As usual it is two (maybe) steps forward and at least one back. I hate Murphy. Keep in mind this is a work in progress and not a photo op.
I ordered one double and one single steering u-joint and a 3/4 DD shaft off eBay and I had a old hiem 3/4 shaft support bearing from a previous project. When I test fitted the shaft to the bearing it was not a press fit and the shaft just turned inside the bearing. Much confusion over reduced shaft size on the net that I never did understand. So I installed everything and applied permatex bearing mount and it worked well (to well). After curing overnight I could not turn the steering wheel, I had inadvertently got some chemical into the support bearing. I don't know where the hiem joint (in picture on the A arm) came from and was going to order a new one but they don't come with a locking collar (for the small shaft) and could not find definitive dimensions so ordered a stock car firewall style. Its in the modified old bracket now.
I am using the complete Dakota original wiring harness (trying to trick the computer) and the main block plug fit (with some grinding) the original wire plug hole.
Unfortunately the inside half of the plug had a very short wire harness to the fuse box so to avoid rewiring it went into the kick panel, not great but it will do. Please note my first re-upholstery job for this project on the new kick panels . Good enough for me.
The Dakota gauges installed in the modified Plymouth dash. Came out OK.
OFF TOPIC, but of interest: I often get sidetracked on other small things, the fuel injection intake was ugly bad dirty dull, so a couple of minutes a day I would brush / spray, paint remover, grease remover, thinners, varsol, oven cleaner. and anything that I didn't know what it was on. it still looked bad but test primed with acid etching primer and then some wheel paint. Wow!.
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