The Dodge Challenger Message Board

I need help identifying a part which seems to be
dangling from my steering column.The other day
I notice a steel rod protruding from the underneath of the car.When I traced it,,it is attached to the steering column close to the firewall and is attached via some other part.
It is dangling straight down towards the ground
and right next (perpendicular to the torsion bar)
Pardon my stupidity,,but I have no clue what
purpose this bar serves??I tried to see where
it might attach but to no avail.

Help!

lava

Is it a 1970 4 speed car? If so, just a guess, but it could be what's left of the reverse lockout rod assembly.

No It's a 340 automatic,,and the rod is solid
metal,,off the stearing column about 14" long
Strange.

Lava

Larry.

New question = new conversation.

Steering question = steering section.

OK?

Da Boss.

PS.
I think I have seen something like this before on another car but I didn't know what it was either.

Hey Boss...I don't know if you noticed but ehh...this is the steering section...

Only 'cos I moved it here and started a new subsection Hans! Honestly. It is like tidying up after my wife around here! She never puts things in the right place either.

I have identified this mysterious part.I was
leafing through Paul Herd's resto manual and
lo and behold,,there it was!,,on page 80 and
called "column lock front rod".I still have no idea what it does,,other than possibly stabilize the column under heavy loading (fast cornering?)

Anyway,it looks like it seats in the frame rail
but underneath my column there is metal plate
with a hole in it the size of this rod,,,maybe
it's supposed to fit thought this plate and seat to the rail?Any comments

Lava

AAHHH!
I wondered what that bracket was for. My column has a bracket that rod would fit into. It must lock the gear selector into Park or something when the steering lock is on does it? I have never seen one hooked up before.

Don't know,,like I said,,mine is not connected properly,,don't much care now that I know what it does,,I'll probably just remove it.,But just curious,,when the car is started,,the steering wheel is unlocked immediately right,,so why would this rod be usefull,,unless you could lock the steering wheel when the engine is on and inadvertently put it in gear???.Are you saying
there is a way to lock the steering wheel after
ignition?

Most modern automatics do not allow you to pull the lever out of park without first turning the ignition key. I thought it might be like that?