incorrect assembly rag joint

[DIY 1985]

No significant rust on the floorboards.  I have a 2wd, PS, tilt column on a 2wd, PS, tilt vehicle; but I'm not certain if the gear box is original or if it was made specific to a 4wd.

 

The column plates look the same in the FSM, so long as they are tilt-type or non-tilt type.  However, it looks like there are eight different overall lengths of columns from wheel to box according to the Service Data and Specifications in the FSM; you have wheel-drive (2 or 4), gear box (PS or MS), and tilt or non-tilt.

 

Btw, If anyone is trying to replace a combination switch on these trucks, the diameter is specific to tilt-type or non-tilt 'lower jacket tube, based on the drawings.  I ordered a new aftermarket switch, likely intended for non-tilt, but it didn't seem to matter because the levers and critical electrical components seem transferable from one to the other.

[wayno]

They made two different types of power steering gears, the plumbing(how it connects) is different, they are rare.

2wd or 4wd use the same power steering gear except for that rare type I mentioned above, the 4wd truck upper control arm is mounted different, that is why they can have the rag joint at the steering gear as the upper control arm is not in the way on the 4wd chassis.

If your using a PS 2wd tilt column on a 2wd PS truck you should not be having issues, issue happen when you start using PS columns on non-power steering trucks or vise versa.

The combination switch interchangeability has to be close to the same years, I have transferred the guts from one to the other so the plugs would be the same as the wiring harness I was using, but there are differences, the horn wire and turn signal assemblies are different on some comb switch assemblies and are not transferable, the headlight assembly has never been an issue for me, they all are interchangeable for me so far.

Tilt columns have larger tubes than non-tilt columns, so the combination switches are made to fit whatever column you have, whenever I buy a column, I try to buy the year I need, I have all early wiring harnesses, so I need to find/buy early switch hardware which didn't used to be an issue when I first got into this shit, but now it is a pain as there isn't a lot of 720s in the yards anymore.