1998 Ford Explorer Automatic Transmission Steering Column Shift Tube Clamp Dorman OE Solutions 905-110

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In this video, we're going to be working with our 2001 Ford Ranger. We're going to show you how to remove and replace the steering column shift tube assembly. This particular one comes with a new set of bushings on it. This information is the same from 1995 to 2007 on the Rangers, and is similar to many other Ford vehicles.

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Here are the items you'll need for this repair new shift tube from 1AAuto.com, 7-13mm socket, ratchet, socket extensions, Phillips screwdriver, small flat blade screwdriver, hammer, T-30 Torx bit, pliers, and grease.

When working with or around any components of the airbag or SRS system, be sure to disconnect the negative terminal of the battery and allow the modules inside of the vehicle to fully power off for 30 minutes. SRS components can be identified by yellow wire harness wraps and yellow electrical connectors. Always be cautious around these components for power or static charges.

We're going to use an 8mm socket and ratchet to loosen the terminal on the battery, or you can use a wrench. Loosen the clamp, and wiggle it off of the terminal. Tuck the terminal somewhere down to the side where it won't accidentally come back and complete the circuit.

Now you'll have to remove these three Phillips head screws on the column. Tilt the column down, and work off the top half of the clam shell. Place the top half out of the way. Unscrew the tilt column level, and remove the lower half of the clam shell.

To remove the knee panel, remove the four 7mm bolts: one here, two below the hood release, and one all the way by our left foot, using a 7mm socket and ratchet. Slide the knee panel forward toward you to release the hooks and remove it from the vehicle.

Remove these five 8mm screws using a socket and ratchet. Remove the metal brace from the vehicle. Remove these two 13mm nuts at the bottom of the column securing the column and the U-brace. Remove the U-brace. Remove these two 13mm nuts at the base of the column. We use the same 13mm socket, ratchet, and extension: one here and one on the opposite side of the column. Be careful when removing these, as they are holding what remains of weight on the column, so you may want to hold up on the column to release the weight from the nuts while you remove them. Carefully lower the column, being sure not to pull or stress any electrical harnesses or crush any connectors or wires while you rest it down onto the inside of the dash.

To remove the boot over the gear selector. We'll push down on this tab. Lift up to remove the boot, and reach back with a flat blade screwdriver. Release the retainer holding the overdrive on/off switch wire onto the boot. With the wire removed, we can slide the boot up and out of the way.

Remove the spring collar from the bottom of the gear selector pin. You want to hold part of it with your finger and use a flat-blade screwdriver to spread the collar. Make sure you keep a finger behind it, because these do tend to fly off. Using a small hammer, gently tap the pin out of the gear selector. Remove the pin. Use a flat blade screwdriver to pry up and remove the clip, as well as the gear selector itself, carefully hang it off to the side.

Use a T30 Torx bit and a ratchet to remove these seven Torx screws, as well as the clamps and brackets, securing the shift tube. Remove this red wire loop from the gear selector. This runs to the gear indicator on our dash. With that out of the way, we'll life up the gear selector tube so we can access these two T30 Torx screws at the back. With the two T30 Torx screws out, we can now remove our shift selector tube from the column.

Normally, this tube with the plunger inside snaps and makes it impossible for you to shift your vehicle in and out of gear. Ours is okay, but regardless of the condition of this part, we'll have to remove a few pieces from it to install onto our replacement parts. We'll remove the spring at the end, and it simply slides off. We'll tap this lock-pin out with a hammer. Use a pair of pliers to finish pulling it out. Now we can remove this arm from the tube. If we're replacing just the plunger or just the tube itself, we can now slide the plunger out of the tube.

Here we have our old shift tube and plunger that we removed from our Ranger, and our new parts from 1AAuto.com. As you can see, these parts are identical. We have two bushings. We have the slot where a gear selector that you would actually use on the steering column is located. We have the same pins for the interlock tab, the same plunger, and the same two bolt holes on the end where it bolts into the actually linkage to the transmission.

We're going to coat our new plunger with some nice, thick grease. Install the plunger into the shift tube, and install the spring back over the short end of the tube. Reinstall the interlock, and reinstall the pin into the interlock. You may want to put this against a solid surface or into the gap of a vice here, because the pin actually protrudes out on the other side.

Reinstall our shifter tube into the plate that goes to the linkage back here. All of the T30 screws we removed earlier are the same, so we can put them back into this plate, as well as into our clamps. There is a spring that goes against this plate, so you will have to push in on it a little to get the screws started. I recommend starting both screws and trying to bring it down evenly.

Reinstall the shift tube into the steering column. Reinstall your clamps. Be sure that the interlock rod, coming off of the shift tube, sits on top of this arm here. Reinstall all seven T30 Torx screws, as well as their clamps. Start the clip onto the gear selector. Set the gear selector in, and push the clip down in with it. Reinstall the pin. Tap the splines back in.

We'll put our spring collar into a pair of needle nose pliers, just close down on them a few times to make sure it keeps its shape. We'll push it back over the pin. Be sure that the spring collar is fully seated. Slide the boot back into place, reattach the overdrive wire into its retainer, and snap the boot back into its holders. Pull out the red cord of the gear selector indicator and hook it back over its slot in the gear selector. This is spring-loaded, so you do have to be careful with it.

Reinstall the steering column onto its studs. Reinstall the U-brace at the front, and start the 13mm nuts by hand. We'll leave these loose for now, as one of our studs in the rear came out with the nut, so we'll need that little bit of room to line it back up and get it started again. Once we've got everything started, we'll tighten it down with a 13mm socket and ratchet. After performing any repairs or maintenance on the shift components inside of the steering column, you'll want to check the alignment of your shift indicator needle.

You can see here that ours is slightly off. Fortunately, it's a very simple adjustment to make sure it goes back the way it should be. With the knee pan removed, you'll find a small adjuster wheel here that connects up to your shift linkage. We'll roll the dial forward toward the fire wall to move the indicator to the left, which would be from reverse over to park, or we'll roll it towards us, being toward the steering wheel, which will move our indicator to the right, which would go from park toward drive. Ours is to the right side of the P, so we'll roll it out until it lines up. Center it over the letter. Insert your key, and cycle the vehicle through the gears to ensure proper alignment. Right where we want it.

Reinstall the upper and low portion of the clam shell. These do have little plastic hooks on them, so snap them together. Reinstall your Phillips head screws—you should have three, again, our truck is missing one. Screw the tilt column lever back into place. Reinstall the metal knee pan. Reinstall the five screws for the steel dash pan. Tighten them down with an 8mm socket and ratchet.

Snap in the top of the plastic knee pan. Reinstall the four 7mm screws along the bottom. Remember to reinstall the hood release and the two screws that go in there. Reconnect the negative terminal, and tighten the clamp back up. We're going to use an 8mm socket and ratchet, or you can use a wrench. Ensure your connection is tight, and you're ready to go.

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