Ignition switch went out on my 2012 FX2. The switch was bad, and I could not get everything to sync. The starter continued to crank after letting go of the key, so the actuator, the tumber and the switch were all out of wack..
no matter what I tried, it was still out of sync, so I pulled the column and benched it. Got everything back in sync in about 15 minutes.
The problem is, getting it back into the dash because the blot pattern is 8" center to center under the dash, and I cannot get the manual tilt to match it.
It is 10" while the stud and center to the front under the dash is 10".
WTH??
What trick it is to get the tilt back to 8"? Is this something hanging up in the tilt mechanism?

There it sits until someone can help figure this one out.
(the AI is crap)

 

I just looked in my 2013 manual and it doesn't look like anything besides reverse install. (obviously not the case for you)
The only warning of any type is not to reuse some nuts or bolts.
It mentions having the colum locked in the up straight position and getting it all lined up before you tighten it up.

 

Thanks for the input.
I'm going to take it back out and bench it again. So much easier than wrestling with it under the dash. Perhaps the tilt mechanism is hanging up. I'll also make a trip to my local ford dealer today to see if I can get one of their mechanics to give me some advice.
It's been over two months off and on, and I have yet to solve this.
New rockers, new cab corners and paint, but I can't go anywhere!

"Up straight"?. C to C is just under 11"
I'll measure on the bench again to get back to that 8" c to c, but so far it's not cooperating.
I took out the steering shaft to make room- ot was hitting the bottom of the column.

I will keep everyone posted.
Thanks again.

 

UPDATE!!
TWITCH?? WHAT TWITCH?!?!??
Went to Hiller Ford near me. Talked to the Service Manager. He said he could not help me. I asked for a Service Bulletin or SOMETHING. He said he could not help me.
If he did, and I put it together wrong, I'd come back and sue him and his company when I got killed or killed someone. He said that, if a professional told me how to do it, they would become liable, and he wasn't about to jeopardize himself or his company.
That's fair, I guess. But they would be glad to fix it for me, of course.
Not buyin' it.
Went to Lake Ford. Pretty much the same thing. Bring it in and we'll fix it for 800 to a thou...
Not buyin' it.
Went to my club, West Allis Auto Club, and a bunch of us stood around scratching our heads and such.
No good news.
Looked at an old bulletin. Didn't even scratch the surface.
Went home, and this morning tried it again. 1 -2 inches too long for the mount. Needs to be 8.25 " to fit.
Pulled it back out.
I examined the lower mount for the ten-thousandth time, but noticed that, on the bottom of the tube, it had some light rust from boots probably getting it wet over time, but on the top side, it was as clean as a whistle after..... get this.... about TWO INCHES.
Wacked the lower tube of the column with the heal of my hand and POW!
THE TUBE MOVED IN!
Turns out, FORD has nothing in ANY manual or bulletin alluding to the lower tube being movable because it it NOT a service feature. It is a SAFETY feature that no one knows or talks about.
SO THE MYSTERY IS SOLVED!
The lower tube will slide up or down inside the column, but it is a safety feature.
When pulling the column out originally, one of the ears on the lower tube must have snagged on the stud or the frame and pulled itself out a bit,
causing me to grow major hemorrhoids over the past 2 weeks.

So there you have it, folks.
Glad I could help

The lower tube with the mounting bracket will slide with a little bump from the heal of the hand!

 

Nice work.
That was a weird one for sure.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words. I just couldnt tell what you were asking in the beginning. Having taken out many hundreds of columns over the years to pull a dash I might have helped with your riddle.