Oct 22, 2026 at 9:47 PM
You have two separate jobs.
1. The steering shaft. The column's shaft connects to an intermediate shaft that runs down to the steering gear, joined by splines and a pinch bolt. With the front wheels pointed straight ahead and the steering wheel centered, the splines have to be fully re-engaged and the pinch bolt installed and tightened to the factory torque. Many Ford procedures call for a new pinch bolt once it has been removed, so check the manual for yours. If the shaft came apart at a slip or collapsible section rather than at the bolted joint, have that part inspected or replaced instead of forcing it back together, because it is part of the crash protection.
2. The clockspring. If the wheel spun freely while the column was apart, the clockspring may have been wound past its end and broken. A replacement has to be centered before it goes in, or it will tear the first time you turn lock to lock, and a broken one usually shows up as an airbag light and a dead horn or wheel buttons. Disconnect the battery and wait a few minutes before working near the airbag, and set the airbag module down face up.
Also run your VIN for Ford recall 13S08 or regional program 13R01. They cover the lower intermediate steering shaft on 2005 to 2011 Crown Victoria, Grand Marquis and Town Car, where the shaft seizes and the column shaft collapses, and the dealer repair is free.
With no steering at all right now, I would have it towed to a shop if you are not comfortable with column work. It is not a hard job with the factory procedure, but getting it wrong has a high cost.
Dana