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TR2/3/3A steering column through the body tub

sp53

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I am putting the steering column through the body tub and the column enters the hole on the tub way off center to the inside. I could probably make the column go through the hole and the splines fit together, but I would have to force the column away from the engine with some force to make it work. Things just do not look correct or feel correct. Has any else had to force the column over. The column is tight against the shock tower, so there is no room. Maybe a bent shock tower or poor engineering. It just feels wrong
 

TomMull

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Not much help specifically but a rather insignificant fender bender can throw things off and as you know, there is very little wiggle room around the steering box. The bent tower is certainly a possibility. Any chance of tweaking it with a big lever?
Tom
 

charleyf

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Have you tried to loosen the bolts that are holding the lower portion of the steering to see if there might be some room for movement of the lower portion? Did you remove and replace the body tub on the frame?
 
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sp53

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Tom I might have tried to move the shock tower over if I would have noticed it sooner. God knows I have levered some stuff as a carpenter. You are correct I looked at my car with the solid column and the column is maybe 1/16 away from the tower and it looks like the column goes through the hole in the firewall towards the inside.

I was able to pull the column over with my hands and fit the 2 together, and I guess the dash bracket would hold it in place that is if everything is happy with the dash board. One concern I have with the split column is that perhaps the inner shaft would rub those column bears out, but not sure.

The more I think about it the solid shaft might be a better way to go because that shaft does not have those little bearings that look like they would be a bear to replace. Interestingly, I have a solid column with a little bend at the shock tower that did not come out of this car.

Yes Charley the tub has been off the frame and the car was cut in half also, so yes a combination of things could have worked against me. I will say these cars come apart in sections that do fit back together kinda idiot proof because of all the bolts and lapping sheet metal separate pieces. I do have everything lose and will do a dry fit the dash to make sure everything will work; it should. I only have 2 examples of the column going through the firewall, but I am optimistically guessing they all might not be center.

steve
 

charleyf

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Steve,
I have straightened or moved the front shock tower one one car. But I was able to determine that it was out of alignment because I had a bare frame and went through the full alignment measurements using a plumb bob and measuring the X distances to determine if it was out of alignment. I did have to use a hydraulic unit and weld some places on the frame to hold the hydraulic unit in place at the proper angle.But another thought is have you put the cross bar in place? If the tower is out of alignment, the cross bar may either not fit or push the tower back into a closer alignment.
 
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sp53

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Yes the cross member slip right in; it is yellow and not easy to see in the picture. So, yeh that would make me think things might be ok, but again I guess everything could has been pushed—both sides.
 
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