Tilt wheel swap

[JAKRANCH]

I have an 88 with a tilt wheel that my wifey would love to have in our 85. Ive read and heard that this is tough but probably doable. Any one done it or have thoughts/ideas? Thanks in advance

 

[chillman88]

Do you want to put the 88 column in the 85? Easy peasy, just needs the plastic shrouds and the aluminum bracket swapped between the two. I have an 84 coulmn in my 91.

 

[snicklas]

80-91, same column, different plastic, different wheel, but the plastics and wheel will swap.

92-Up Different column and wheel. won't interchange unless you swap the entire dash and all......... I think.... @IDIoit

I know at one point it time, Heath @hesutton had a bricknose (87-91) column and wheel in his 86 Crew Cab......

 

[IDIoit]

the columns should match.
92+ will not work just like Scott said.
an entire dash swap is needed for this.

 

[JAKRANCH]

Perfect. Any idea how long the switch would take? I'm considering tackling it tonight if I can get it all put back together tonight.

 

[IDIoit]

depends how much you drink.

 

[Cubey]

Hardest part, if an automatic, is the shifter linkage. It has a damn plastic bushing. Getting it apart is hard. So is putting it back, for that matter.

I had to totally pull my column to fix a broken ignition push rod thing. (That pot metal piece that breaks and won’t engage the starter switch in the column). It was awful dealing with that, but it had to be done.

 

[IDIBRONCO]

Really, it doesn't take too long to swap them. I had a column from a 1990 in my 1986 Bronco and am running a 1989 column in my 1985 F250 right now. I just like the way the 87-91 steering wheel is shaped better than the way that the 80-86 steering wheel is.

 

[hesutton]

I swapped the column on '86 to the '91 gasser parts truck. Ditched the auto trans stuff for the "manual" column (or whatever you wanna call a steering column without an auto trans gear selector). Took a few hours but some of that was cleaning the coal dust/mud off the donor column.

Had a bunch of pictures on webshots of the process.... those are long lost now.

Works well.

 

[Macrobb]

Recently had to swap a bullnose steering column into my dad's 88 bricknose. Dropped right into place, and we even swapped steering wheels as well, so it has the bricknose wheel on the bullnose column.

 

[JAKRANCH]

That's basically what I need to do. My 88 needs a steering column to get drug out to the weeds. Both are manuals so it should be easy. Does the dash need to come apart at all?

 

[Macrobb]

Just any plastic needed to get it to drop - maby a couple of screws?

 

[JAKRANCH]

Sweet ill have to see if I can get the donor wheel out tonight. Thanks

 

[riotwarrior]

Std to std less n hr if done it....

Bet could do it less n 40 min....auto...hint...kettle boiling water...pour over bushing soften it some to allow easier pop out and another with some sliptivity...wd40 in...

Electric kettles are so handy IMHO for more n tea....

I use one in shop lots

As said...column same plastic n wheel differ


JM7.3CW Eh!