Steering Column Help
 

Need step by step with photos if possible to disassemble a column shift column on a 1970 Duster to replace the upper housings with floor shift housings. Also, can I remove the shift tube upon reassembly?

This is my first post on this forum. Hope someone can help me.

Thanks,
Tom
"skybolt

remove pin from column shift arm.
cut hols in floor for floor shifter.
scratch head.
buy the book or go to the library.
you're asking an awful lot for a forum post.

Well, excuse me! Just a Mopar guy needing help. Shot down on my 1st post! WOW! Guess I came to the wrong place!

you don't need help, you need to understand what you're asking. read the book and come back and ask again.

Nice attitude. Surely all you guys aren't like this. Thats all I'm going to say. (biting lip). By the way, I don't have "the book".

Nah, stop stop stop.

That was not an unreasonable question, and he was just being a smart ass (funny??) What he didn't say is that is a big project. I just did it myself. I am running out the door right now so i don't have time to type it all out but I can give you some good direction.

I'll be back.

Great. Nice to see someone who is genuinely interested in helping. That is what these forums are about right? Will be awaiting you reply when you get the time. As far as asshole goes "richinny" I have blocked him as he probably is one of those horses asses that you don't want to listen to anyway.

maybe, but i have the books.

i cheated - removed the shifter arm and indicator. then made a backing and attached a small dodge emblem, that came off a steering wheel, where the indicator window was

Then maybe you should share the procedure with the rest of us less fortunate to have the "Book".

Remove the steering wheel, after removing the horn ring etc. You will need a steering wheel puller. If you don't have one or know how, just stop here. It only gets harder.

Remove the column, There are three bolts/nuts/studs in the "sliders" under the dash. These are accessed after removing the dash trim piece with four screws. There are three bolts holding the column base to the floor, and two bolts holding the column collar to the base. Unplug the electrical connector from the main underdash harness. You really should have a new body gasket for re-assembly.

Disconnect the column connector from the steering box. You will need to use a punch to drive the roll pin from the collar. Then gently but firmly remove the collar from the steering box.

Slide the column out of the car.

Remove/unplug the electrical connector from the wiring harness. This is the usually white plastic piece that all the pins are in. These pins can be removed from the plastic without harming it, and can be put back in. I am not going to get into how because if you screw this up, you have made a big mess, and if you are thinking about cutting and splicing the wires, just put the column back in the car. This connector needs to be removed so that the wires from the turn signal switch can be slid out. Remove the screw from the turn signal switch, and the lever will fall out. remove the three screws that hold the metal hold down ring covering the bearing and holding the switch base. Now gently remove the switch from the column and slide out the wires.

You still with me??? Did you "F" it up yet? Don't worry there is still time!

There should be two screws (sometimes nuts, depending on year) holding the top collar in place. and there is a snap ring that holds the top bearing in place. This bearing is also "wrapped" in a rubber holder. DON'T SCREW UP THE RUBBER PIECE.

At this point there should be a huge pile of crap that used to resemble the steering column assembly in your car. You have now disassembled the column. Re-assembly is the opposite of the previous directions. If I need to spell that out, get someone else to do the job. Please do it right! Paint the parts properly, polish the chrome parts, and detail and lube everything before re-assembly.

Oh I almost forgot, If you call anyone else here an "A-HOLE" you'll never get any more help. Only I can do that 'cause I am an old fart and I have helped others already.

Gentlemen, this is really not the way we here at MoparForums like to greet and help out new members with their tech questions, if you two feel that this is acceptable behavior, I suggest you not be offended when your questions are met with the same responses. Please tone down the attitudes, I really don't want to play mean here (but I can).

Agreed, I was trying to help, and for someone new that doesn't know anyone here, his name calling was premature. It was a difficult question and he needed to understand that. When told to get a service manual, attitudes started, and things escalated. He honestly does need to invest in a service manual, and be very careful! The advice and tech information on a forum such as this, is often worth just what you paid for it. (nothing) My tech advise is far from complete and I will forget stuff that I get called on later. Just like anyone else here or any forum no-one is perfect and the tech information isn't either.

Name calling is juvenile, but some banter on forums like this is healthy. Not much different than myself and my friends in my garage any weekend while working on our cars, and that same juvenile behavior is just guys having fun sometimes. We just can't let it get out of control.

Thanks Crazy4Carz, that should be very helpful and hope you didn't get carpal tunnel doing all the typing.

Thanks again.

I do have a book ordered. Hope its a decent one. Any recommendations?

Thanks,

See, Everybody dance! :D:D:D:D

after i got my car, i bought the service manual for my car, but on CD. it is a lot easier than pulling a huge book around

richinny, sorry I called you an asshole and glad I quit typing when I did. It was hard not to but I would like to get past this. Apology to Crazy4Carz also. There is lots of valuable info on these forums and I sure as hell didn't come here to make enemies. After all I think we are all here to learn more about our cars and not to learn how to be more sarcastic.

lets all start over

hi, are you a mopar guy?:D