Can someone provide tech and photos on how they utilized a connecting rod as a column drop? Particularly how its mounted to the dash? I acquired a BME connecting rod that is cool looking and want to use it in my A sedan. Inquiring minds want to know. Thanks.
I plan the same thing for my sedan, have one out of a Truimph. I plan to drill and tap the end of the rod and put a bolt thru the bottom lip of my dash.. Tudor, is in the process of doing it (seen pic) for his Sedan but not sure how he is planning to attach
I have one in my 56 panel, gotta make sure you have a rod that the coumn will fit snug in. I just cut the wrist pin end off mine then welded a 1/4 thick x 1wide x 3 long plate on the end drilled and installed. I did have to cut the rod at the desired angle to get proper column degree, but a pretty simple install. I also did a similar thing on another 56 ford I had but I used an aluminum rod and tig welded an aluminum plate on the end. Rods also make good taillight brackets. I'll have to get some pics!!
Hey joey where did you get that rod? LOL I kinda have an idea sketched out at work how I am gonna do mine 1st of week I draw it out better and scan so I can post it up. The BME rods I have I think have a great shape to them. I still have 5 left if anyone needs some more $19.00 shipped or might give quan discount. Sorry didnt mean to hijack your post joey I will send you a sketch Later shoe
there's a model A coupe in central missouri that has one that has a real nice gentle curve in the rod so that it's straight up and down at the top where it's attached to the bottom of the dash and curved so that it's at the right angle where it attaches to the column. i asked the guy one time how he got the curve in it. he just chuckled and told me that that's what it looked like after it came out of the side of the block.
Thanks, I appreciate it. PM me when you do. By the way these are great looking rods anyone who's thinking about getting them.
I did the same thing to the one in my 34 as Trailer-Ed did ,but it didn't quit fit my column good. So I went to the local exhaust shop and got me a piece of pipe and welded in the center of the rod ,then it fit fine.
I made one last month out of an aluminum Mickey Thompson hemi rod. I needed a lot of drop as it went in a 40 Willys with the firewall moved back and the seat back a long ways from the dash. I had a plug machined to press fit into the wrist pin end of the rod and a round bushing made to fit the crank end to the column. I used a Speedway column which made it easier as the column is a simple design. I had two aluminum angles made to mount under the dash for the wrist pin end to pivot on to get the right angle. All the screws were countersunk stainless allen head screws. I polished all the parts prior to ***embly. I will try to post some pictures but I am not good at this. If you have questions, just email or PM me.
I also used an aluminum M/T hemi rod. They're so wide, I was able to just cut the small end off at the angle I needed to match the stock column attachment point on my car (had to cut it with a damn hacksaw(!), then file to fit). Then I drilled and tapped the cut-off area for a couple 3/8" fine thread bolts. Even with locktight on 'em, I still have to check 'em once a year or so, as they want to vibrate out of the aluminum a little...
i did the same thing.....got one in my anglia.....just installed one in my a sedan project.....and used one on my buddy's morris minor.....used a speedway column in all 3.....used a piece of radiator hose for a isolator....my buddy has a don gartlets signed rod in his 32.....bushed the pin end for the shaft....and has a 2 5/8 autometer oil pressure gauge in the crank end.....quite a useful piece.....i have a gernaded big block rod on the shelf for the next.....brandon
Heres a Mickey Thompson Alumi rod with the small end drilled out for the column. Theres a plate that attaches to the bottom of the dash and then the big end bolts to the plate. ***dragger made the bracket, works pretty good.
I knew i had seen one or two before,but didnt think it was too common,I was just talking with ***us last wednesday about doin this on my plymouth,VERRRRRY INTERESTINGGGGG.***us,Are you loooking???
Here's one way. I've used the cross-bar method before and it makes for a very solid steering column mount. Finding an aluminum rod with a blank upper end can be difficult. This is the only one I've seen so far. Apparently it failed inspection somewhere along the line and was tossed into the $5.00 per rod swap meet s**** pile at March Meet. It did make life easy as far as mounting it goes. Regardless, an aluminum bushing press-fit or JB Welded into the wrist pin hole and a hole drilled and faced in the beam area of the rod would work just as well. Alternatively you could mill one side of the upper end of the rod down a touch and TIG a 1/4" aluminum plate in place to set it up for the two bolt mount. Bolts could be vertical as shown in the pic or horizontal. Either way would work fine. Aside from that, note the mounting plate - gussets not installed as yet - tacked into place. The multi-hole bit makes life easy in case you want to alter the side to side fit of the steering column later on. I ended up moving the column over one notch after the initial installation. The lower end of the rod is 2 1/2" ID and the aluminum steering column (also home-made, with sealed ball bearings) is 1 5/8" OD. An aluminum bushing was made to fit the OD of the 1 5/8" column abd the 2 1/2" ID of the rod. The OD of the bushing where the rod clamps is a few .001 larger than the rod's ID. When the rod bolts are tightened, the bushing is clamped into place and doesn't allow the rod/bushing combo to slide on the column. Disregard the round plate just down the column from the rod. That's a finishing piece for the carpet/floor and is not drilled for the mounting bolts. It's just sitting there so I don't lose it. In case you're wondering, the splined adapter on the top end of the steering shaft is for a quick-disconnect steering wheel setup. 2nd pic shows the install with the dash mocked into place.
How about some hole diameters on the rods you are using, Old Beet,, Since i have 8 rods, I planned to see if I could use as tail pipe hangers..
I made one for my tbucket. I used a M/T that I got from a speed shop,,, if they do enough race engines they will have one laying around that they will gladly take your fiver for. I cut the small end off and then drilled and tapped 2 holes where I attached a hinge from the hardware store. Then bolted the other half of the hinge to a horizontal plate behind the dash that had been used for the previous column mount. This gave me the ability to get the drop lined up with the angle of the column. Because hardware store hinges are not very ridgid, I bolted support arms about half way down the rod and ran them up to the dash where I thru bolted them. This gave the drop rigidity.
I had a pair of SBF rods, they were about 2" ID on the big end. They were bored out to fit 2 1/4" tailpipes on the first exhaust setup I had on the 32. That should have been the max, but a couple months after the car was running I built a 2 1/2" exhaust system for it. (Shoulda listened to little brother when he told me to do the 2 1/2" setup first time around.) Anyway, the rods were bored for the 2 1/2" tailpipes and that was a bit much. The bore job took a small notch out of the rod bolts. In retrospect I should have dug up a pair of BBF rods that are 2 1/2" ID on the big end. The BBF rods are a nice way out and will be used in the upcoming project. The SBF rods are shorter by maybe an inch and they work well where they're at. If I wanted to install the BBF rods I'd have to set up another hanger setup so the upper end could be bolted to the 1 1/2" tubing crossmember that crosses the frame just in front of the rear axle (up high and out of the way). The 1 1/2" crossmember is a dedicated tailpipe hanger. You might want to take a look at rod journal diameters as listed in the Motor's Manuals. There's a fairly good variety of sizes and the 2 1/2" journals are fairly common.
Funny - I cut the hole in my firewall last night as was about to embark on this same journey. My plan was to build a steel plate that actually attaches to the bottom of the dash at the right angle. I was then going to drill several holes in a line about 1 inch apart vertically. I was then going to cut the small end of the rod as need bee - then I was going to drill to holes 1" apart vertically in the center of hte rod to mount it to the plate bracket. I was even hoping to be able to move it up and down one or two holes for adjustment / tilt as necessary. I used a piece of 1/4" thick rubber around my 1 3/4" column to fit it nicely inside the 2 1/4" BME rod I got from Mr. Terror. It looks killer. I sent boones some pictures of my rod on my column. Maybe he can post them for me - I don't have them here. I will take pictures when I get it done - hopefully this week.
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