steering column collapse

Im in the middle of my rack install now, and Im having some u-joint problems. I heard its possible to collapse the column shaft. How is this done, if it is possible?
I already have the clamp off of the end by the firewall, but the shaft doesnt want to move at all.

vette427sbc said:

Im in the middle of my rack install now, and Im having some u-joint problems. I heard its possible to collapse the column shaft. How is this done, if it is possible?
I already have the clamp off of the end by the firewall, but the shaft doesnt want to move at all.

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I am not aware of any clamp off the firewall end in the engine compartment, you maybe thinking of a lower bearing retaining clip....better put that back on for now, I would just spray WD40 on the shaft up near the housing, to loosed any road crud on the shaft, then get a 2x4 and a hammer and tap on the end of the shaft, that makes it slide up and in to the column....it will go all the way to the firewall, so make sure you stop before then or you got a PIA on your hands....:rain:

The clamp on the firewall just holds the column in place (and if you have an interlock cable, it goes through the hole on the engine side). Gene, if yours is missing the column will be slightly loose.

To "collapse" it you need to bang the output shaft into the column. It's held by plastic keys:



Do realize that once you break these, it can not be undone.

I thought that you could disconnect the rag joint, and push the shaft back up into the column. It should move in at least 2 to 3 inches. At least on mine anyway.

Dirtbuster1 said:

I thought that you could disconnect the rag joint, and push the shaft back up into the column. It should move in at least 2 to 3 inches. At least on mine anyway.

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Yes, the pictured section looks like mine, my column is actually out of a '78 up, and I made it fit my car with relative ease....your nylon in there is just to hold it for assy reasons, as I can't see it doing any further function, mine has been in place for 15 years, and the last 7 in the collapsed position for my rack install...I shoved mine up snug on the end there to get the best possible angles off the U joint up top next to the column.....

:1st::yahoo:

TT, what 'clamp are you all referring to?? I have a mounting flange, and used to have a key interlock lever, but all that crap is toast long time ago.... I don't recall any clamp, just a bearing retaining clip....

Dirtbuster1 said:

I thought that you could disconnect the rag joint, and push the shaft back up into the column. It should move in at least 2 to 3 inches. At least on mine anyway.

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Mine did that too

When I removed the rag joint, nothing happened. I pounded on the shaft, :footmouth: and couldnt get it to budge at all.
This can be done with the column in the car still right? And how does it stay in place once Ive broken it loose?

That picture, that's INSIDE the column, no way you can see it on the outside. If your shaft moves easily the keys are already broken off.

This is the lower shaft, the fork on the end is connected to the upper part which also has a fork, the 2 are connected by a 2 pc plastic ball. This is for the tilt action of the column...just like a CV joint.


After you break the keys the shaft can slide in and out but it still has resistance to it, you can to use a vice grip or something else (I use a c clamp that I welded pieces of angle iron on to clamp around the shaft, I actually use those to remove those pesky torsion bars on mopars) to tap it in and out.

Gene, this bracket:

Twin_Turbo said:

That picture, that's INSIDE the column, no way you can see it on the outside. If your shaft moves easily the keys are already broken off.

This is the lower shaft, the fork on the end is connected to the upper part which also has a fork, the 2 are connected by a 2 pc plastic ball. This is for the tilt action of the column...just like a CV joint.


After you break the keys the shaft can slide in and out but it still has resistance to it, you can to use a vice grip or something else (I use a c clamp that I welded pieces of angle iron on to clamp around the shaft, I actually use those to remove those pesky torsion bars on mopars) to tap it in and out.

Gene, this bracket:

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Marck, that is the bracket for the interlock cable, not a clamp in my thinking....it serves as a backing plate for the bolts on the firewall so I suppose it could be referred to as a clamp....wonder what was on your mind....it's just a language thing.....easy...:bonkers::1st:

The 2 studs, of which one is actually a carriage bolt (the one with the round head, left one in bottom pic, the other one has a sort of squared off head, it's tacked to the bracket), go straight through the columns lower flange and tighten it down against the firewall. On the early models indeed the interlock cable goes into that lower hole, but the bracket remained unchanged for all those years, the hole was simply not used.

Here's a pic:


That flange rests against the rubber insulation on the inside of the firewall, the bracket above goes on the outside, stud first and then moving it up around the column housing and then putting the carriage bolt in. The nuts go on the inside of the car. This will clamp the steering column in place, and provide a proper seal to keep water from getting in. If yours is missing I suggest you get one ASAP, especially with a rack system with a sectioned input shaft it's vital that you have this part.

Here's one I made myself, the car was missing it too and being a simple bracket it was quicker to fab one than buying one:

TT, can't help but laugh at that large pillow/gas tank shaped vacuum canister on the fender liner there......one of the very first thing tossed off my car on account of it was full of stress cracks, and far as I know only ONE other guy has had those stress crack problems....

:bonkers::flash:

Ok, Im starting to see this now. does the whole column need to come out of the car to do this?
Also, The upper shaft of the column (where the steering wheel hub connects) moves freely in and out. wouldnt that mean that that plastic rivit is already broken, and the rag-joint end shaft would move freely too?
lastly, does the key-lock mechanism at the firewall need to be removed to get the lower shaft to move?
sorry for all the questions, steering parts are not really my forte'

NO, you can pretty much adjust that column length down at the engine end by hammering on it with a block of wood...and if too far retracted somehow, it should slide out much easier....

If the wheel hub moves in and out, that is because you have a tilt tele wheel, and it should travel about 2" or so there is a locking ring/tab behind the horn button that pulls off, that is then fastened to a star wheel with a couple of screws, that star wheel is nothing but a screw that tightens on a 1/4 inch dia. shaft about 5" long, which then pushes on a woodruff key looking wedge to lock the sliding mechanism in place.....

NO, the key lock mechanism is nothing but a long tube with a lever on one end, and it moves some shit up top to do with the key switch, so the cable from the tranny has to be pushing the bottom lever up all the way, under the hood, then you can turn the key off, then the lever and cable, and shifter can't move untill the key is on, or at least unlocked....

I have laughed good with Jim Shea, the guys who worked a Saginaw as a engineer designing this stuff....

there are at LEAST 5 lbs of shit in a ONE pound bag in them things....

and the Tilt/Tele wheels are even MORE.....

:rofl::rofl::bonkers::goodnight:

The lower shaft was designed to push into the column in case of a front end accident. That way there is less chance that you are impaled by the steering column. The plastic keys hold it in place. You can pound the lower shaft up until the plastic key breaks...then the lower shaft will move in. Look at the pick that TT posted three posts below of the old column..see how the lower shaft would slide up into the column if you hit it hard enough?

Once you have done this, you need to wrestle it back out...it is a tight fit.


However, I would not be hammering on mine...but that's just me.

SmokinBBC said:

However, I would not be hammering on mine...but that's just me.

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So what would you do instead?

mrvette said:

If the wheel hub moves in and out, that is because you have a tilt tele wheel, and it should travel about 2" or so

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I dont have a tilt/tele column. I have the hub off, and the shaft slides down with a little bit of pressure.

I get it now, off to the garage, Thanks for all the help :thumbs:

vette427sbc said:

SmokinBBC said:

However, I would not be hammering on mine...but that's just me.

Click to expand...

So what would you do instead?

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I removed my column when I was installing my Jeep box then tapped the shaft in while the column was out. I used a soft blow hammer and without needing to belt it, the shaft moved in pretty easily. I took my time and kept measuring the column until I had the length I wanted.

Twin_Turbo said:

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I used a U joint like that to install the Jeep box and the bastard thing's rusty already. Not like you can really paint of powder coat it so I think I'll just bury it in WD40...

That's a flaming river joint, it's stainless steel.

Twin_Turbo said:

That's a flaming river joint, it's stainless steel.

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Hmmm... I bought everything in a kit from Tom Reina at Corvette Steering Service inc. I have no idea what brand UJ came with the kit but looking at his website (which doesn't appear to have changed since my purchase) it shows a Borgeson joint, so I'm assuming that's what I have. It now has a nice even coat of surface rust!

Do you have a link for the Flaming River joint TT?

saudivette said:

Twin_Turbo said:

That's a flaming river joint, it's stainless steel.

Click to expand...

Hmmm... I bought everything in a kit from Tom Reina at Corvette Steering Service inc. I have no idea what brand UJ came with the kit but looking at his website (which doesn't appear to have changed since my purchase) it shows a Borgeson joint, so I'm assuming that's what I have. It now has a nice even coat of surface rust!

Do you have a link for the Flaming River joint TT?

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Wayne, your car is simply not being driven enough, and besides, how in hell can it rust when i'ts ZERO humidity out there???

can't ever grow a WEED, and he somehow has RUST??? :harhar::devil:

Saudi, the borgeson is steel, just like the sweet one.

What kind of splines do you need? Stock column is 1" - 48 splines. You're using a jeep box right?