If it were me, I'd remove the wheel and use a giant
socket wrench and a hammer to persuade the column
downwards. If you're partiular, you can get some wood
and drill a hole in it for the center rod so that
you're pounding on wood and not the collar's rim - I
seem to remember it deforming when I went after mine,
and it DID go down with some force applied.
If it does not go willingly, next step would be to try
to pull the steering column out completely, inspect,
and reinsert. If you don't want to use grease on it
on the way back in, Windex might be a nice,
evaporative substitute lubricant.
I am convinced that your outer housing isn't seated
correctly on the steering box down at the bottom.
The steering shaft inside the column has a blade end
with a long slot that a pin goes through, so there is
plenty of play on the center dowel. I "think" that it
is suspended on a bearing at the top, but you'd want
to look at the expoded diagram to confirm that.
-Kenyon
--- richard burgesswrote:
> Hi All,
>
> Tried moving the body on the frame and the steering
> wheel is still out too far. I did find all my
> missing body washers. The restoration shop had
> siliconed them to the bottom of the body and
> sandwiched them between the body and the frame. I
> had to jack the body up a very small amount and then
> using screwdrivers and hangers was able to get them
> all out. The body is now sitting directly on the
> frame as it should. I can also put all the right
> length bolts back in the correct holes while I'm at
> it! Using bar clamps I was able to move the body
> back to its original position. I used the old
> washer marks to do this and the bar clamps were
> great for moving the body incrementally. Moving on,
> I still have this problem......
>
> I compared the steering shaft/tube housing with that
> from my parts car. The shaft is clearly about 3/8
> too far forward of the sheetmetal tube housing.
> This makes the wheel stand out too far from the
> dash. I have loosened everything at the frame and
> the lower housing collar. Can't get it to budge.
> Pressing on the wheel I just can't get it back to
> where it was originally. Is there any kind of
> internal adjustment at the base? The manual is just
> no help at all as far as I can tell. The steering
> wheel is fully bolted down. There is a bearing in
> the top of the tube/cover so don't know how the
> tapered shaft could have gotten beyond it 3/8". I'm
> baffled.
>
> Richard
>
> '60 Crown sedan
> '60 LeBaron
>
>
>
> __________________________________________________
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Kenyon Wills
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