Steering shaft to short?

[wimpy]

I have installed a new powersteering box (Lares Firm Feel)to replace the leaking stock box. I can not get the coupler to bottom out on the new box. The dimensions of the new box are exactly the same as the old bx. The coulmn has been rebuilt per Cody's video instructions. I questioned lares tech support, and was told this problem has been solved by other customers by shimming the steering column because of sagging steering column ?  My question has anyone had this problem and what was the solution. By the way when i rebuilt the column i bought a longer coupler, but it will not work on either steering box because it is not splined. Sorry for the long post trying to make explanation as clear as possible.

[anlauto]

Has the steering shaft collapsed at all during the restoration? Pretty common

[Bullitt-]

  Collapsed column mentioned in this video at 16.25 minutes

    https://youtu.be/49L2sIR9OYc?t=985

[tparker]

Is this your original column? Did it fit before? Just checking that you didn't buy one that may not be correct. If it fit before and the new box is exactly the same then it seems it must be something wrong with the rebuild. Maybe you could measure it from the firewall mount to the tip of the shaft and compare with someone who has one not installed.

If it was collapsed, wouldn't it be easy to check by pushing the shaft in and out?

[wimpy]

Sorry for the confusion, the column was rebuilt about 3 yrs. ago it has been in use since then with no problems. recently i found  the P.S. box leaking. When i found out about the lares firm feel box i decided to spring for it.The column has never been damaged. I did measure from the mounting pad to the end of the input shaft both old and new box are the same.

[anlauto]

Has the steering shaft collapsed at all during the replacement of the steering box? Pretty common

Okay, I changed my above reply....can you manually pull the shaft out as tparker mentioned

[wimpy]

No all is tight.Starting to think putting old box back in is the only alternative. Not going to do that until i put new seals in though.

[Xghobo]

As you sure the whole assembly is all the way through the firewall?
I have seen them get hung up  and not be all the way out on the engine side

[dodj]

It's the column,  not the box.  It the shaft plate is against the floor,  you need to pull the shaft at the box end out.  It has been bumped,  and has withdrawn into the upper half.

[wimpy]

Are you saying it is retracted somehow but not collapsed?

[71vert340]

Doesn't the steering shaft have some plastic shear pins that allow the shaft to go up in to the steering column when the shaft is pushed back and the pins are sheared?
Terry W.

[wimpy]

Doesn't the steering shaft have some plastic shear pins that allow the shaft to go up in to the steering column when the shaft is pushed back and the pins are sheared?
Terry W.
[/quoteI]
  I think that is what happens when the column collapses from impact .

[Aloha Randy]

I have taken this road and I will share what it took me to fix this. If all components are in factory specs then your soft pins in the shaft have failed. You need to see the attached file from Cody on shaft measurements. If you shaft isn't at this measurement, they have failed. If you try to pull the shaft to get more length, it binds and seems solid but the pinned location has moved. You can try to fix with Locktite 660 as the thread shows. Not for everyone, I did not have luck with the product and drilled and put in a thin walled roll pin. If you get in a crash, I feel that the thin wall pin will break before human damage occurs. Good luck, it takes time but you will get there.

[anlauto]

Dumb I know, but the coupler also moves on the shaft about 1" 

[dodj]

Are you saying it is retracted somehow but not collapsed?

Ya,  its not hi tech, just pull it back out.