How close is the steering wheel from the dash? Do you have room to move it closer without hitting your fingers on the dash? You could cut the column and shaft between the fire wall and steering box, shorten it to your liking and reconnect the shaft with a double-D Coupling (assuming the shaft is a standard size).
The 55-2/56 column is longer than the 57-59 as Fred said, but the wheel grip is in the same place...the early wheels are flat and the later wheels are dished.
Mike B
