I have a '41 Plymouth that I am building as a restorod. I want to keep everything looking as close to "stock" as I can with the exception of the power train and A/C. I have installed a Cavalier manual rack and pinion and, as you will see, it was a challenge to connect it up with my original steering column. It would not have been as hard if I'd used a SBC but I'm hard headed. Here goes. Step 1 - Determine the length that you need your steering column to be. The most reliable measurement is the distance from the drop to the steering wheel end of the column. My column was integral to the steering box on my car. So, I made a cut that was at least six inches too long at first and cut the shaft and column in one fail swoop on my band saw. Once you have established the approximate length you will need, cut the outer tube to that length. Step 2 - In order to support the shaft, you must install a bearing in the end of the column. I purchased a 3/4" bearing (P/N HC204-12) and a 2 bolt flangette (P/N 47MSTZP-2) from Tractor Supply. In order to adapt it to my 1 1/2" column, I have to make a bell adapter. I used a piece of 2" exhaust pipe 1" long. I put it in my press with a large socket that happened to be perfectly sized and belled one end of it. On the other end, I made a 1/2" cut every 3/8" with my 1/16" cut off disc and hammered those inward to reduce the size. From there, I simply tacked everything up and made sure it was square and did a trial fit. After I was sure the length was ok, I welded the adapter to the column and cleaned up the welds. Step 3 - In order to get the shaft that I had to work, I had to cut it to the needed length and chuck it up in the lathe and turn the o.d. to fit the bearing.
Step 4 - The original shaft had the horn wire running the entire length of it and through the gearbox. This would not work with the rack and pinion. Therefore, I installed a Limeworks horn adapter kit. (contact Limey Steve or www.limeworkspeedshop.com) You will not find it on their website. The kit is very simple to install. First, you must decide where to drill a hole in the shaft and then a hole in the column. The kit comes with a bronze bearing that has an insulator pressed into the i.d and a wire connected to it. Because my shaft was oversized, I had to sand the inside of the insultator to get it to fit my shaft. I found that my Maglite was the perfect size, so I wrapped it in sandpaper and enlarged the hole until I had a nice firm, slip fit. You then slide the bronze bushing into place and thread the wire through the shaft. I didn't have a grommet of the correct size. So, I put about 3 layers of shrink tube over the wire where it enters the shaft and I smoothed the hole with my Dremel. The last step is to install the "brush" that conducts the electricity from the bronze. The directions call for you to drill a hole in the proper location and then tap it with a 1/8" pipe tap. In order to have a little more "meat" to tap into, I tacked a second section of the scrap column into place and then drilled and tapped it. Warning! Install the shaft before you install the "brush". Also, remove the "brush" before you disassemble the column or you'll screw up the brush. You can snake the wire through the column using string or a welding rod. That's your choice. Step 5 - Assemble the whole mess and put it into place. Then, check and make sure that everthing is going to work out. Once you have your universal joints, you can then disassemble the column again and weld on your universal joint.
I ended up with a problem in my install. I could not get the column to connect up with the rack and pinion using two standard 35 degree Borgeson joints. When I tried to use a "double joint" on the rack and pinon, I got into trouble again. There was not enough room between the starter and the frame for my "double joint". At this point, I was forced to re-fab my column into a "shorty" style column", which enabled me to reduce the shaft angle from the rack and pinion and get everything hooked up. Building the "shorty" column is the same. The problem is that you have to support the end of the column with a bracked that is suspended under the dash and not connected to the floor. This bracked must be sturdy. Here is what I ended up with. I fabricated a bracket that used a piece of 2" X 1/8" channel and that extended from the firewall to the dash. This piece also required a piece of 1" X 1/4" flat bar with a twist to steady it. The flat bar was anchored to the center dash support. From there, I fabricated a drop of 3" X 1/8" flat bar to support the end of the shaft. This made for a very sturdy mount. It also allowed me to use the standard 35 degree joints. I will also fabricate a panel that will have a 3/4" spring loaded lip seal in it to seal the steering shaft where it enters the floor. This will prevent water and ambient air from entering the cab. Hope this helps. You should have about all the information you need to do your own conversion. You can also see that it would be pretty easy to build your own column using some 1 1/2" or 1 3/4" tubing. Good Luck!
Just a note here...anything with a dash should have a bracket in line (above) the steering mast jacket attached to the firewall. It is very effective in solidifying the car's cab structure. Roadsters especially... Nice piece of work here, engineering and selecting all the parts from an often overlooked source! Tractor Supply has an unusually friendly collection of rod-friendly hardware...
The Limeworks Horn Adapter Kit is going to come in SO handy when I upgrade the steering in my '51 International pickup! THAT is the "missing link" in making the original wheel work with an upgrade!Thanks for sharing...and I'm bookmarking this one so I can find it when I'm ready!
i don't understand. The channel is in line and above the column. It is attached to the bottom of the dash and the firewall....in line.
It is the shaft you see in the picture running into a standard Borgeson joint attached to the rack and pinion.
Can you tell me what universal you used to connect to the original steering shaft in the modified column? Thank you Scott
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