I was putting all the steering stuff back together last night.  When I got out from under the car the steering coupler thing with the rubber and the metal sleeves had slid all the way out of the fire wall.  I've got it "eye-balled" straight for now but learned something, tie that sucker up next time.   

http://www.amazon.com/Oops-Crapped-Pants-Saturday-T-Shirt/dp/B008XB25U6

Edited December 15, 20159 yr by SteveJ

Surprise!

Most don't know about that two piece column with that set of splines hidden in there. Nows the time to remove that shaft and grease up those splines. Takes out some slop. Also inspect the two ujoints in that shaft, likely the cups are dry and again, you have some slop you don't need. Search for that thread about replacing those u-joints.

Surprise!

Most don't know about that two piece column with that set of splines hidden in there. Nows the time to remove that shaft and grease up those splines. Takes out some slop. Also inspect the two ujoints in that shaft, likely the cups are dry and again, you have some slop you don't need. Search for that thread about replacing those u-joints.

Let me put my adult diaper on first.

Surprise!

Most don't know about that two piece column with that set of splines hidden in there. Nows the time to remove that shaft and grease up those splines. Takes out some slop. Also inspect the two ujoints in that shaft, likely the cups are dry and again, you have some slop you don't need. Search for that thread about replacing those u-joints.

I have a question on those splines I'm hoping you can answer, please.  Are they "keyed" somehow and will only slide into the right grooves or will it slide back up in the wrong position?  I think I've got it back like it was but wanted to be sure.

 

Thank you for any help.

Cliff

The splines in the steering column are free to engage at any clocking. Should count those splines and see if they match the steering wheel splines. Should be pretty similar. THat way you can stuff the shaft back up the column at any clocking and adjust the wheel back to center without any mis-alignment.

What he said. There is no key.

 

As for the splines, I believe they did use the same spline dimensions in both the middle of the shaft and at the steering wheel, so you could reclock the steering wheel if necessary. I don't know if I still have the parts here to double check that, but I'll look when I get a chance and see if I kept them.

 

But that really shouldn't be necessary... Take a look at ST-6 of the 1972 manual, On the lower left, they talk about a punch mark that is supposed too be upwards when the wheels are pointed straight ahead. Maybe you can eyeball the tires to straight and then put the shaft back into place such that the rubber coupler lines up with the steering rack?