Technical Aftermarket steering columns?

I'm looking online for a replacement column for a truck and I recognize brand names like Ididit and Flaming River and I also recognize the price point. Then you go to Summit or Jegs or Speedway and the pricing there is considerable less expensive. So I guess the question is do you get what you pay for when it comes to aftermarket columns. Are there any brands comparable to the afore mentioned? any brands to just avoid? Is there 'sweet spot' in pricing? I don't want to put junk in the truck even if that means paying a premium. Thanks in advance.

 

Not knowing what is offered by whom, consider options like four-way flashers or tilt wheel. If these aren't features you need, then perhaps a lower cost option is for you. Or something from a donor car.

 

My daddy taught me never to skimp on electrical, brakes and steering.
He said if the engine stalls due to cheap crap you get a tow truck.
If the electrical fails you get a fire truck.
If the steering or brakes fail you get a hearse.

 

Avoid anything from the Hoffman Group of companies.

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^
This times ten!

 

As a general rule, any offshore-sourced column should be avoided. Personally, I'd rather rebuild an OEM one over any aftermarket one but that's me...

 

I bought a flaming river for my coupe. No neutral safety provision. Automatic and tilt. Had already printed it when I saw it. My fault for assuming .

 

The thing about dealing directly with the mfg (on U.S. soil) is the ability to custom order.
You won't find a 24" long column at Summit or Jegs!




Or you can make your own.

 

Dad taught me the same but the time period I grew up the most important thing was the radio.

 

Most of the time you get what you pay for. My personal choice is Ididit for quality and appearance. I've used several of them with no problems. I also marketed my own versions of a straight hot rod column for many years always mindful of the liability factors involved in steering products. Some of the lesser quality columns do not follow this ideal.

 

Check with the I-didit website. There have been Chinese nock-offs that look basically the same as theirs and are junk, do not waste your money. I-didit had video at one time on the Chinese junk. I have I-didit columns on both my cars and wouldn't use anything else.

 

What type of truck is it? But ya, don't skimp on steering components. I went to Limeworks, pricey but very high quality.

 

A friend who’s built a lot of cars helped his brother build a 55 Chevy resto mod. The cheap column the brother bought (after a lot of arguments and putting it in himself) failed and lost the steering when backed out of the garage to load on the trailer. Headed for the chassis dyno. He intended to drive it home from the dyno. That close to disaster.

 

I just installed a Summit column in a '40 Plymouth. Very nice.

 

I know it’s getting harder to find Chevy van columns now, maybe at a pick a part in socal? I have one in my car, small diameter and key in the dash (up to the early 80s), cheaper than I did it and better than off shore junk.

 

I went with a Limeworks column in my model a. Nice quality and excellent finish. Like Bandit Billy said, don’t skimp on steering.

 

I recently bought an Ididit column. Ford specific. Turn signal switch was crap. Would not cancel. Absolute chinese crap. They told me it was my steering wheel, and suggested I just do away with the canceling cam on the back of the wheel.
I bought this one because it would work with my factory steering wheel.
I put a known good "Made in the USA" switch in, and it's been good.
Other's that, it's a nice column. Just be aware that they don't really stand behind the electrical parts.

 

Buy once, cry once on steering and brake components. Those two areas are not a place to pinch pennies and the expense is justified for obvious reasons.

 

I always go with a real GM column. Never had an issue. Do some research and find the one that is closest to what you need and modify it.

 

I used a basic Ididit column. Basic, chevy type turn signal switch and plug. Had an issue getting steering wheel on, don't remember why, almost 30 yrs ago, has worked fine but I didn't like that the wires from switch to plug were allowed to rub on the steering shaft. Don't know how long it would have taken to wear through the insulation so I installed a shield. A little pricy yes even in '94. Pic should enlarge.

 

Mitch, don’t do it.
There’s a reason they are cheaper.

1. None of the parts inside are GM replacements. They are generally one offs and you’ll never find a bolt in spare.
2. The bearings inside are generally sub par
3. The one we bought from Speedway is built funny. We didn’t notice it, until after we had already painted it, but the turn signal lever is clocked in the wrong position. It is almost in your knees. You can’t rotate it unless you want the key switch up on top.


Just my experience.

 

I'd tend to use something out of a 50's or 60's car/truck. When I did my roadster I used a 58 Pontiac column/turn signal switch etc but since the bottom was so bulky I modified it was a late 50's Studebaker column, and used the neural safety switch that came with it. I ended up with a column shift automatic, turn signals and the neutral safety switch.

 

I've got a polished SS column from Speedway in my roadster. I like it. I'd use another.

 

Wasnt there some issue years back with the aftermarket tilt columns? Something about the ujoint inside coming apart? I have an aftermarket chrome, straight, no tilt column, no shifter, no ignition switch in my project. Its ok but definitely not oem.

 

I don't understand how a steering column "fails" It is a straight rod connecting the wheel to a joint.
Is the tilt mechanism/joint an issue? just get a non tilt.

 

Mine is a genie GM, out of what, I’m not sure. It came with some pos that I bought and I saved it. I had a genie Ford column that looked just like a GM but had Ford wiring and plugs, some sticky fingers decided they wanted it more than I did, probably because of the rare Sport Wheel that was on it. But even if I were to need to buy one, I’d rather have a good used factory unit instead of an aftermarket. Not that I’ll ever need a TS switch or horn contact, but I should be able to find one over one from the Pacific countries.

 

Their was an issue with a lower price unit.

 

Then there is the problem of using a factory GM tilt column. Nice units but virtually all of them have loose bolts buried in the tilt mechanism requiring a half-day tear down and rebuild.

 

I'm not a fan of tilt columns, aftermarket or OEM for multiple reasons. One, they generally look out of place in an older car. Two, most of them use a turn switch with too many plastic parts. Up until the late '50s/early '60s, most switches were better built with mostly metal bits. In many cases, these can be disassembled and repaired if needed, not something as easily done with the plastic ones. It doesn't help that many of the aftermarket units use offshore-sourced switches with spotty quality. Three, and I see this more often than you'd think, the builder doesn't get the column angle right and use the tilt feature to 'correct' it. My avatar suffered from that when I got it, after shortening the column drop over an inch I didn't need to 'tilt' the wheel anymore. Still looks too new though...

Last, steering wheel compatibility. If you have a cool vintage wheel you want to use, getting it onto most tilt columns is no easy matter if it's even possible. It can be particularly tough to get the turn signals to self-cancel or the horn to work.

 

Tube, bushings, shaft, done.