S-10 Steering column

Good morning folks. Old man with a new question. Will an s-10 steering column "Mate" to a corvair steering box with out a lot of trouble ?
Has anyone ever tried this?.as some know my grandson and I are putting a 38 chevy cab onto a 51 chevy 1/2 frame. We can get 1997 wrecked s-10 4x4 for about $500 and want to use as much of it as we can. We know the rear axle will work but would like to use as much of the doner car as we can.Thanks so much and you guys and gals of the best.Have fun.TOM (tired old man) !!!! LOL

 

Dragged an S-10 steering column out out of the desert a couple years back.


I was surprised to find it had 9/16" splines.

Was expecting the common GM splines of 3/4-36.

5/8-36 are ok in my book, but even though S-10's used the 9/16" splines I didn't care to use them and swapped the column for a short Lumina tilt column.

 

Just my opinion but I don't think a Corvair box is right for this application.
Remember NO Corvair had more than 850-900 lbs on the front end.

 

Thanks Fellows. The truck will be fenderless as in very light and a few on this site have used the Corvair box.I may have to do more research on this box question.
As for the s-10 shaft are we saying that it will not fit the corvair box because of the splines ? Anytning in the after market world made to adapt this combo ? Many thanks again.

 

a 97 S-10 Is second generation, ALL metric. you may be able to cobble the rag joints together, but it is in no way a drop in. Borgenson will have or will fab a U-Joint for you, I have dealt with more than my fair share of s-10 projects, mostly drag truck conversions. steering and headers are alwyas the biggest )(&^!

 

Thanks FF, I still wonder how strong the corvair box is and should I use something else.

 

I would check out the sterering box used in the extreme s10's it's a quick ratio and will bolt right up to your collumn. I think the option was called the ZQ8. that should list the box. just an idea

 

Lawman-
Let me give you a little more insight into using Corvair steering boxes.
First a little history:
I've been into Corvairs for about 40 years. I had a V8 rear engined one in '71-'72.
I have a rear engined 4.3 powered one now.

60-63 Corvairs had an aluminum housing which could be shined up pretty and was light.
The shaft sticking out was about 1-1/4".
These became popular for use in T buckets. A good application because it was a light car.
In 1964 GM went to a cast iron housing with a 49" shaft. It is not a popular box because of the shaft.
Most '65s had a similar box with a 47-1/2 shaft.
Late '65 thru all of '66 had a cast iron box with a 15-1/2" shaft.
'67-'69 had a cast box with a 1-1/2" shaft.
Discounting the long shaft boxes, you have a choice of either the 60-63 or 67-69 boxes.
I would not use an aluminum box because GM didn't drop them for no reason! Typically they change something when there is a problem, using up inventory and their investment until they phase in the new design. I remember some Corvair racers splitting these boxes when racing.
That leaves the '67-'69 box. They should be stronger than the aluminum box. The newest ones are 40 years old!
The Corvair guys are complaining that they are worn out now. Good used ones are becoming hard to find. Flaming River has started to repop them because there is some demand for new ones.
Let me repeat what I wrote in my first post: No Corvair had more than 850-900 lbs on the front end.
They had tires that were, at most, 185/80-13.
Do you think you will have 900 lbs on the front of your truck?
How do 18/80-13s fit into your plans?
More weight and/or bigger tires will stress the box past its design limits.

Even a "Vega" box would be better and original ones are at least 29 years old now!

Once again - just my opinion - find a box designed for a bigger/heavier vehicle.

 

Thanks to all. Ed that was some very good Info. NO Corvair box on that truck for me. Hank Schaffner

 

Go to the Borgeson U-joint site.

They have an extensive list of photos of steering boxes.

They are ID'd and some of them - if not all - have a list of mounting plates they will fit.

Putting a power steering box in my 32 roadster - if I had a mind to do such a thing - would be a bolt-on in place of the Vega box.

Provided other components would clear.

 

"Putting a power steering box in my 32 roadster - if I had a mind to do such a thing - would be a bolt-on in place of the Vega box."

A Vega or Monza power steering box would probably be a good choice for a rod if you wanted PS.
The reason I have a Vega manual box "in stock" is because a put a PS box on the V8 Vega I built in the 80s. The power box is bigger than the manual (duh!) but not REALLY big. It does use the same mounting holes.