i know i know, tilt columns are not traditional. However, im having some trouble finding columns in my area, and my steering is completely done in my truck. The guy before me had added a tilt column (why, i have no idea he was like 5' 8") and it sticks out rather far from the dash. i was curious if there is any safe way just to cut the column down a few inches to get it away from my chest. any tips would be great guys!
i would say yes. shorten, relocate bearing and re spline shaft (all at the bottom). on a side note i would look at lime works columns (for new), if not then look at postal jeeps if you want just a bare column.
These old tilt columns are so common they basically have no value. I would measure up what you need to fit your application and go shopping. I just don't see investing the time to modify something like this.
What Rick Sis said...hit the yards (not your neighbor's, though) and find a van, a COE delivery rig. Most tilt columns are 'collapsible' for safety reasons, so cutting them can be a bit tricky. Also..the ignition "switch" (on GM) at the top of the column is just a rotating part that operates a link that goes to the actual electrical ign sw at the bottom of the column. If you start sectioning, you'll have to be mindful of that rod. dj
Hi, In the past I have just collapsed the column, welded the shafts together, the ones that slides inside of the other and shortened the collapsible collar on top. That was 20 years ago on a GM tilt and telescoping column for my 34 3 window high boy. Hope this helps keep me posted. jim.t.
It's not a big deal to shorten it on the bottom end though, just a bit tedious. It looks like it has the key on the column so that makes it a collapsible column. Meaning that if your chest hits the wheel in a wreck it is intended to collapse the shaft rather then shoving it through your chest like the old cars could and often did. If you pull the column out an lay it in the bench it will look pretty much like this you can see where the bottom tube slides into the top tube If it is a column shift setup you will have to pull the column apart and shorten all three pieces. outside tube, shaft and shift tube. I went out and grabbed a junk column that was out of the El Camino that My son totaled a few years ago and did a bit of a shortening process. You can see where I put a mark with a sharpie Now you see that the mark has moved up next to the outside tube. I did it by slamming the column's end down on the stump and I do not reccomend that in the least but did it to show that the column can be shortened easily if you take a few steps to do it. When I shortened an 84 Cutl*** column for my 48 a few years ago I didn't do anything to keep the bottom half of the steering shaft from slipping on the top half. That wasn't a big deal after I had it all together but when you shorten it you do so by breaking the plastic pins inside the shaft. The best way is to measure how much you want to shorten it. Take it apart and shorten each piece and put it back together. Just don't put any steel screws or pins in it as you still want it to be able to collapse if your chest ever hits the wheel .
If your set on using a tilt column just find you a S-10 donor.Bought a 53 Chevy with the set-up and it was almost to close to dash.
I shortened a 65 Revi column for my 32. I removed all the tubing below the tilt. I welded on a 1 1/2" tube to fit a 32 column drop. The transition from 1.5 up to the dia of the tilt section was handled with a melmac coffee cup cut down and glued in place. I may have the only 32 column and drop with a tilt top on it.
well i dont really need the tilt to be honest. that process of slamming the column down looks a little scary to me, not to mention this is steering im dealing with. im thinking of just ordering a cheap ovaltrack column or something from speedway just to have the cleanliness of a nice looking thin column. thanks for the help guys!
That sounds like a good idea. Steering is one thing on your car that you do not want to fail, or break. Those big *** tilt columns are sure fugly. Especially unattractive in a car where they will be mostly exposed.
If you can use an s10 column and don't want the dimmer and cruise stuff you can swap all of the top with mid 70's tilt.S10 is roughly 3" shorter than the old GM's.Worked great in my 45 chevy truck.
Is that column in the pic mounted? Also, I would try a different steering wheel first. It looks huge and like it has alot of outward dish to it.
order from a hamber http://limeworkspeedshop.com/newstore/product_info.php?cPath=1&products_id=1 you could make a stock column work with a different box, what box are you running?. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511993
it should just be a gm box, the whole front subframe is from a 71 el camino. the only question i would have about an aftermarket column is that all the outputs i see on these aftermarket units are the "double d" type. where my stock one is splined until it gets to the universal joint, then is double d from the u-joint to the rag joint. if i dont need to buy a new universal joint i dont want to. and yes the pic of the column is mounted, i was thinking of shrinking the dish down on the wheel but even then i think it stick out too far.
Its so easy to shorten GM columns at the bottom, a monkey could do it. And itll only cost you about $2 in material if you already have a welder and the ability to cut the tubing off totally square with either a chop saw, or a really large lathe. I took 8 inches out of the one in my 35 and couldve gone 9 inches. However, having said that, dont attempt it if you dont have the ability and skills since a broken steering shaft could kill you if it happens while driving. **DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SLEEVE IT AND CAN WELD WITH GOOD PENETRATION** **DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SLEEVE IT AND CAN WELD WITH GOOD PENETRATION** **DO NOT DO THIS IF YOU ARE NOT GOING TO SLEEVE IT AND CAN WELD WITH GOOD PENETRATION** 1. Pull the little wire clip thing and the retaining plastic bearing holder will slide right out. 2. You have to off-set the your cuts from the outter housing and the inner shaft, so cut the outer housing about 2 inches higher than you want to cut the shaft. That will give you working romo to weld on the shaft and sleve it. You cannot get a welder into that the outter housing. 3. You now hold in your hand two peices: The column itself, and a thin-wall(the bottom part of the outter housing) tube with the bottom part that has the shape and cut-outs to put the plastic bearing retainer into. Cut away from this part the amount you want to shorten the column (the lathe is good for this since you can just chuck up the tubing). 4. About two inches down from where you cut the outter housing, cut off the inner shaft. 5. Cut out the amount you wish to shorten the entire column from the shaft. You want to keep the lower portion of the shaft which is probaly "Double-D" with ah hole in it (the lathe is good for this since you can just chuck up the bottome part of the shaft). 6. Gound a good "V" groove in both peices of the inner shaft to be welded back together, then weld them together. Clean up your weld smooth so you can sleeve it. 7. Get a peice of thick wall tubing with the inner diamater that will just barely slide over the inner shaft. Youll use this to sleeve the steering shaft. Cut it about 2 inches long (longer is better and this depends on how much you need to shorten the column). Slide it over the shaft you shortened and center it over the weld. Weld it on both ends to evvectivly "Sleeve" the steering shaft you just shortened. 8. Weld the lower portion of the outter housing back on and clean up welds. This part just sticks through the firewall and shouldnt have any kind of bolt or clamp mechanism on it so make it look pretty. Paint it. 9. Re-attach the lower mount that holds the column in the firewall. 10. Put the column back in the vehicle.
I wasn't suggesting you do it that way but was showing that you could push the bottom tube up inside the top tube to shorten it fairly easily. That column was junk to begin with as it was in my sons truck when he totaled the truck. The bottom of the collar can be trimmed down to get the the wheel closer to the dash. Carbed87 you might look at a 67/72 Chev/GMC pickup column if you want something clean and inexpensive. The ones for the fourspeed trucks are pretty clean but still may be too long for your application though. This one is out of a 70 Chevy four speed truck I had years ago If you want something that is flat great looking the guys at Limeworks (an Alliance vendor and board member) make what is one of the best looking columns out there http://limeworkspeedshop.com/newstore/index.php?cPath=1&osCsid=17c13eac13684432e2f50307599480a5
See previous thread http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=292130&highlight=shorten+steering+column I used this thread to learn how to shorten mine, in fact, I went a bit further and grafted a Dodge Dakota lower end on a 75 Impala tilt upper end. It was very easy to do and safe if you use a sleeve and can weld. I had to graft the two together as the frame is a Dakota frame and it made hooking up the steering much easier.
Also the 69-75 IH truck /Travallalls take GM steering wheels. The earlier 69-72 have the ignition switch in the dash.
awesome, thanks for the input guys. being the type of person that like to try things myself firts, i think i may try to shorten my existing column, if theres any doubt it may not go ok, then ill probably just pick up a limeworks.
I took a look at the earlier post http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/s...teering+column on shortening columns and decided to pull the bottom bearing off my mid 70's GM Van tilt column with no key with column shift thinking the column shift mechanism might slide down. Got the bearing off without too much problem but that's as far as I got. Looks like you have to take the upper turn signal and tilt mechanism completely apart if you have a column shift. By the way, IDIDIT how has a low bucks, do it yourself column cut to length type column if you just need a basic column. Found it when I got stuck above.
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