What are the two tabs (with the arrows) used for on this steering column bracket? It’s missing from my bracket. 1970 1971 Mustang Cougar Dash Steering Column Lower Bracket Dated OEM D0AZ-A | eBay.
If referring to the two aluminium tabs, they allow the collapsible steering column to side away from the dash during vehicle impact from a head on collision.
There is a third aluminium tab that fits on top that acts more as a spacer, as illustrated below. Sorry I don’t have picture of that piece.
From what I have seen, the aluminium pieces seem to be glued in from the factory, but will not affect function if not.
The metal tab is just to hold the wiring harness that goes to the steering column.
Thanks. I was referring to the two tabs that hold the wire harness. Is this the other bracket that bolts up to where you have circled? I don’t have this piece either. 1970 Mustang & Cougar Original/Used Lower Steering Column Support Bracket | eBay
Neither of your posts have a circled tab. But I believe it holds a connector. I need to go look and see what one it is.
The pics great but need to see the other side to see what wire harness attaches to the two clips. Thanks dude.
The ignition switch & the turn signal “would” have slid onto the tabs. Look at the crescent connector. Top of the crown. Notice a slot. This slide onto the metal tap
Now for the “Would”… The turn signal wires are no longer correct lengths, thus almost impossible to get the connector to slide onto the tab. You might have better luck w/ ign. switch, but due to the age of the plastic it will most likely break while installing… if not already broken!
I pulled the connector off the tab and down so you could see it in the pic. Nothing was on the second tab - it probably broke free long ago like CougarBill said.
Here is a better pic of the two connectors that slide onto the two tabs. The square connector was on the top tab, and the crescent connector was never installed on a tab. Like CougarBill said, the wires are just too short.
Ok. Cool. Thank you for clarifying.
Yet another question. lol Do you have a spring that attaches to the parking brake handle and then attaches to the firewall. I have something like that in a labeled bag when I took it off and can find only one other picture on the internet but the spring is way different.
Like this.
No, nothing like that under the dash. Looks more like a throttle spring to me. The emergency brake handle has a compression spring around the rod on the bracket it is mounted to.
If the ‘return’ spring on the emergency brake handle was missing, fallen out or had broken, I can see someone doing a ‘MacGyver’ with this larger spring, to aid in the return of the release handle to its retracted position.