little help please
AJ and Hemi Denny thanks for the feedback,
Hemi Denny, are you saying that if I loosen the plastic collar at the bottom I can make the shaft come down more (or lengthen the unit)?
Or is it ok for the shoes to be riding at the top of the coupler?
In reality (as long as the pins are not sheared) the overall length of the unit shouldn't shorten, right......My obvious fear is that it comes out of the coupler and therefore no steering. I know I am probably being Paranoid, but because I am not sure where the shoes were riding in the coupler before I removed it I have this fear of going 60 mph down the road and then loosing steering.
No, the shoes should be somewhere near the center.
If you remember installing the column, you will remember tightening 3 nuts which pull the column up onto the supportworks. Well those studs coming down,go through the plastic slotted bushings, we are talking about. If you loosen those 3 NUTs, you will be able to slide the column up and down, that is towards your chest as you are sitting in the seat. Simply slide it down to the bottom, or until it stops, then check your coupler engagement.I usually back it up a hair from there, and go back and tighten those nuts.
As to the spring retainer, you can make your own from a coathanger, or safety wire. It may not be pretty, but it get's the job done.
Also keep in mind that the coupler has a very specific spot to be before you secure it. First there is a master spline, and then the roll-pin. There is a receiver groove on the stump coming out of the steering box, in which that pin fits.. I'm pretty sure you can't mess up that install,but, I thought I should mention it. If the roll-pin is not in there, it's possible for the coupler to slide down a bit too far. There's not much room there, maybe a quarter of an inch at most.
And one more thing; those shoes fit into the coupler two ways, only one of which is right.