Rapom's Rocket - just another Duster build thread

Thanks for the additional pics on the column support bearing mod YoungGun. I'm definitely planning on doing this mod but after reviewing the pic of my lower column parts, that I posted on page 5, I'm not so sure I can. Remember I mixed the shaft and lower column parts off my stock '74 column shift/power steering unit and the upper collar/head assy off a floor shift manual. Right now it works perfectly. I'm concerned that a good amount of slop exists in the steering shaft bearing (red arrow). I cleaned and re-greased it when I refurbished the column but it was bone dry from decades of use and I'm sure has a worn race and balls. The steering shaft is supported by this bearing which rides inside the shift selector tube (red arrow). This in turn is supported by the nylon bushing (yellow arrow) which rides inside the outer column tube (yellow arrow). What I'm looking at is the flange on the end of the shift selector tube which would block the insertion of a new support bearing into the end of the outer column tube. I may have to tear the column apart again to see if the shift selector tube can be deleted or moded. Since the column is mounted back in the car I'll have to go give every thing a good wiggle and see how much play actually exists before I re-do all that work again. :wack: