as well, and like others have said, the key-switch is tight when its cold (and sometimes sticks on if your not careful when its below freezing). But pulling steering columns and rebuilding them confuses me so I will live with it.

I like my steering wheel position to be honest. Its more of a natural position for me to drive with the steering wheel were its at compared other vehicles where my arm is almost fully extended to grip the top (unless your driving 9-3 in which other vehicles are better).

 

[gonecrazyi]

I just got finished rebuilding my steering column. Its not really that hard, I just pulled one from a automatic f150 that had very few miles. Took it home and pulled my column apart and began swapping parts. I completely dissasembled the automatic column and removed the shifter and put it back together using the manual pieces that were still good. The only thing that wouldnt fit from the manual to the automatic column was the lock that prevents the key from being removed without pressing the stupid little button(I hated that thing in the first place).

My problem was that the guy I bought the truck from took the column apart and put it back together wrong and crushed all of the bearings causing them to rust and sieze.