70 Duster steering column questions

Does anyone happen to know what part# the column trim pc is for a 70 Duster with Rallye dash. The parts book is not very clear. Possibly part#s 4050VX9 or 4051VX9. I have part# 3590529 and am having a heck of a time getting it to fit my 70 Duster. The opening isn't large enough to fit around the column base, or something is messed up on my column. The steering column is very tight (touching the base) to the rallye dash bezel. I would assume that there should be some space between the 2 parts.

I am also scratching my head because the steering shaft is supposed to have 2 snap rings (upper and lower) that sandwich the bearing. However, the steering shaft doesn't appear to be far enough out of the column case for me to install the upper snap ring after the bearing housing is installed. The column perforated relief section is slightly bulged out in a few areas. I am not sure if it was made that way or if the column has taken an impact sometime over the last 39 years. I assume that the steering shaft is 1 pc so it isn't collapsed inside the outer shell.

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Author: admin