Big block specific manual steering column?

[Canucklehead]

Hi, total newbie here, and happy to have found you.  A while ago I came across an ad online for a big block a-body steering column.  I've had a couple of factory 383 cars, but this was there first time I had heard of this.  I thought if it had a floor shift the only difference was manual or power steering.  Anyway, I kind of dismissed it as somebody trying to get more money for parts.  Then the other day I was in my 68 parts catalogue (Canadian, they are sometimes different than US), and under steering column SHAFT they list a separate one for Dart/Barracuda with 383 and manual steering.  P/S are apparently the same as small block or 6 cyl cars.  Anybody know why they did this or what the difference is?  Do the U.S. parts manuals list this, too?  Thanks in advance.  Greg

[Jim_Lusk]

I have never heard this, but the guy who would know is Rhindart.

[abodyjoe]

never heard that..  i always used what ever man column i could find at the time..

[Cudadust]

The steering shaft for the earlier A-bodies were different to fit the smaller manual steering boxes.  The later manual steering boxes for A-bodies used the B-body type manual box with bearings.  The steering shafts are longer on manual steering cars than the power steering units.  The steering couplers on manual steering units have a larger diameter spline and sometimes longer in length, the earlier A-bodies had a nut and bolt to attach the coupler to the splines the later A-bodies changed to the pin through the coupler to secure the coupler to the spline, the fleet cars had a large cotter key that fit through the roll pin in the coupler. The earlier big block A-body cars had the B-body manual steering box that required a different shaft and coupler.