bearing between shift tube and steering shaft needed

[cli55er]

Howdy,

Car is a 70 Dart Swinger 340 with column shifted automatic. I have Reilly front suspension and the flaming river power steering rack. For those familiar, usually the kit comes with a Delrin bushing that slips up in the steering column and holds the steering shaft centered....well I have a column shifted car so I have a shift tube that prevents that from happening. So....I stuck that Delrin bushing on my drill and took sandpaper to the outside diameter so it would fit between the shift tube and the steering shaft to hold the shaft in place.

well....I've had to air chisel that pin out of the flex joint that connects the steering shaft to the Flaming River parts in order to remove the headers a few times.....and doing that hammered on the Delrin a bit and has wobbled out the inside diameter of the Delrin bushing so that now the steering wheel will click back and forth on axis. very annoying, although not a huge deal. I've lived with it.

well....the header had to come out again recently and now I'd like to find a bushing or a bearing or something that will go between the shift tube and the steering shaft....something more permanent and more reliable.

no i'm not talking about this thing... Mopar A Body 70-73, B 70-72, E 70-73 Lower Steering Column Shift Tube Bushing Bearing, Foam Seals & Clip


This is thing is between the column tube and shift tube.....i'm talking the shaft tube and the steering shaft itself.

i'm also not talking about the ser205-16 bearing.....thats not for column shifted cars and is literally what Reilly supplies in Delrin form that i already had to modify.

i tried to search and found nothing really. i can't be the first column shift car that has used the Reilly Motorsports front suspension setup....something better has to be out there to fix this modified delrin bushing.

 

[Michael Siple]

!st thing that popped into my head is this guy on facebook - he rebuilds as well as coats - hope it helps

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[clementine]

I have rebuilt the column on my 67, and might be of absolutely no use to your plight BUT....i might have a solution.

Could you please take a picture of the location of bearing with OD/ID of desired bearing?

Thank you.

 

[cli55er]

inside of column shift tube is 1.40" (ish) .... hard to measure with the shaft going down the middle. when I corrected the delrin bushing in the kit to fit in there.....I tappered it from 1.40" at the tip to 1.47" at the base.... so it would press in. it fits nicely and hasn't come off. the steering shaft is basically 1".....calipers said .989"

 

[luvmopars]

will this work? NOS Mopar 1969-1975 Dodge Chrysler Plymouth Column Gearshift Tube Seal/Bushing | eBay

 

[cli55er]

a bearing is what i'm looking for. something more permanent and wont wear as fast. what you linked is one that uses set screws i believe and i don't think that works in a 70 column.

 

[cli55er]

something like this....only for the bottom and sealed.

NEW 1962-90 Mopar Upper Steering Column Bearing | eBay

or something like the ser205-16.....only the correct size for the shift tube/steering shaft

 

[cli55er]

if nobody knows......then is there a website that shows bearings with all the measurements i'm just not aware of?

 

[cli55er]

surely someone has dealt with this....I can't be the one and only column shifted car that went with the Reilly from end.

 

[jos51700]

I can spin you out a bushing but I'm REALLY curious what happened. Delrin should not have worn that quickly

 

[cli55er]

air chisel to the pin holding the ujoint to the steering shaft to get it out more then one time...using the delrin as leverage to push against. the downward hammering force....equals wobbled out. it's more of an oval now then it is a circle. i should have supported the steering shaft from below while air chiseling out that pin. a bushing would probably do the same thing. a bearing is probably the better choice....that or getting to a point where i can stop having to take that damn pin out. i mean technically its still operational as is....but i have it out again and thought i might as well try to fix it. had to take it off to get the header off, so i could get the head off the motor.

 

[cli55er]

something exactly like the ser205-16 would be great...only in the dimensions i need.

 

[cli55er]

i'm getting realllly close. https://www.amazon.com/XiKe-Flanged-Bearings-Applicable-Wheelbarrows/dp/B01MF5A4GF/?tag=fabo03-20

 

[cli55er]

i wonder how well/long a needle bearing would work/last. considering its not exactly sealed or self lubricating. Tritan Needle Bearing, Caged, Inch, 2 Rubber Seals, 1-in. Bore Dia., 1.5-in. Outside Dia., 1-in. Width MR16 2RS | Zoro

 

[cli55er]

gonna try the MR 16 SRS double sealed roller bearing see what happens. i'll post the findings....if it works....guess that will fix the 1 other person that needs it 10 years from now LOL

 

[cli55er]

Don’t ask….. but I need a whole new steering column now. Fml…. Anyone got a 70 swinger column. Or know what years would still work?

 

[cli55er]

The short of it is… yes the needle bearing I found will work it you mill the outside diameter down… especially all the way and not like me where it got stuck in the tube and I couldn’t get it back out to mill down more…. So I got pissed and took a hammer to it and collapsed the column. Go me.

But it worked out cause I got a column locally that is a later year. 74 maybe 75 ish. It has a bearing already in it at the bottom inside the shift tube and it’s held by a spring and is easily replaced for under 20 bucks still.