Steering Column Problems

[nick c.]

I have an 88 bronco with 302ci automatic.In recent weeks something in column seems loose,shifter will not engage in park but all other linkage's are tight.It has to be started in neutrel because park will not engage.It seems as though something is not letting linkage in column move far enough to get to park position,indicator shows park but trans is in reverse.Any help would be appriciated, thanks.

 

[Seabronc]

The adjustment at the transmission probably slipped. It is a small bolt on the linkage right where it hooks to the transmission. Loosen it a bit, put your column in Park, and manually move the transmission link to detente in the Park position and then tighten the bolt.

good luck,

>-

 

[nick c.]

The adjustment at the transmission probably slipped. It is a small bolt on the linkage right where it hooks to the transmission. Loosen it a bit, put your column in Park, and manually move the transmission link to detente in the Park position and then tighten the bolt.
good luck,

>-

I had thought about that but didn't see any "marks" that you would get when a bolt/washer move. I didn't want to do it because I thought it would cause gear change/selection problems while shifting. I'll give it a shot, if it doesn't work I can always put the linkage back in it's original place. The linkage at the firewall is also tight but there is slop at the column, which led me to believe it was all column related...so needless to say, the wheel came off, turn signal switch came out, ingnition came out...the u-joint for tilt wheel is tight, just excessive play at shifter. I'll let you know how it works out,thanks.

 

[nick c.]

I had thought about that but didn't see any "marks" that you would get when a bolt/washer move. I didn't want to do it because I thought it would cause gear change/selection problems while shifting. I'll give it a shot, if it doesn't work I can always put the linkage back in it's original place. The linkage at the firewall is also tight but there is slop at the column, which led me to believe it was all column related...so needless to say, the wheel came off, turn signal switch came out, ingnition came out...the u-joint for tilt wheel is tight, just excessive play at shifter. I'll let you know how it works out,thanks.

I did end up moving the linkage around at the bottom of the firewall, where the pivot point is before trans.It was tight but I loosened the bolt and played with it. Shifter says park and so does trans now.Still has a lot of slop in column, more than normal, so I'll probably end up going to a truck yard and getting a new(used) column for it. By the way, it shifts fine also...so far so good.