Posted By: 64Belvedere
Steering coupler info for the early B Body guys - 03/12/05 06:28 PM
The steering coupler rebuild kits currently sold by Chrysler are labeled as fitting '66-'76 models. I thought that maybe some of the parts would fit even earlier models so I gathered up a '64 and '65 coupler body to test my theory.
As you can see, the couplers bodies are practically identical as far as physical size. The shoes shown inside the bodies are from the rebuild kit. Perfect fit.
The other thing I checked was the seal and cover plate. Here is the '64 coupler body:
Here is the '65 coupler body:
Here is the '64 coupler body from the backside with the new seal:
Here is the '65 coupler from the backside with the new seal and cover plate:
So, for what it's worth, I think they can be interchanged. I'm still in the process of rebuilding my '64 coupler so take all of this with a grain of salt. My plans are to reuse my original cover plate and cut the newer seal down to fit the square coupler body. The backside of the seal is smooth so trimming it down shouldn't affect anything. If you just wanted to use the new cover plate with the new seal, I think that would work well also. Obviously getting the tangs clamped down tightly will be the hardest part. But removing the steering column and utilizing several small C-clamps would probably make the job much easier.
My
......
As you can see, the couplers bodies are practically identical as far as physical size. The shoes shown inside the bodies are from the rebuild kit. Perfect fit.
The other thing I checked was the seal and cover plate. Here is the '64 coupler body:
Here is the '65 coupler body:
Here is the '64 coupler body from the backside with the new seal:
Here is the '65 coupler from the backside with the new seal and cover plate:
So, for what it's worth, I think they can be interchanged. I'm still in the process of rebuilding my '64 coupler so take all of this with a grain of salt. My plans are to reuse my original cover plate and cut the newer seal down to fit the square coupler body. The backside of the seal is smooth so trimming it down shouldn't affect anything. If you just wanted to use the new cover plate with the new seal, I think that would work well also. Obviously getting the tangs clamped down tightly will be the hardest part. But removing the steering column and utilizing several small C-clamps would probably make the job much easier.
My
......
