I have acquired a spare steering column that I was planning on renovating and using in my special. Apart from not yet succeeding in removing the column from the box - well rusted - the box is aluminium and mine is not and the column is about 24" and mine is about 26". So questions are is aluminium any better or worse than steel and are columns interchangeable?.......and the supplementary is, why is the nut at the base of the box reluctant undo? it turns just but does not undo. All elementary I expect.

I think you may have acquired a Ruby type steering column Nick.

Nick,
I too think you've got a Ruby steering box and yours is a Box saloon type?

To answer your other questions;

If you're trying to get the big nut off the bottom of the box - don't bother. It dismantles by removing the 1/4" bolt with a peg end where the column goes into the box casting. Remove the clamp bolt from the top of the box and unscrew the column out of the box. There was a special C spanner in the A7 toolkit to do this but depending how wedded the two parts are - slightly wedging the slot open in the box with a screwdriver usually gets it away. Unscrew the column and worm out of the box. The end clearance on the worm is set by screwing this in and out. Some (but not all?) boxes have two positions for the peg bolt to get a finer adjustment and you can drill through the hole into the column to get an even closer adjustment.

I believe the CI and aluminium boxes are identical but check the angle of the column and the tubes that go up towards the steering wheel, there may be differences there? I try to avoid mixing parts from complete steering boxes - the gears are usually well run into each other and adjust up and last better?

As this is for your special - the difference in column lengths could help you position the steering wheel so you don't have a finger trap on the dashboard etc. A dished steering wheel can also help in this.

Hope of use. Dave

Thank you, I think you are correct in that it is a Ruby column. Also thanks in that I can forget the nut at the end (its always the nut at the other end that causes problems!!)So I have opened out the slot with a screwdriver and have a C spanner but nothing wants to move. As I don't have a spare steering wheel it is difficult to astertain how stuck the inner column is. Anyway all is now soaking in diesel for a while. Any ideas if the Ruby column can be swopped for a Box one? (that is if it ever comes apart)

The last one I took apart needed at least a couple of patient hours, with a blowlamp, oil, hammer and drift.

I am sure if it is held in a vice and hit too hard you can break the casting, so I didn't use too big a hammer.

I didn't use the plumber's freezing stuff either but there is also that (very expensive) option.

Patience and persistence and the trick of, if you gan get a really good solid grip on one of the rotating parts, moving it back and forwards.

Usually, nothing appears to happen for a long time, then as soon as there is any movement at all, you know you will be able to sort it.

Took me a week of evenings, once, but that was a stuck engine.

Simon

Location: On a hill in Wiltshire

Ok, so the usual dose of patience and the favourite medium size hammer required! Does the top of the inner column have at bearing or bush? and still the burning question are columns interchangeable?

Nick - presumably your proposed change is to give you a different column length to suit your special. If however your aim is towards that ultimate - to add on lightness with a different column/box, you will be wasting your time. I've weighed both aluminium and steel boxes and when full of their respective mechanicals they are exactly the same. Strange, but true. Good Luck with the project, Cheers, Bill in Oz

Location: Euroa,Victoria

My objective is twofold. a) to take it to pieces and rebuild it simply for the experience and learning value and b)to make it available to use in the special if someone knows if the columns are interchangeable. I realise of course that the original RN's controls tubes will have to be dispensed with.
If weight saving was important I think a personal diet would be more effective!