Three on tree

[shipwrecked]

Guys, take a look at this short clip. I am video recording the three on tree linkages sloppiness
. I’m not sure if this is normal. Watch the column just move back and forth as I shift gears.

Something doesn’t seem right. It shifts, but with it being lose like that I wonder. Everything is tightened down.

Considering taking all that back out again and checking.

It’s like it needs a bearing on the bottom, or some sort of bushing to keep it from going all over like that.

[slick4x4]

Ive never dealt with one...
But that don't look right
Shouldn't be moving like that

[ThinLizzy13]

I believe there is supposed to be a bracket/clamp that attaches to the firewall that the end of the column passes through. Then it’s tightened around the column and holds it in place.

[shipwrecked]

I will pull out my ford parts manual and probably take the whole thing out again to check it. It just doesn't seem right. I don't remember it being this loose back when I had it together originally.

[oldsmiley]

It's hard to tell, but 61-64 steering boxes have about a 1" flange up at the top approx: the same O.D. as the I.D. of the column itself that the column actually slides down onto. It looks like your column isn't all the way down on the flange.

I'm guessing you are using the original style box and column that your truck came with, because if you are, and you loosen your column to push it downward onto the box, then that would leave you a large gap at the top between the turn signal flange plate, and the bottom of the steering wheel. But the column does need to be all the way down on the steering box upper flange to secure it from any movement.


But it really looks like your column is way larger in diameter than the flange on the steering box.

[unibody madness]

It does look a bit high tou are also missing the rubber end cap that slides over the flange,

[shipwrecked]

I think I have it figured out after assembling and disassembly 18 times.

I did find my old rubber seal in the old parts bucket and put it on, reset my position of column length and tightened down. Attached linkage and tested. Clunky but no slop.