1974 Lower steering column bearing

[Geiri]

This is a friends 1974. The steering shaft is rattling in the lover tube.
I am wondering what parts he needs to get this fixed. He does not want to pull the column out.
Are those two Items enough or is there more to it?

 

[DirtDonk]

Before doing anything, roll that bearing around in your finger and see if it still smooth.
It’s obviously falling out of its pocket, so all that slop is probably just from that lower column sleeve/bearing retainer thingy having slid down the shaft.
You can see the nut clamping it to the shaft. Loosen that if you need to, then slide it all back up in the pocket.
Hopefully the pocket itself isn’t damaged and it will slide back into place.

The problem with the 74 steering column is that you never know what parts were used. 74 and 75 were a crapshoot mix of parts, but 74 was by far the worst. I’ve had so many customers called to say that the 74 either had the early, the late, or a mix of early and late parts installed from the factory.
Luckily, in the case of your friends column, it looks clearly like it was the late model bearing. But it’s still using the early style clamp retainer, so I’m wondering if it needs that second part.
Maybe that old part just broke out because it was just plastic. Or maybe it doesn’t use it. I’m not sure, so if you do buy parts, it usually means you need to buy both.
I’m just not familiar enough with all the year columns to know for sure. Hopefully somebody else does.

 

[thegreatjustino]

You can see the bearing in your picture. The rubber grommet has likely rotted away. Just replacing the grommet and snugging up the clamp should fix it. Column bearings (especially the sealed ones) rarely wear out. It's unlikely that the bearing needs to be replaced. Although for $18, it's not like you're spending a fortune to do so if you'd simply like to do so while you've got things disassembled.

 

[Bustedbroc]

Before doing anything, roll that bearing around in your finger and see if it still smooth.
It’s obviously falling out of its pocket, so all that slop is probably just from that lower column sleeve/bearing retainer thingy having slid down the shaft.
You can see the nut clamping it to the shaft. Loosen that if you need to, then slide it all back up in the pocket.
Hopefully the pocket itself isn’t damaged and it will slide back into place.

The problem with the 74 steering column is that you never know what parts were used. 74 and 75 were a crapshoot mix of parts, but 74 was by far the worst. I’ve had so many customers called to say that the 74 either had the early, the late, or a mix of early and late parts installed from the factory.
Luckily, in the case of your friends column, it looks clearly like it was the late model bearing. But it’s still using the early style clamp retainer, so I’m wondering if it needs that second part.
Maybe that old part just broke out because it was just plastic. Or maybe it doesn’t use it. I’m not sure, so if you do buy parts, it usually means you need to buy both.
I’m just not familiar enough with all the year columns to know for sure. Hopefully somebody else does.

JUmping on this thread because I have the exact same story with my 74. Lower shaft rattling around real loose. After reading this thread and examining mine, the rubber piece (I am assuming it is just a dust/dirt seal), was split and falling off. I loosened the clamp and had to persuade the bearing to get back into the pocket by using a long screwdriver on the edge of the clamp to drive the bearing back into the pocket. Slop is better but I can still see the bearing moving around in the pocket and the steering is now binding up. Most likely since there is pressure on bearings that are in poor condition and no longer rattling around freely. Is that pocket replaceable or is it time for a new column? I already moved my 3 on the tree to a Duff floor shifter. Insight appreciated. Looks like the same sealed type of bearing to me.

PICS included. FM

 

[DirtDonk]

The good news is, the parts are still cheap!
The bad news is, I don’t think there’s any way to really tell the condition, until you pull things apart.
Binding could be coming from anywhere. It could be from decomposing bearings, as you suspect. Could be coming from a damaged race, but we don’t know if it’s the entire replacement assembly, or the early style.
Looks to me like the later style, so probably just needs a new bearing.
It could also be binding up at the upper collar beneath the steering wheel. If that is pulled down too tight with too small of a gap, there might be some issue there. Only you will know for sure, but I’m afraid it takes a little more fiddling around with that lower sleeve/clamp and bearing.
Can you tell if the bearing is a single sealed unit, or the open caged ball bearings similar to a bicycle steering head? I’m guessing the former, where you just replace a single bearing and it’s done.
Of course, then you get to the real bad news, which is it all has to come out without that rag joint in place. Because so many people have so much trouble removing the rag joint flange, I guess it would be better to undo all the upper stuff, make sure there’s no snap-ring on the column, and pull the whole thing down into the engine compartment.
But that’s always a tight fit no matter how you do it.

I guess this is where I say, “good luck!” or something semi-inspiring to that effect.

 

[Bustedbroc]

The good news is, the parts are still cheap!
The bad news is, I don’t think there’s any way to really tell the condition, until you pull things apart.
Binding could be coming from anywhere. It could be from decomposing bearings, as you suspect. Could be coming from a damaged race, but we don’t know if it’s the entire replacement assembly, or the early style.
Looks to me like the later style, so probably just needs a new bearing.
It could also be binding up at the upper collar beneath the steering wheel. If that is pulled down too tight with too small of a gap, there might be some issue there. Only you will know for sure, but I’m afraid it takes a little more fiddling around with that lower sleeve/clamp and bearing.
Can you tell if the bearing is a single sealed unit, or the open caged ball bearings similar to a bicycle steering head? I’m guessing the former, where you just replace a single bearing and it’s done.
Of course, then you get to the real bad news, which is it all has to come out without that rag joint in place. Because so many people have so much trouble removing the rag joint flange, I guess it would be better to undo all the upper stuff, make sure there’s no snap-ring on the column, and pull the whole thing down into the engine compartment.
But that’s always a tight fit no matter how you do it.

I guess this is where I say, “good luck!” or something semi-inspiring to that effect.

Well the column is out, (see pic), pretty FUGLY! Rag joint shot. I have no idea on how to get the lower bearing off. (which is a sealed bearing). Is the rag joint just pressed onto a splined shaft? I cant tell. Also, the rubber grommet/seal previously pictured confuses me. That is not supposed to hols the bearing centered in the pocket is it? If so that seems pretty cheesy and if it is does and is missing, (which it is), then maybe the pocket is not bad after all. Tempted to drop a new tilt column in but really don't feel like dropping $1k just to steer. FM

 

[thegreatjustino]

I have no idea on how to get the lower bearing off

Remove the snap ring from the steering shaft up at the top. Slide the steering shaft out of the column from the bottom. Slide the bearing off the steering shaft.

 

[Bustedbroc]

OK, simple enuff, thanks. Tomorrows project. After looking at replacement parts it appears to me that

the bearing sleeve here has a recess that the bearing sits in and the collar that holds the bearing up into the pocket also will hold the sleeve in place? And the bearing sleeve actually does center the bearing in the column pocket? If that is the case I have a feeling that my pocket is ok and I will just need to replace the upper/lower bearings and the sleeves. I will see tomorrow when disassembled. When I look at the bearing offered at WH it does not appear to be a sealed bearing as this picture and my original is. Not quite sure what site the above parts originated from.

 

[Bustedbroc]

Ah, answered my own questions once I took it apart. Bearings are sealed only on the 1 side. Must have been one of Ford's Better Idea's from the 70's, LOL. WH bearings are identical. Parts ordered. Thanks to all for the insight.

 

[MonsterBIlly]

I hope I am not late for this thread, however i replaced mine and it failed shortly after.
There is a hotrod shop by my house and another dude there told me to replace it with this, and I did. It works flawlessly...

B
XTPTFABS Lower Steering Column Bearing Compatible with 1966-1972 1973-1979 Ford Trucks F150 F250 and 1976-1979 Broncos https://a.co/d/0dIhxmRP

 

[thegreatjustino]

I hope I am not late for this thread, however i replaced mine and it failed shortly after.
There is a hotrod shop by my house and another dude there told me to replace it with this, and I did. It works flawlessly...

B
XTPTFABS Lower Steering Column Bearing Compatible with 1966-1972 1973-1979 Ford Trucks F150 F250 and 1976-1979 Broncos https://a.co/d/0dIhxmRP

Won't do him any good in his '74 column. As stated in the link, that bearing only works on the 76/77 Bronco column. The 76/77 column uses a completely different bearing setup than the 66-73 and 74-75 columns.

 

[Lobi]

I had a 74 with a C4, I don't remember that rag joint. I had a 66 with three on the tree, it was completely different (manual steering).
I thought the rag joint was a Chevy thing.

 

[DirtDonk]

Nope. Ford used rag joints as well. None of the companies were the most brilliant about it however, as some, including Ford, sometimes mounted the rag joint down by the steering box where it was was easily contaminated with different oils.
That’s the quickest way to deteriorate them over time.

The rag was a simple and inexpensive way of reducing or eliminating the inherent vibrations from a hydraulic system.
You wouldn’t have seen them on manual steering trucks, but anything with power steering, and meant for consumer use, usually had a joint.

I think we had a member here upgrade his early column to use the later style bearing that was posted. So I believe it’s doable. If I remember, it wasn’t a ton of work, but it wasn’t a simple drop in.

 

[C-Dubb]

This is a friends 1974. The steering shaft is rattling in the lover tube.
I am wondering what parts he needs to get this fixed. He does not want to pull the column out.
Are those two Items enough or is there more to it?

My 73 did this, I pulled the steering column out and replaced the upper and lower bearings which corrected the rattle. It’s hard to tell which parts you need until you take it apart, my column used the upper bearing for the 73 and the lower one was from a different year.