[dsraven]

just some info for any lurkers here who want to shorten their own column. some have used a flanged bearing, like for a wheel barrow wheel, at the bottom of the newly shortened column tube. the column tubing usually needs to be custom fit with a file to get the new bearing to fit snugly and then some have even tacked a nut or two on the outside of the tube in a couple of spots around the tube so bolts ban be used to bear down on the bearing and keep it from moving. the thing to remember here is that you also need to put a shaft collar on the actual shaft below the new bearing because otherwise the steering shaft can be pulled up as there is nothing holding the shaft down like it used to be when it was part of the old manual steering gear box.