Just measured my leftovers - I ended up cutting exactly 6" total minus two hacksaw blade thicknesses since I cut it twice. You want it long enough to stick all the way through the firewall at the lower edge as this'll make everything easier to final fit. I started about by marking the column at the lower edge a 1/4" outside the firewall (engine side) with the stock box before I took it apart. Ended up being a little different with Borgeson shaft and rag joint. I remember popping the steering wheel/column on/off several times until I was sure of the second cut - like a lot of things it's a lot easier to cut a little more off than it is to put a little back on! It's definitely worth not rushing.

I guess I wll start with 6" and work from there. I also think I'm going to be losing the seal that was at the end of the tube, since it's real close to the rag joint. 

I had a Flaming River box in there, so it was two pieces joined together with a sleeve and roll pins. I had to split it apart to get it out. Couldn't get it out the bottom in one piece even with the car on the lift. Never thought of taking it out the top.

I have a ballbearing kit that includes a custom machined insert for the end of the column, a bearing that fits in it, and a shaft collar that clamps around the 3/4" shaft to hold it all in there.  It is useful for Borgeson installations to keep the rag joint from allowing the steering shaft to pull up and down, flexing the joint (the part of the design they forgot about).  It also works with any aftermarket rack or custom rack requiring a stabilized steering shaft.

If you install a rag joint on a 65/66 without a bearing at the bottom and something to keep the shaft from moving up and down, you are going to have horn problems as well as that unnerving feeling of the steering wheel feeling like it can move up and down.  It is best to use a 67 shaft so it has the c-clamp at the TOP to keep the column from sliding downward, then my bearing at the bottom to keep the column from moving upward.  If you have both, they you can remove the steering wheel without the shaft getting out of position.

McStang - Did your steering box line up with the hole in the firewall or did you to have shim the box away from the frame to get it centered?

Last edited by KeithP (6/23/2013 8:58 PM)

McStang wrote:

KeithP wrote:

McStang - Did your steering box line up with the hole in the firewall or did you to have shim the box away from the frame to get it centered?

Mine lined up just fine but I have read that some installations require washers/spacers between the box and frame on one or more of the bolts to get it to line up - variances from one car to another. There is some give in the rag joint so it probably doesn't need to be perfect but as close as possible is good, especially if you want to use the lower column bearing setup that MustangSteve mentions in a previous post. I think the bearing is a very good idea and would like to add one to my column.

I had to add washers on the front two bolts. The three installs I saw online also had to add washers to get it to line up. I was just wondering if Borgeson was welding the mounting plate on wrong, but I guess it worked right for you.
I have my steering column protruding through the firewall into the engine bay about 3/8". But I had to cut the column at an angle to match the firewall angle to get the 3/8" protrusion all the way around because the set screw on the shaft was hitting the top inside of the steering column.