# Steering column problem



## alanmay0 (Sep 3, 2015)

My steering wheel was removed during the restoration of my 1967 GTO dash. After replacing the steering column coupler I went to reinstall the steering column proper. I lined the shaft from the steering box up with the center of the firewall hole and then attempted to put the steering column through the firewall hole and into the shaft. Instead of the steering column shaft going into the shaft from the steering box the female part in the steering column went up inside of the steering column. So I took the steering column somewhat apart noticing in the process that I needed a new lower steering column bearing. But the problem is I don't believe that the female portion of the steering column is suppose to go up inside the steering column proper. If this were the case there would be no way that you could ever connect the steering box shaft to the steering column (female part). Something must be broken or not working properly. Please see pictures of what I am talking about. One picture the female portion of the shaft is sticking out, like it should, and the next picture is has gone up inside the column with just a little push. The other picture are of some sort of inner steering column shaft. It also comes almost all the way out but not quite. I have removed the plastic cover so that the collapsible portion of the column if visible. The other picture is of stuff that fell out of the column. Looks like old foam seal or something like that. Can anyone tell me what needs to be fixed in order for the female part of the column not to go up inside the column thus making it impossible to get the shaft coming from the steering box to go inside it.

thank you in advance
alaln


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

The '67 & 68 GM car straight columns are very similar. the energy absorbing feature was introduced for all '67 GM car (Saginaw) columns. The construction involves a two piece inner column tube, with thin plastic inserts that allow the inner tube sections to collapse. The top of the top inner tube mounts to the pot metal casting in the lower bowl. In a column shift auto application, near the bottom, thère is a aprox 4" LEG that sticks out perpendicular to the end of tube. That LEG rotates w the tube in the window of the outer tube right above the lower column bearing. From the grommet in the LEG, the upper rod goes down to a swivel, then another rod goes back to the gear selector on the auto transmission. No LEG on the '67 floor shift column.

Beginning with '67 straight columns, the steel shaft itself is a two piece affair as well. The upper shaft & lower shaft can only be a certain length. There are little plastic inserts that peg the upper shaft & lower steel shaft together. once the lower shaft has been pushed up into upper shaft those little inserts are broken. Im seeing what looks like your shaft apart, thats why we can see the female end. You want the lower shaft to be properly installed & pulled out/realigned to the correct length, then you can use a glue gun & squirt the hot glue in the little holes recreating the small plastic inserts. The foam piece that fell out is a little wider than an inch wide, & surrounds the inner column tube just a few inches up into the outer tube. Any higher & the foam will be in the area where the expanded metal is on the outer tube.


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## alanmay0 (Sep 3, 2015)

Thanks so how much, inches, should the inner, top, portion of the shaft should be sticking out of the column housing beforing securing with glue gun?


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## Pinion head (Jan 3, 2015)

Alan, am out of '67 columns to measure. If you closely examine both segments of the shaft, should be able to note the small holes where the plastic pinned the two pieces together.


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