A question about tilt away steering for 68

Cougar Community Classic Cougar Community Discussion
1

The following link states, that after 1967 the Federal Motor Vehicle safety standards, From January 1, 1968 that the Swing-Away steering would no longer meet safety standards. I know our cars in 68 had both tilt and swing-away. Does anyone know why this statement was made, but we still ended up with the option? I copied the statement that is almost to the bottom of the page.

http://automotivemileposts.com/autobrevity/tiltwheel.html

Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) for 1968 models were updated to specify a limit to the amount of rearward movement a steering column could have in the event of a collision. Standard No. 204 Steering Column Rearward Displacement, created the need for a collapsible steering column, which included a section designed to collapse on impact, thus preventing the column from moving rearward in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, causing chest, head, and neck injuries. Due to this requirement, which was effective with all vehicles built on or after January 1, 1968, the Swing-Away steering wheel would no longer meet vehicle safety standards, which meant that Ford couldn’t install it after the 1967 model year. Since most of Ford’s 1967 models were new designs, an updated tilt design for the steering wheel was also introduced for 1967.

Next question, could the steering column be made to fit our 68 cougars?
Thanks
Dennis

2

I don’t think that the author of the article fully understood what he/she was writing about.

Starting with the 1968 model year, most (if not all) Ford/Mercury/LIncoln cars received collapsible steering columns and all tilt columns were upgraded as well. Tilt swing was available through 1969, on Cougars, Mustangs, and Thunderbirds.

We have every year of Cougar tilt steering columns listed on our website.

3

Swing-Away and Tilt-Away are two different things. Cougars only came with Tilt-Away never with Swing-Away. Swing-Away had the column sliding to the right and locked up the transmission. Tilt-Away has the column tilting upwards and to the right.

4

This is interesting to me, since I have never actually seen in person the 68 tilt unit. My 71 had tilt, up and down. So if I have this right, it will tilt up and then shift on a 45 degree angle to the right, leaving the column in it’s original place?

5

my '68 only tilts now, the swing away function isn’t working. I always wondered what the extra switch in the door pillar was for.

6

Here is a great article covering Ford and Mercury’s Swing-Away, Tilt -Away and Tilt Steering.
Steven

7

They were discriminating against Cougar owners… “It remained on the options list for the 1969 Thunderbird ($66.14), Mustang ($66.14), and Cougar ($68.70)”

8

$2.56 more for “Untamed Elegance” :gaptooth: