what steering cloumns will work?

Hey guys I have an F1 that Im moving along with and am at the point of getting the steering ****oned up. Dont really want to spend the money for the aftermakt columns. What year make and model cloumns have you guys used? And did you like the way it went in? I dont really want a whole lot of column shroud (plastic). Appreciate any help.

 

Use the stock one and clean it up a bit.

 

Hey thanks. I probably should have mentioned that I am using a jag xj6 front end. Will it still work??? I could deal with that. Wish I wouldnt have sold the stock one now! lol

 

The Stock column will probably still work if you make a provision to adapt a U-joint to the end that you can run a shaft down to the jag steering box (rack and pinion???).

 

I have used 70's GM van columns and early seventies GM PU truck columns. No key/switch in column. Easy wiring. Adapters (horn/wheel) available

 

Zeke, I am in the planning stages of a Jag IFS swap on my '50 F1. I intend on using a GM tilt column out of a mid '70s van. These columns are used in many rod applications and are easy to modify. Just about any early column will work but you will have to modify it to fit your needs. With the Jag IFS, I would use the Jag Z joint between the rack and the column. This joint will flex with the movement of the front suspension if you are using the original Jag rubber mounts.
There is an article in one of the latest issues of Rod and Custom magazine that might be of interest. The article contains information about a couple of new products for a flathead power steering pump system and steering column modifications for a F1. The modifications allow the original column to be retained with a different steering gear and keep the original horn wire design.

 

Thanks guys. rpol7966 I welded in the jag frontend so I dont plan on using the z coupler. It was pretty straight forward, looks clean as hell cuz you can get rid of a lot of sheet metal off the ifs. You also get to drop it another 1" or so. Back to the columns....the 70's van is what I want but there is nothing out here I can find. Looks like its time to go "underground"!

 

70s ford pickups are pretty simple, you can get them in auto or 3 spd standard and there's only a turn signal switch on it, no key.

 

The column in Henrietta the '38 Ford pickup is a tilt column out of a '77 Monte Carlo.

 

any steering column can be made to work...you have to decide what look you are going for. do you want a stock looking column with a stock wheel , or do you want the look of a late model column with an aftermarket wheel? both can be done.do you want a column shift? that can be done too. do you want tilt? you can even make your own column..there have been techs on that

or do you want a hot rod type like that Limeworks sells with a Bell style wheel? that would be my vote (if i had a vote)....but the stock column and wheel would look good too and not hard to connect to you jag IFS

 

i vote for a limeworks hot rod, 40 column or a stock '60's truck column............the gm tilt column a really lame in my opinion.

 

I appreciate all the good info. I got food for thought. Still wish I would've kept the stock column tho!