69 Road runner steering column pulls loose from steering gear

[wild bill]

Hello everyone. Hope your summer/spring is going well for you all. I have been given alot of good advice on restoring my 69 road runner. It is now on the road. I have serveral issues which I need help clearing up. First, my steering column was restored and I put is back together and placed in the car. My problem is i can pull on the steering wheel and the whole steering shaft wants to come out to the point that the gear indicator pointer is slashing into the face plate of the gear indicator. hope that sounds ok. I placed the role pin in the steering gear to coupler (which connects with the steering shaft). I do not see any hole for a pin to attach the steering column shaft to the coupler however. I purchased an old steering column and took it apart to see if I was missing anything in my column that was in the purchased column. I could find no additional parts in the purchased column that were not in mine. I thought maybe a pin or snap ring. with the purchased column I could not pull on the steering and have the steering shaft come out of the coupler. So, i was wondering if anyone else has had this problem, or has a suggestion. The other issue is I cant bleed the front (drum) brakes well enough to the the position of the aftermarket bleeder screw. If you purchased one of these you will know what Iam talking about. Nobody makes a speed bleeder that will work on on these after market wheel cylinders because the bleeding screw is so small in diameter. I was thinking on taking a set to a machine shop to have the whole for the bleeder screw made bigger so that I can put in a larger diameter speed bleeder. Any thought would be helpful.
Thank again for all your help!

 

[Cncguy1]

The white bearing/bushing at the bottom of the shaft, before the coupler has two screws that need to be tightened. This could be the problem.

 

[rick68b5]

Snap ring up at the bearing under the steering wheel

 

[wild bill]

thanks to CNCGuy1, and Rick68B5! Rick love your picture! Beautiful cars and women go hand in hand! Snap Ring!?! I will look. I dont believe I have put a snap ring in thar! My friend suggested it may be a snap ring too, but we did not know where it would be located. So I take off the steering wheel, and look for bearing behind the steering wheel. is the snap ring located between the bearing and steering wheel, or do I put snap ring in and then bearing?

I will ck the two screws which are on the white bearin/bushing. I think I already looked at these and tightened as part of my quest. I will definitly ck again.

Ok, thanks you guys. Head Scratcher for me!!!

 

[rick68b5]

I believe it has 2 snap rings id have to look at a column

 

[wild bill]

okee dokee. I will look at mine again as well. Thanks!

 

[gkent]

The screws in the bottom have nothing to do with the shaft moving. The shaft would slide freely in that sleeve. The screws only secure the bearing to the outer column.

The roll pin holds the coupler to the steering box.
There is a small pin at the bottom of the shaft that the blocks go on and then into the coupler. These are held in by a very small pin.
The shaft is then secured at the top by a circlip securing the bearing. I don't recall if there's a clip under the bearing or if the shaft has a shoulder.

The top clip is likely what's missing.

 

[Beekeeper]

There are two clips one on each side of the bearing

 

[Richard Cranium]

Sounds like a clear case of a loose nut holding the wheel.

 

[gkent]

Sounds like a clear case of a loose nut holding the wheel.

Not likely. The wheel moving wouldn't be pulling at the shift indicator. BUT, he has to pull the wheel to check everything else so who knows !!

 

[rick68b5]

Sounds like a clear case of a loose nut holding the wheel.

Idk if u have ever pulled a wheel off but they just dont pull off

 

[rebel513r]

Idk if u have ever pulled a wheel off but they just dont pull off

LOL I'm pretty sure he was joking

 

[Rick Carson]

Your column is collapsible from the factory for safety reasons. The lower part of the shaft is solid and the upper section is a tube.There is two holes in each piece that line up when set at the right length and filled with some type of epoxy type material designed to snap allowing column to collapse on impact. If that was disturbed for any reason and not checked when rebuilt, it would cause that very problem

 

[gkent]

If that was disturbed for any reason and not checked when rebuilt, it would cause that very problem

FALSE. The top of the column is fixed - the exterior bolted to the car - the inner shaft retained at the top bearing. If those plastic plugs were broken the lower shaft could slide up and down within the top shaft. But so what, its no big deal and doesn't affect anything.

 

[rebel513r]

Your column is collapsible from the factory for safety reasons. The lower part of the shaft is solid and the upper section is a tube.There is two holes in each piece that line up when set at the right length and filled with some type of epoxy type material designed to snap allowing column to collapse on impact. If that was disturbed for any reason and not checked when rebuilt, it would cause that very problem

It just keeps the steering shaft from driving into your chest in a head on, but from inside the car the steering wheel will not collapsed like Stanton said

 

[Rick Carson]

It can still cause a lot of play at the top end within the play of the bearing can it not?

 

[gkent]

Nope.

 

[Rick Carson]

ok, my mistake