For some reason I can't seem to find anything on this from previous threads.
What I am trying to do is take advantage of the JY cougar down the road and swap its tilt wheel column into my non-tilt wheel car.
What does this encompass? Does the entire column have to be removed and replaced? or is it just a joint/knuckle at the end of the column where the wheel is located?
Also, I do not know how the get the steering wheel off either.
I can figure it out on my airbag equipped mn12 but not my older basic fox car...:punchballs:
I added a tilt column to my Fox stang way back in 87,
The column separates under the dash you need to unplug all the harnesses and unbolt the supports near the brake pedal and give it a yank :D
Th column is designed to collapse in a wreck and it will come apart at the collapse point .
So what your saying is that the entire column does have to be replaced?[COLOR="Red"](NVMD... I reread it and now I get what you were saying[/COLOR]:dunce:
And do you remember how to get the steering wheel off?
I think theres a bolt holding it to the column right? But I don't know how to get to it. Is that behind the horn pad or do I have to take the rest of the wheel off somehow?
Remove the horn pad,remove the bolt,GET A PULLER and remove the wheel.
x3.. a steering wheel puller.. they're about 16-18 bucks at advance
With fords you probably don't even need a puller to be honest. If you rock the wheel hard up, down, side to side, it'll come off. The tolerances are pretty bad, and the wheels come off a lot easier than they should. When I swapped my TC wheel into my car, the jy cars wheel came off that way, as did the one in my car. Just make sure you tighten it back tight, Fords did have a problem with them coming loose...
Ok, so how do I get the horn pad off w/o destroying it?
The horn pad just pulls off for the A frame wheel or pushes in and twists for the TC style wheel.
The column is very easy to replace. Just undo the electrical connectors on the column, undo the joint in the engine bay and the 4 nuts holding it on and it should slide out.
Edit, here is a picture. The three tabs at the bottom and two at the top hold it on.
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v648/Loaded87IROC/2010-09-30161638.jpg)
push it in slightly and turn counter= clockwise
It's definitely easier to replace the column as one piece since there is less to take apart and put back together. First take off the dash trim plate under the steering column. Next, if you have a column shift, unfasten the string cable for the "PRND21" indicator. Basically it's four large bolts that holds the column it to the dash frame and pedal support bracket. Lower the column down. Unfasten your wiring connectors for the turn signals, dimmer, wiper switch, cruise control and ignition switch. Then go under the hood and loosen the nut on the steering shaft so the shaft will pull off with the column. While under the hood pry apart the shifter linkage at the joining bushing on the end of the shifter rod. The column should now pull straight out through the column boot on the firewall. Transfer any switches from the old column to the tilt one only if it is necessary for you to do so. Just install the tilt column opposite of removal.
The tilt column in question has intermittent wipers, and mine does not. Will this transfer right over, or will I have to swap out the switches too?
You will need to transfer your old wiper switch for non-intermittant use. The intermittant wiper switch will not function properly if you do not have intermittant wipers.
If you want to adapt intermittant wipers, you need to use a wiper control module and adapt the wiring harness for that system. It goes from the wiper switch to the wiper control module which sits atop the "A" bracket to the left of the steering column. Wires from the wiper control box go directly to the wiper motor. I cannot remember if the wiper motors are the same for intermittant or not but I believe they are. Someone correct me if I am wrong. I went through all of this just trying to find a newer style single stalk multi-function switch to work with my MN-12 steering column trim which fits perfectly with the use of my SN-97 dash.
Silly me I forgot about column shifters ...ooops
Watchdevil is 100% correct , my way is fine for floor shifter cars only
Just a little bit more for him to do with the column shifter in place ;)
Also, don't forget to switch out the lock cylinder if you want to retain the original key. And replace the ignition switch with a new one if you are not sure how old the ones are on either steering column.
I guess I will have to go out and get one of those wierd torx bits with a hole in the center to get the ignition off?
Or you can cut a slot in the head with a dremel and use a flat head screwdriver.
hmmmm, well yeah but dremels are more expensive than wierd torx heads and I don't have either one. :D
Besides I think I'd rather just keep it nice and OE inside there
Auto parts stores have a "switchblade" style torx set with the dimples in the end of each one. They are not expensive. I have one.