Steering Column Too Short by 1/2”

[Moparfiend]

Reposting here for more traction.

My steering column appears to be about 1/2” too short. What are my options?

Pictures show that in the correct position to line up the column bolts and support screws it’s off (short) about 1/2 inch. Also the shifter is just about touching the dash. This is the way I got the car and it’s in need of some sort of adjustment.

The coupler is correctly engaged to the box.

Ideas?

 

[QuickBpBp]

Is the column collapsed? Look at the cage and see if it's kind of straight or really wavy...

 

[Moparfiend]

Not sure if this is normal but there seems to be a small wave in it as you can see in the picture. Not much but a little. I just installed it too..

 

[Moparfiend]

On dadsbee post #106 he used a hose clamp to reduce the swelling of the cage/crush zone. Can I use this approach while its hanging up in the column loose?

 

[QuickBpBp]

Ot sure if this is normal but there seems to be a small wave in it as you can see in the picture. Not much but a little. I just installed it too..

View attachment 1559676

A little wave is normal. Probably the main shaft is shoved back inside itself...

 

[dadsbee]

I used the hose clamp to reshape and weld the crush zone! My old man hit that wheel harder than he ever admitted when he ditched the Bee at 120.

Yours looks fine, but at some point you or someone dropped the column on the floor and collapsed the main shaft. Now that your column is bolted in place. Clamp some vise grips on the lower shaft, just above the coupler, and give them a smack forward with a 5 lb sledge and see if it moves. Don't try pulling the column back, as it will pop the seal off the coupling.

 

[Moparfiend]

A little wave is normal. Probably the main shaft is shoved back inside itself...

Yeah after looking at the pictures of dadsbee, his finished restore looks like mine with a slight ripple.

So is there any way for me to pull on the main shaft to get that 1/2 inch?

 

[kiwigtx]

Remove the extension piece in the frame rails.

 

[Moparfiend]

I used the hose clamp to reshape and weld the crush zone! My old man hit that wheel harder than he ever admitted when he ditched the Bee at 120.

Yours looks fine, but at some point you or someone dropped the column on the floor and collapsed the main shaft. Now that your column is bolted in place. Clamp some vise grips on the lower shaft, just above the coupler, and give them a smack forward with a 5 lb sledge and see if it moves. Don't try pulling the column back, as it will pop the seal off the coupling.

Thanks yeah I read what you said to your dad about know one ever knowing he hit anything lol. 120 wow.

Ok Ill try doing what you said to see if I can get a little movement on the shaft. Don’t need much!

 

[Moparfiend]

Remove the extension piece in the frame rails.

Not following at all @kiwigtx
Can you describe for me in more detail?

 

[hunt2elk]

Did you loosen the 2 bolts at the floor and pull the whole assembly back? I would definitely try that before thinking the main shaft has been collapsed.

 

[Kern Dog]

The 1967 and later columns were built to collapse in the event of a frontal impact. They achieve this by using a hollow shaft within a shaft and at time of assembly, are temporarily held into the proper length and molten plastic was poured into specific voids....which then cooled and kept the inner and outer shafts in position.
Years later, after hundreds of heating and cooling cycles and countless hours of vibrations, the shaft within a shaft began to break loose from the plastic "pins".

Those round yellowish things are what some people call "shear pins". They maintain the length of the steering column until they break, then the column often shortens as the inner shaft wants to slide up into the outer shaft.
The fix?
Put the outer end of the inner in a vice, then pry a pipe wrench on the outer shaft and tap it rearward with a hammer. They will slide apart enough to lengthen.
How much? I'm not sure but if your column shifter hits the dash, maybe ask others here to measure the clearance they have between the shifter and dash padding, then duplicate that for yourself. You can extend the column length by a fair amount before the inner shaft slides completely out. I had a friend that converted his power steering column to a manual steering by just sliding the inner shaft out and replacing the coupler with a Manual steering unit. He said there were no vibrations from that.

 

[snakeoil24]

Mopar offered a kit with glue that allowed you to seperate the two shafts and put this special glue on both sides and reassemble. Im looking for the Mopar field service bullitin.

 

[zyzzyx]

When I restored my steering column that expanded steel cage was perfectly cylindrical with no waves
at all. I would suggest pulling everything apart and take that cage out. Put it over a piece of pipe or
tubing that fits snug and tap the cage down snug to the tubing from one end to the other. You'll have
to fix the plastic rivets after you're done.

 

[threewood]

The 1967 and later columns were built to collapse in the event of a frontal impact. They achieve this by using a hollow shaft within a shaft and at time of assembly, are temporarily held into the proper length and molten plastic was poured into specific voids....which then cooled and kept the inner and outer shafts in position.
Years later, after hundreds of heating and cooling cycles and countless hours of vibrations, the shaft within a shaft began to break loose from the plastic "pins".

View attachment 1559868View attachment 1559869

Those round yellowish things are what some people call "shear pins". They maintain the length of the steering column until they break, then the column often shortens as the inner shaft wants to slide up into the outer shaft.
The fix?
Put the outer shaft end in a vice, then pry a pipe wrench on the outer shaft and tap it rearward with a hammer. They will slide apart enough to lengthen.
How much? I'm not sure but if your column shifter hits the dash, maybe ask others here to measure the clearance they have between the shifter and dash padding, then duplicate that for yourself. You can extend the column length by a fair amount before the inner shaft slides completely out. I had a friend that converted hid power steering column to a manual steering by just sliding the inner shaft out and replacing the coupler with a Manual steering unit. He said there were no vibrations from that.

I've encountered a collapsed shaft before, done on accident lol. I repositioned everything and filled voids using an epoxy bedding compound and a vacuum seal bag to pull the mix into the pin holes.

 

[Kern Dog]

The columns in 2 of my cars had "shrunk" so I just extended them. They haven't made any rattle noises despite having nothing to keep the inner and outer shafts in position.

 

[QuickBpBp]

When I restored my steering column that expanded steel cage was perfectly cylindrical with no waves
at all. I would suggest pulling everything apart and take that cage out. Put it over a piece of pipe or
tubing that fits snug and tap the cage down snug to the tubing from one end to the other. You'll have
to fix the plastic rivets after you're done.View attachment 1559934

These are the waves in the collapsable caged area.. Yours has them and is not cylindrical...

 

[zyzzyx]

Let me explain better. The cage is not perfectly cylindrical. It is slightly distorted so if you do hit
something, the column will collapse. It needs a little help so it can keep collapsing. If the expanded
material were too rigid, the column would go into your chest.

 

[QuickBpBp]

Let me explain better. The cage is not perfectly cylindrical. It is slightly distorted so if you do hit
something, the column will collapse. It needs a little help so it can keep collapsing. If the expanded
material were too rigid, the column would go into your chest.

Agreed. That's why I questioned what you said verses what you had shown...

 

[Moparfiend]

Did you loosen the 2 bolts at the floor and pull the whole assembly back? I would definitely try that before thinking the main shaft has been collapsed.

What does that plate with the two bolts at the fire wall do? Does that somehow lock the shaft in place as you are suggesting?