Chuck Henderson
Member
I have the steering column out of my ‘70 Dart for a general overhaul and noticed a slight bend in the column cover. Is this normal or the result of some prior bang-up? The column itself appears to be ok.
Hi chuck and welcome aboard.
Was the bottom bearing toast? I’m guessing it probably was. If it was this could be the result but it’s easily straightened and in my humble opinion definitely not a big deal. Rebuild that sucker and carry on.[/QUOTE
Thanks Doc!The pins keep the column from collapsing/overextending too far- they're designed to shear and allow the column to collapse in the event of a collision, hopefully preventing the driver from getting speared in the process.
If the inner column (engine bay end) freely slips out, they've been sheared. If you feel a bit of travel, and it stops, they're intact.