When is a steering shaft toast?

[Metalaroundstone]

My 66 has always had excessive play in the steering staft. I decided to take the column out and see what's up. What I found was everything was in pretty good shape except the lower bearing had disintegrated and wore a very deep groove in the steering shaft. See pics below. In the second pic you can clearly see the grove and what is left of the inner bearing race. In the third pic you can see what is left of the outer bearing in the tube.

I have 4 (or more) questions:

1. How hard is it to find a replacement shaft for a 66?

2. I'm thinking that the shaft should be 3/4 in diameter from top to bottom. Is this correct?

3. I have been told that the shaft is not hardened so I'm thinking that if push comes to shove it can be welded and refinished to the correct diameter. Is this possible? Has anyone done this? Or is there another way of fixing this?

4. I have seen bearing for sale, but it also looks live the lower spring is heavily worn. Does anyone know where to get this spring?

Thanks

[franken]

I'd measure the length and head to picnpull with a tape measure. I'd look for a collapsible 2 piece from a square.

[Jim53066]

When is a steering shaft toast?

When it looks similar to yours!

Jim

[wilbur46]

Jim gave the right answer.
Better go looking. The good news in that 60-66 stock shafts are all the same.
You are in TX, so they are gonna be everywhere! Austin has plenty of rod shops. After it stops raining you can go lookin. ( hope everything is ok with you, TX is getting wacked!)
Your lower bearing is long gone.
(Take a lot of pictures as you take the column apart, as they can be a PITA to get together correctly.
Save everything you don't need for some other poor guy with a bad stock column.
W

[vince1]

Mine looked just like that. It's a good opportunity for you to get a collapsible shaft in its place. 67 shafts are most certainly rare but if you find one it fits right in, in place of the original.

I used the Classic Industries brass bushing in place of the lower bearing but found it a bit tight going in. It might need to be turned down a thou or two. With the bushing the shaft will never get chewed up like it does when the bearing falls apart.

[pimpston65]

its time to get your part pick game on, cuz its not hard to find parts for these yrs. gotta beat that bush so to speak!!!

[chevyrestoguy]

Now would be a good time to consider a collapsible shaft. If you're stuck on going back to stock, I have a spare, uncut shaft from a '64.

[Metalaroundstone]

Originally Posted by chevyrestoguy

Now would be a good time to consider a collapsible shaft. If you're stuck on going back to stock, I have a spare, uncut shaft from a '64.

Thanks Chevyrestoguy, I looked at what you did to make a collapsible shaft. Great idea, and what you did was very nice. However, right now I am trying to limit the things it would be nice to do. I want to get my truck back into service. I have been working on it now for about 8 months! Maybe someday I will do the colapsible shaft, howfully before a head on collision. Of course it I don't ever get it together I won't need to worry about any collisions.

Thanks for the offer for the steering shaft. I went ahead and welded mine up and then turned to the proper diameter on a lathe. I turned out pretty good. Here is a pic of the repaired shaft.

[joedoh]

haha not too shabby!