1970 steering columns

What exactly is the difference between a 70 b-body steering column and a different year column, other than the lockout? Would they be interchangeable? It seems that the 70 columns are extremely hard to find. If anyone has a picture of a 70 b body steering column, (the lower half, i need to know where the bearing goes in relation to the shift tube). Im not even sure i have a b body column as of now (my car was built by idiots)

'70 columns are unique.

Even for 1970 B-body there were different versions.

Column shift.

Manual shift / console shift.

Manual vs. power steering.

So what does your car have?

How the hell did i make a post about steering columns and not include that hahah, its a console shift and has power steering.

Also, 70 columns have the ignition in the column whereas 68-9 (as well as all the earlier year B-bodies ) had them in the dash, making a 70 difficult to find column.

If you have (or can find) one from a column shift car, the parts are available via the aftermarket to convert it.

This is from my manual steer / manual gear 70 Bee. Circled in red is where the lower plastic bushing goes on the lockout tube. There really is no lower bearing.

And its the same as power steering column im assuming? I couldve sworn in the manual it showed a longer tube that surrounded the shift tube and the bearing, with the bearing after the shift tube. Also, is it not still a screw in bearing? If u have a pic of the bearing could u post that too? Isnt there supposed to be a bearing in the lockout tube for the shaft?

I have only ever seen a plastic "bushing"...
Never a bearing...but my 70 is power steering...
I recently had to build a column for the Duster that we switched from power steering to manual...The bottom half of both steering shafts were identical...The top half of the PS column was shorter.
I'd imagine that also applies to B Bodies...heck they may all be the same for that matter...
The splined couplers are different but the shaft itself was the same...At least on an A Body...

The pic is not great but it shows how far my column sticks out past the firewall and rough length of the exposed tube...

The lockout lever/tube is the same on all the '70 b-body columns. The columns are really identical, power/manual & column/floor shift except for the lower collar I believe + some misc. stuff like the "PRNDL". This part going from memory about 5 yrs. ago, but I believe the bottom end of the column has a big fat plastic "insert bushing" & there's a little "flip-over wire clip" that goes into a slot on that bushing to hold if from sliding up/down in the tube.


Geez...I'd send you pictures, but my phone is busted. If it looks like it fits in there, right color vs. interior, it's probably the right one. A '71 has a "key release slide thing" right by the key. The 68/69 (& maybe earlier years the same column too?) have no key hole in the column. The '70 has a key in the column & no slide "key release slide thing"..... I'm an idiot....just look at cuda340's picture....like that.

I believe you know what you’re talking about, my confusion came from when my bearing came off (it was a completely wrong bearing screwed into the shift lever.). I obviously ordered a “correct” one from year one. Im assuming you guys know what im talking about, this came with two screws. I thought this had to be wrong but somewhere in the manual theres a pic of the cover tube going over the shift lever (with a gap for it to move) and it showed the bearing fitting in there. If anyone knows what im talking about please explain.

I'm having a hard time understanding...could you post a picture or two?

I will as soon as im on my laptop, im out on my phone right now. Its in the 1970 charger/coronet service manual.

OE from 70 Coronet, PS, console, restored for my 70RR. No bearing at lower end, just a plastic spacer. There is a shaft bearing at the upper end.

In the second picture it looks like the shaft is free to move around in the tube. How does it stay stable on the lower end? I have two screenshots, turns out the second one is for column shift manuals, but i'm not sure about the first (unless its the same). It's confusing because they put multiple pictures on the same page in random order without labeling what type its from.

Speaking of steering columns, we found a LOADED PCP 1971 Charger R/T in a junkyard in Abilene, TX. back in 1984 that was a 440-4 car with auto column shift & tilt steering. I've never seen another B-Body with tilt steering.

The black & white photo above shows a 3 speed manual shift column. Many times these are very different and beefed up to take the constant abuse from shifting all the time.

So there is no lower bearing? How does the shaft not move around? In 70runner’s pic the shaft looks like it has alot of free room.

71s and 72s got that option

The shaft gets attached to the box which is a fixed object.
I usually put the column in and snug up the two nuts that go over the studs at the bottom rear of the dash.
I then attach the bottom plate and then slide it around until the steering shaft is centered inside the column. (end of the tube sticking thru the firewall)Check it for placement front to rear and then snug up the two bolts that go into the larger plate and finishing tightening the upper column mounts. There should also be one low on passenger side that uses a bolt and is not a stud with a nut.
Be sure to put the pin in the shaft coupler on the box and then just plug everything in.
I modified mine to be floor shift as it was an original column shift. That's why you don't see a column shift bracket at the end of the tube on mine.
In the pics of the refurbished column above you'll see a white disc that goes inside and is held in by the spring clip...That's all there is and it is a bushing for the column shift part not for the shaft part.

Watch these short videos. The 70 B/E columns are almost identical. https://www.e-bodies.org/videos/

Also there is no lower bearing, just the lower bushing that gets clipped in place. It goes between the column and the lockout tube. As stated above, shaft can float around until it gets bolted to the steering box.

Jeff

skicker is right, the center shaft is attached to a something solid at each end...it won't "move around" once installed. It's doesn't need a lower bearing.

My confusion started from the fact i bought it with a rack, with universal joints. It moves around on mine because its not the original box. Thank you to everyone that replied.