Getting ready to start making my column drop for my 28, using a mid 80's GM column. Any tips or suggestions? It looks like it will be about a 6 in drop.......Scott
Aluminum isn't too hard to work with and polishes up nicely. Next time you're wandering around the pits at a major drag race, check out what the big guys are tossing out. I have an aluminum con-rod from an alky-burning nostalgia digger on my shelf, waiting on my next project... Now all I need is another car to wrap around it.
CNC mills make rather nice ones. Then all you have to do is sand out the tooling marks and polish it.
Seen a cool hand made one out of 2 stainless rods in a V shape with a V8 emblem in the midle. I like conrods too..
Con rods make nice tailpipe hangers also. Big end 2 1/2 inch, easy to cut and tap alum ones......OLDBEET
Here's the Mark 1 model on the 31. Same thing I did on the 32 which worked very well. It's cut out of 1/2" flat plate, bored to fit the 1 5/8" x .120 wall home-made ball bearing aluminum steering column. A couple of holes drilled to match the angled 3/16" plate welded to the 1" square tubing cross bar behind the dash. You can't see it in the photo, but the angled plate has a series of holes in it so you can move the steering column transversely. An important option cuz you don't always know exactly where you want the column to sit until seats are in and you're doing the ergonomic test bit. The piece with five allen bolts - call it the retainer - in it is JB Welded to the steering columns aluminum jacket. It's also drilled to match the drilled and tapped holes in the flat plate. Nice part about the flat plate is, it makes for a convenient place to hang switches or an extra instrument if desired. You can't see it too well in the photo, but the retainer has the five holes countersunk far enough so the stainless standard allen bolts are flush with the upper surface of the plate. The countersinking can be done with a regular drill. After the first install the aluminum down in the hole mushrooms out a flat area to sit on and there are no problems with the allens loosening.
Here's the Mark 2 version. It's an aluminum connecting rod as you can see, but I was lucky enough to find one that was yanked from production prior to the wrist pin hole being bored. Sure made life easy. Incidentally, you can find these aluminum rods at the bigger swap meets. Most times used, sometimes tossed by the quality inspectors. All you need to do on the regular rods is insert a 3/8" ID bushing into the wrist pin hole, JB Weld it in solid and then drill a hole below the wrist pin for another 3/8" bolt to control swing of the con rod/steering column. Better yet would be a 1/4" or so plate welded to the con rod proper and the mounting holes drilled in it. Note that the 3/16" steel mounting plate has a series of holes in it. These for the same reason the transverse adjusting holes were in the flat aluminum plates column mount. The rod bore end on this con rod was about 2 1/2". A stepped aluminum bushing was made so as to match the 1 5/8" OD of the aluminum steering column jacket. It's JB Welded to the jacket. There is a small bit of interference fit on the stepped bushing so the con rod can clamp it using the two con rod bolts. Disregard the flat ring just below the con rod hanger. It's the lower column mount ring and hasn't been drilled yet. Just sitting on the column so I don't lose it.
Here's a shot of the finished product. The throttle pedal you see is also home-made, Teflon and UHMW bushed etc. The instrument panel is natural finish aluminum. It may get a brushed or machine turned finish later. The 1" square cross bar - for hanging the steering column - you see under the dash gets powdered black. Once that's done it pretty much disappears from sight.
Here's the flat plate column drop in the 32. You may be able to see the retainer ring with it's five bolt holes a little better. One small caveat about this or any other column drop - use regular hex head bolts. I got a little carried away and welded some angled threaded bushings into the 32's cross bar, then bolted the drop on with allen bolts. Now that the dash is on, you can't remove the column drop bolts unless you drop the cross bar. Dropping the cross bar is a pain cuz instruments, switches, choke cables etc. are hung from it. A flat plate like the 31 has would have been far better. I try to plan ahead, but sometimes I shoot myself in the foot....
andy,that is a real nice column drop.i see you're using a `40 wheel,column and shifter..with a slot in the drop for the shift tube...that all looks great
Thanks a lot! A lot of time went into the thing and I don't think anyone ever looked at it! The shifter has the paint worn off from years of use. It shifts a 55 chevy 3-SP. Engine is a red ram
I made one out of heavier guage sheet metal with a muffler clamp to hold the column. Added sides (so the clamp couldn't be seen) and top to match the dash angle. Dash had a metal reinforcement underneath the bottom edge which ran from side to side, with a brace running from the dash reinforcement to the firewall.
My foot gets nervous every time I start fabbin somethin up...... [ QUOTE ] I try to plan ahead, but sometimes I shoot myself in the foot.... [/ QUOTE ]
Andy - That column drop is bitchen! I like the blend of Ford parts and custom parts. A rough quote from Jon Buttera about making a rear view mirror, "You start with a piece of Aluminum, and then cut away everything that doesn't look like a rear view mirror." I think you accomplished that. Do you have any pictures of the rest of the car? Neal
[ QUOTE ] Thanks a lot! A lot of time went into the thing and I don't think anyone ever looked at it! [/ QUOTE ] Hey Andy, we've never met but I've heard a lot about you. I looked at your drop at the Hot Rod drags earlier this year and used ideas from it to build my drop in one of my coupes. You have a number of clever tricks on your roadster. I'm sure I missed some but I have about 30 pictures of your car that I often study. Norm Jones talks about you alot and tells me I need to drive my steel '32 3-window to Kerville for you to see.
Hey Reggie, Come on down anytime and bring the 3-W. Norm is absolutely one of my favorite people.If you know him you are OK. Got some deuce stuff you may fine interestig. Thanks for the nice words on the car. I do appreciate it
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