Steering column inner shaft problem

[cantada]

Disassembled the entire column and have most of the parts to rebuild, but ran into an issue with the inner shaft. I assume it should not look like the pictures below. The lower bearing must have went out a very long time ago, lost it's marbles and eventually the inner race itself. The lower bearing spring then started to bind up in the gap between the outer race and the inner shaft and started to wear down the shaft were it pinched. Aside from a replacement inner shaft, any ideas on how to fix this? I have the new bearing and a lower spring out of a 67. The new lower spring looks to be close enough to what's left of the 65 original lower bearing old spring. Thanks in advance. Also, any ideas where I might be able to find a 65 lower bearing spring from any vendors if I do wind up needing it?

[AcampoDave]

I know a guy who had one like that snap in two. He was cranking the wheel quickly to grab a parking space and "pop" the wheel went round n' round. Thankfully he was lucky. I'm no metalurgist but I'd say finding a replacement seems the safest bet. The column in my avatar truck was doing the same and another truck buddy I have was losing his too. We all got replacements in the local PickNPull junkyard. If anybody out there is wondering about their's....check it out. It could save your life!

[chevyrestoguy]

If you can't find a replacement shaft in your neck of the woods, PM me. I have a spare that's in good shape.

[cantada]

Wondering if I can heat it a bit and make up the gap with a MIG welder and machine it. I think I can get access to a metal lathe.

[rideblue00]

I welded mine up, then had it turned in a lathe.

[cantada]

Pm sent

[cantada]

Was thinking weld it too. The shaft appeared to just be mild steel, nothing heat treated or anything like that.

[j_persinger66c10]

Here is a link from another forum of a similar problem. Lakeroadster had his welded then machined down.

http://talk.classicparts.com/showthr...t=13928&page=2

Also, I think I still have my lower spring off the column laying around somewhere, it is a 66 and my column was in good shape, but I replaced it with a tilt column out of van.

[cantada]

Well, I didn't get access to a lathe, but welded her up and took my time dressing the welds. Bearing slides nice and snug along the repaired section. Thanks to everyone for your help, you guys are the best!

[LT1 Burb]

Nice job, that's exactly how I would have handled it.

[luvbowties]

You stated "Bearing slides nice and snug along the repaired section." ***I have actually heard engineers use the term "bearing creep", referring to the designed-in-via-tolerances actual spinning of the inner race --more like turning--on the shaft. Were referring to maybe something like 1 turn of the race per 10,000 turns of the bearing. Naturally it could not rotate, without heating up, if it moved very fast; but a certain amount of rotation, however slight, would be acceptable in some applications.***

***CAUTION:EDITED BY SAM. I JUST EDITED MY ABOVE POST. PLEASE DISREGARD THE ABOVE. AFTER GOOGLING & READING ABOUT "BEARING CREEP", I LEARNED I WAS MIS-INFORMED. PLEASE DISREGARD!!!***
SORRY!
Sam

Just a long-ago memory of hearing it discussed in a machine shop setting.
Sam