[dave47]

So, I have a problem with my column, but it is not the clanking that seems to develop in every column. In fact, 120,000 miles in and my column does not clank. BUT, now I can't shift. The gear selector seems to move just about freely, without getting that message to the transmission. However, if I move the shift arm just on the other side of the firewall, everything goes fine (in fact I have been driving it for almost two weeks now, just shifting gears with the hood popped). So that leads me to conclude that the problem is inside of the steering column.

Like we all know, the chrysler solution to a steering column problem is replace the entire thing. But clearly I am not under warranty, and I am not dropping that much for a new column. The only solution (within my budget) that I can come up with, is to go to a salvage yard, get a new-to-me column and replace it. I can't find any information on the innards of the column, and I don't know how I would fix this problem any other way.

Any ideas or suggestions? Thanks!

 

[RedRam10]

The swap shop way is how I would go about it. Hope someone who's done it will chime in.

 

[RAMING IT]

Hope this helps

Double check your shifter cable that runs from your tranny to your steering colum. Its a cable with round tips on both ends. Underneath your colum the cable runs from your firewall (behind pedals) into your colum it snaps onto a nipple thats mounted on your shifter. On your tranny it clicks onto a mounting bracket and extends and snaps onto a nipple on your tranny that changes your gears. Try that bud before you give up on it.


Your years diffrent so it might not look identical but you get the idea.

This is my Shifter cable. I had to replacee it cuz the fitting on the colum end broke off.

Underneath colum. You might see this, its an adjustment for the shifter cable.

See were the cable mounts then extends to tranny.

 

[dave47]

Thanks for the great pics raming it. I have just been spending the past couple of weeks shifting with the shifter arm on the engine side of the firewall. I will be sure to check this out tomorrow though. I hope it works!

 

[Guest]

I agree...check the linkage and I think you are right...it's gonna be a salvage steering column. For those small rubber bits, brackets and bolts you might end up needing, check out lmctruck.com

 

[dave47]

Update: I finally had a day off when it wasn't pouring down rain and was able to make my way to the salvage yard. I got a column from an '01 truck. It only took about an hour and a half to take the old one out and put in the new. Much shorter and easier than I was expecting due to the advice on the forum! I drove it around for about 20 minutes afterwards and its running great. It sure is nice to be able to put the truck into drive again without popping the hood.

Thanks to everyone who helped me out with this problem!

The only strange thing (and this may be due to the fact that I put the '01 into my '98) is that the dash doesn't seem to line up with what gears I am actually in now. When I am in park, it shows I am in park, but then R is in the gap between P and R, and ND21 all follow suit, one shifted to the left. In other words, when I am driving, it shows that I am actually in N. Anyone have any idea why this may be? I am thinking that little wire halfway down the column needs to be adjusted somehow, but then why does P line up?

 

[RAMING IT]

Im not to sure but I believe it might be the diffrence in the year of the colum that causes that mark not to line up.