1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

[Richard M.]

A process to rebuild a standard steering column. This one from a 1966. Photos are a combination of pictures taken before rebuild and after rebuild, as I took it apart again to take more photos for this how-to thread.

EDIT 9/7/2021: PDF Versions available By Dave Zuberer and Ed Szeliga..... HERE & HERE

Rich
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Remove the steering wheel and then the hub using a puller.


Note the alignment notches at the hub and the shaft. If you don not see them, make your own marks for reassembly orientation.



Push the shaft down through the upper bearing and remove it from the column out the end.



Remove the pushpin from the switch harness plastic sleeve.



Remove the turn lever. Remove the 3 screws securing the switch to the upper housing. There is a lockplate between them. This plate has 3 slots which lock it to the upper column flanges. The cutout in the plate is for harness clearance.


Rotate the lockplate counterclockwise to slide it free from the mast jacket.




Begin to slide the escutcheon, switch/harness and upper housing downward to the end of the mast jacket. Continue until all 3 items are removed.



Pull the harness connectors through the escutcheon and upper housing. Refinish pieces if necessary. I use a Duplicolor 1634 low gloss black which is similar to the original non-glare finish.



To remove the lower bearing and race, I use a long extension bar and socket inserted in the upper end and drive them out.



Here is the worn out original bearing. It had several spots that were in a bind when turning the shaft.


New race and bearing. The bearing includes a felt wick pre-soaked with oil.




Install the race by evenly driving it into the tube.


Install the bearing into the race and drive it in using a socket or driver on the outer bearing edge. Do not drive the center or the bearing will be damaged.



The upper bearing can be replaced by removing the horn ring brass contact. Remove the wire terminal by compressing it's lock tab to allow it to be pushed out. Carefully pry the ring from the center housing. Remove the bearing and replace if necessary. This bearing was fine so I simply cleaned it and repacked with a small amount of grease and reinstalled.



Reinstall the escutcheon, harness/switch, and upper housing back onto the mast jacket. You can install the upper housing separately at the top once the escutcheon is up far enough. This protects the mask jacket if you've refinished it.



With the cutout lined up with the flat of the mast jacket, position the lockplate over the end tabs and rotate clockwise to lock it in place.



Position the switch into the housing and use a awl to locate and align the holes for the screws. Install the screws and set the harness sleeve into the position to install the pushpin.



Reinstall the turn lever to the switch then the upper steering wheel hub, ensuring you align the hub notch to the shaft notch and secure with the washer and nut, but leave it just snug for now in case it must be removed again. Torque to spec later. The hub must be installed before the lower end shaft clamp is tightened.





Install the washer, spring and clamp to the end of the shaft. Compress the spring slightly and tighten the clamp bolt. The AIM spec is defined to provide a few thousandths of end play.




Completed rebuilt assembly.

[Joe R.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Great thread Rich!!! You're the best!!!

Joe

[Bob W.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Super Work !! @great photos I look at every one of your post always something to learn from them.

Thanks Bob

[David Z.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Rich,
Great photo sequence as usual!
As you suggested, I have attached the document I did when I refurbed the column of our '65 quite a while back now.

Dave Z

[Donald H.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Rich,

I've been restoring my 66 steering column also. I replaced the lower bearing, and the shaft, as the old shaft had a lot of wear from a bad lower bearing.

You replaced the lower bearing race as well and noted that you had to use a socket to press it into the race. I have not replaced the race, as it seems to be in good shape. The new bearing fit snug, but I am able to push it in and pull it out with my fingers. Is the bearing supposed to be so tight that something (socket) is needed to drive it into the race?

If so, then I need to order a new race.

Thanks,

Don

[Richard M.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Don, I used to socket to drive the old race out from the inside. The bearing is a semi-slip fit into the race, it fell out when I drove the race out. After I tapped a new bearing in to the new race it wanted to come back out.

You should be fine. The shaft spring, washer and collar keep the bearing tight to the race.

Rich

[Donald H.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Don, I used to socket to drive the old race out from the inside. The bearing is a semi-slip fit into the race, it fell out when I drove the race out. After I tapped a new bearing in to the new race it wanted to come back out.

You should be fine. The shaft spring, washer and collar keep the bearing tight to the race.

Rich

Great, thanks for the response.

Don

[Donald H.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Rich, if you would please, I need some more help.

When I put my steering column back together and snug everything up, the gap between the turn signal housing and the hub is not consistent all the way around. The gap at the turn signal lever is closer than it is 180 degrees to the other side. As I rotate the hub, this gap stay the same, i.e. in the same place. So I assume the hub isn't the issue. If the hub was some how warped the gap would change as the hub is rotated.

What it appears to be is that when I install the turn signal switch and snug up the screws through the switch and the retainer (on the jacket) into the housing, the housing gets canted. I can actually see that the bottom edge of the housing is closer to the jacket on the side opposite the lever.


I have mounted just the jacket, retainer and housing together and measured the distance from the retainer to the outer edge of the housing at various points around the retainer and that all check OK. I can also see that the bottom of the housing looks to be much more ever around the circumference of the jacket with just the retainer, jacket, and housing assembled.

I have check the retainer on a flat surface and it is flat. And as far as I can tell, the retainer will only go on the jacket one way.

It seems to be the switch and the 3 points attachments that may not be even and thus pulls the housing out of alignment when the 3 bolts are tightened. However, I have tried three different switches and have the same gap in the same location.

Do you have any gap issue with the column you just restored?

Any suggestions on a fix for mine?

Thanks,

Don

[Richard M.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

Don, All I can think of is to check the spacing between the tabs on the mast jacket. Maybe one is bent out causing the housing to be offset? Does it look like it was ever repaired? Those tabs are prone to breakage.

[Donald H.]

Re: 1964 1965 1966 Standard Steering Column Rebuild

I think I may have figured it out. I don't have it all back together yet.

My mask jacket and tabs are all fine.

I kept looking at the retainer. Since the mast jacket looked good, and the switch housing looked good, and I had tried 3 different switched, I sort of figured it had to be the retainer. I laid it upside down on a flat surface and the outer ring is flat; however, I did find that the inner ring where it fits under a mask jacket tab was slightly bent. I tapped it back down and test fit and it looks better. Hopefully when I get it all back together it will looks OK.

The gap wasn't great but just enough to annoy me. Its funny how 1/32" or so can look so large.

Thanks again,

Don