1957 steering column, replace the ribbed adjusting collar and other upper items

[Oregon John]

This adjusting collar on my car is ugly; I have a new replacement, but I have not determined how to get the old one off. Yes, there is a small set screw which is easy, but the turn signal carrier and bearing appears to be pressed on hard, and I can't get it off. This means removing the adjusting collar downward, and then we come to the wire bundle which is tight. User Bonneville 6 years ago asked about this, but no answer is present. I have seen inquiries that address the turn signal switch, horn, etc., but not one that catches this issue.

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[lancehsch]

This adjusting collar on my car is ugly; I have a new replacement, but I have not determined how to get the old one off. Yes, there is a small set screw which is easy, but the turn signal carrier and bearing appears to be pressed on hard, and I can't get it off. This means removing the adjusting collar downward, and then we come to the wire bundle which is tight. User Bonneville 6 years ago asked about this, but no answer is present. I have seen inquiries that address the turn signal switch, horn, etc., but not one that catches this issue.

For what it’s worth, as part of a Borgeson power steering upgrade I replaced the adjusting collar on my 57 last month. It’s a son of a gun.

The short answer is you have to completely remove the steering column and slide the adjuster off the bottom. It won’t come off the top. Sliding, actually screwing, the adjuster upwards towards the steering wheel tightens the assembly. Eventually it bottoms out and stops. That’s the way it’s designed.

In my case removing the steering column and replacing it turned into a nightmare. The column is clamped to the dash support structure with two large screws with nuts on top. The problem is the nuts on top are not captured. They’re loose.

The only way they could have put the nuts on at the factory would have been to assemble the steering column before they put the rest of the dash/speedometer assembly on top. There simply isn’t any way to put those two nuts back on without dissembling the whole dash. You can see where they go when it’s apart you simply get to them when it’s together.

Fortunately my buddy who was doing the work owns a machine shop so after a days worth of trying and colorful language we gave up trying.

Instead we fabricated two long replacements studs. They were installed with the clamp and the steering column slid right in easy peasy.

So if you take your 57 apart like mine be prepared to either disassemble the whole dash or kludge together some kind of stud arrangement so you can get it back together.

Maybe you’ll be lucky and have the nuts on your 57 column are captured. They weren’t on mine

You could probably fabricate a stud from a section of all thread with nuts from the hardware store.

But good luck getting the original screws and nuts back together.

 

[curtkane]

For what it’s worth, as part of a Borgeson power steering upgrade I replaced the adjusting collar on my 57 last month. It’s a son of a gun.

The short answer is you have to completely remove the steering column and slide the adjuster off the bottom. It won’t come off the top. Sliding, actually screwing, the adjuster upwards towards the steering wheel tightens the assembly. Eventually it bottoms out and stops. That’s the way it’s designed.

In my case removing the steering column and replacing it turned into a nightmare. The column is clamped to the dash support structure with two large screws with nuts on top. The problem is the nuts on top are not captured. They’re loose.

The only way they could have put the nuts on at the factory would have been to assemble the steering column before they put the rest of the dash/speedometer assembly on top. There simply isn’t any way to put those two nuts back on without dissembling the whole dash. You can see where they go when it’s apart you simply get to them when it’s together.

Fortunately my buddy who was doing the work owns a machine shop so after a days worth of trying and colorful language we gave up trying.

Instead we fabricated two long replacements sdtuds. They were installed with the clamp and the steering column slid right in easy peasy.

So if you take your 57 apart like mine be prepared to either disassemble the whole dash or kludge together some kind of stud arrangement so you can get it back together.

Maybe you’ll be lucky and have the nuts on your 57 column are captured. They weren’t on mine

You could probably fabricate a stud from a section of all thread with nuts from the hardware store.

But good luck getting the original screws and nuts back together.

I rebuilt my steering gear box that required removing steering column. I got those bolts and nuts back on but not easily. It requires patience, foul language and to be able to do these things by touch only. Good luck.

 

[curtkane]

I rebuilt my steering gear box that required removing steering column. I got those bolts and nuts back on but not easily. It requires patience, foul language and to be able to do these things by touch only. Good luck.

Forgot to mention, i removed the seat (not that difficult) to move around easier.

 

[Bruce Hardy]

When I rebuilt and modified my 55 I through that corroded and pitted column away and installed a modern tilt wheel column If you retoring and have to use the original column I don't know where teo tell you to go. Leaving that old pitted thing in there is a deal killer. I just kept my on a shelf .

 

[lancehsch]

For what it’s worth, as part of a Borgeson power steering upgrade I replaced the adjusting collar on my 57 last month. It’s a son of a gun.

The short answer is you have to completely remove the steering column and slide the adjuster off the bottom. It won’t come off the top. Sliding, actually screwing, the adjuster upwards towards the steering wheel tightens the assembly. Eventually it bottoms out and stops. That’s the way it’s designed.

In my case removing the steering column and replacing it turned into a nightmare. The column is clamped to the dash support structure with two large screws with nuts on top. The problem is the nuts on top are not captured. They’re loose.

The only way they could have put the nuts on at the factory would have been to assemble the steering column before they put the rest of the dash/speedometer assembly on top. There simply isn’t any way to put those two nuts back on without dissembling the whole dash. You can see where they go when it’s apart you simply get to them when it’s together.

Fortunately my buddy who was doing the work owns a machine shop so after a days worth of trying and colorful language we gave up trying.

Instead we fabricated two long replacements studs. They were installed with the clamp and the steering column slid right in easy peasy.

So if you take your 57 apart like mine be prepared to either disassemble the whole dash or kludge together some kind of stud arrangement so you can get it back together.

Maybe you’ll be lucky and have the nuts on your 57 column are captured. They weren’t on mine

You could probably fabricate a stud from a section of all thread with nuts from the hardware store.

But good luck getting the original screws and nuts back together.

Just to amplify, we welded a stiff wire between the top nuts to secure them and keep them from rotating when we tightened the bottom nuts. The bottom nuts were “long nuts” from Ace hardware. The way the clamp is recessed you can’t put a regular nut on the bottom. The long nuts are about an inch long and fit nicely.

 

[Oregon John]

Job done. There are a few things that made it easier. A big issue is the turn signal wiring harness, which may have originally been assembled in the column at the factory. It has to ALMOST come out to allow the removal of the adjusting collar and other items - the far ends of the harness must tuck into a depression on the column. But the plastic harness wrapper had become stiff with age. A shot of spray silicone [only that, and WD-40 company makes a good one] fixes this problem. Note that this is NOT WD itself, just their silicone spray. Do not get this stuff on your paint. If you do, you can remove it with an auto paint pre-wash like Prep-sol, wiped no less than 3 times. Silicone will cause fish-eye if any paint is applied over it.
Another issue comes when you re-install the column. The horn wire doesn't like being threaded back into the steering box spline. To expedite this, run a very thin wire up from the bottom end of the steering box, where you want the horn wire to exit. This goes easier - then wrap the top of this wire around the balky horn wire and guide it through out the bottom.
One forum member reported trouble with the two long bolts under the front of the dash that hold on a bracket for the steering column. I had no issue there. You can insert them, reach up behind the dash, and slip the nutz on the bolts. They have built-in lock washers, and you just thread them lower with your fingers until snug. The long bolts will tighten easily at that point. If you bunged up any threads, get out the tap and die set.
In all, not a terrible task.