GM steering column

[lowbush]

Can a GM steering column be adapted to our trucks? I was looking at aftermarket steering columns and there are some nice looking chrome ones on Ebay for $175 but they are GM columns, I am sure they can be adapted but what is entailed in putting an aftermarket GM column into an EB?

 

[Glass Pony]

I installed an Ididit and I believe it is a GM column.

 

[bmc69]

I think I have one in the parts barn....never really checked it out very closely (its an auto..I run all manuals) but it was bought/salvaged to go in EB. I could check it out for ya.

Edit: yup..I went and took a look. I have a GM tilt column and a '78/79 Ford F-150 tilt column, both autos, laying side by side. I've installed one of the latter in an EB but never one of the former. Whatcha wanna know, chief?

 

[Desert Dweller]

Being thrifty (cheap) I installed a GM column during my rebuild a couple years ago. Mainly because I had several... Ended up using one from a mid '70's Vega after measuring several. By using a deep dished steering wheel, it just went thru the firewall. I knocked the mount off of an old EB parts column and welded that on. Took me a while to diagram out the chebby to FFord wiring for turn signals, but got it correct the first time. Wired in the column ignition switch also.

 

[lowbush]

Whatcha wanna know, chief?

I wanna know if my cheap ass can buy this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Chevy-Ponti...niversal-/380567859614?_trksid=p2054897.l4275

instead of an Ididit or Flaming River column for $600 to a grand.

I already have an EZ-Wiring harness in so the wiring should not be a big deal, but I was wondering what is involved with adapting it to the lower and rag joint.

 

[DirtDonk]

It's a 1" DD lower shaft. Super easy to find aftermarket u-joints for that type, but to keep a rag-joint you'd just have to make sure it's a 1" DD and not a 3/4" x 36 spline adapter.

What are you running now? Just stock stuff? Already adapted aftermarket or junkyard stuff? You might be able to find an entire slip-shaft to fit. Just make sure the upper is the DD and the lower is whatever your box is.

Probably up to you to adapt it to the dash. The 2" outer diameter is slightly different than stock EB, so using your old bracket might work with some work, or you could use something like this: http://www.wildhorses4x4.com/product/Under_dash_mounting_kit

Shouldn't be too difficult to either use something like that or build your own.

So what shaft and box will you be using?

Paul

 

[bmc69]

I went out and measured the F-150 and Chebby tilt columns I have. The Chebby column measured out at 32" from the top (without wheel adapter) to end of the shaft (D-slip) and the Ford measured 31" to the end of shaft (splined). So that one you linked to should work ..but the 30" version might be an even better choice.

 

[gnpenning]

That is a nice looking column. Over 20 yrs ago I put in a gm telescoping -tilt in mine. I don't remember the details but I think the rag joint bolted right up and the column support worked fine. Even the firewall boot is hooked up. The thing I do remember is it was an easy swap back in the days of no internet help.

 

[lowbush]

I went out and measured the F-150 and Chebby tilt columns I have. The Chebby column measured out at 32" from the top (without wheel adapter) to end of the shaft (D-slip) and the Ford measured 31" to the end of shaft (splined). So that one you linked to should work ..but the 30" version might be an even better choice.

Cool I think I am going to grab the 30 inch one come pay day and figure it out. The shifting mechanisms in my column have seen better days. I was going to hold off and get an Ididit column but after seeing the price on those I figured what the hell.

 

[lowbush]

What are you running now? Just stock stuff? Already adapted aftermarket or junkyard stuff? You might be able to find an entire slip-shaft to fit. Just make sure the upper is the DD and the lower is whatever your box is.

So what shaft and box will you be using?

I bought the truck as a (Owner got tired of it) project. He had already set up the chassis and powerplant, he put a 4X4X2 box on it, but I don't know much about what the lower is or the current column it's defiantly a newer ford column but not a tilt column. So assuming that I pick up the 30 inch like Bill suggest and I have the 4x4x2 then what should I pick up to make the lower a collapsible column. The two big reason I want to redo it are to get a safer column and to get a more rust resistant column given the truck is around salt water alot.

 

[deltarat]

keep us posted and pictures of the install. I am going from manual to auto and will have to change the column. I have a auto column, but it will take as much as that column cost to rebuild mine.

 

[Seventee]

I have some sort of GM tilt column in my '70. According to the PO, it came out of a Camaro, but it does NOT have a key switch on the column, so I'm not too sure about that. Everything does work, except for the hazards, but I think that may be a flasher unit issue.

 

[lowbush]

OK so I have one more question on this topic, if the column is not a collapsible steering column will a collapsible intermediary shaft give enough in a wreck to be safe or do you have to have a collapsible column to get the safety feature. Some of the diagrams I have looked at appear to only have a collapsible intermediary shaft.

 

[bmc69]

will a collapsible intermediary shaft give enough in a wreck to be safe .

yes...certainly far more safe than the original EB one-piece chest-spear design.

 

[lowbush]

yes...certainly far more safe than the original EB one-piece chest-spear design.

Cool thanks Bill, I am going to pick up that column just wanted to figure out if I could make it at least somewhat collapsible. If not I was going to just save my beans untill I can spring for the ididit one.

 

[roundhouse]

All of em are far far better than the so called tilt columns in the late model vehicles

The late model ones take both hands to move and it moves maybe two inches total