How To Replace your Lower Column Bearing: Better and Cheaper!!!
Thanks to the OP and FABO for this info.
I had an old floor-shift column that I picked up years ago at Carlisle.
I started cleaning it up this afternoon for installation into my '73 Sport when the bearing retainer and all the little balls came falling out of the tube!
This column has a spring that appears to hold the beariing retainer into the shaft.
I'm going to have to get that spring retainer, spring, inner race off the shaft istself and bearing spacer out of the tube to do this mod, but at least this is a fairly inexpensive and viable solution. A few hours ago, I was cussing it....LOL