anybody fab their own steering column?

[mknittle]

I am working on just that now.
All the after market columns are too expensive and all the ones from doner cars have more "stuff" hanging on them than I need or want. So here Is the plan, I have a 2.125 tube some 4" tube and a box of gm tilt steering column parts.
I Think that I have it all worked out I will take some pics today and post later.
Maybe you guys well see something that I overlooked.

[mknittle]

I used the top off an old column ihad laying around iwill use the bottom as well for the stock bearing and retainer. the cone was given to me by a guy I used to work for I jist cut a ring out of it. The top tapers in .200 so I had ot cut the slots so I could shrink the end down.
The next part will be a 1.375 ring that goes on top of the cone But I want to go borrow a milling machine to cut the slots for the wires first so I know for sure all will fit right.

[mknittle]

wow bad spelling day!lol

[55metalmonkey]

Originally Posted by mknittle

wow bad spelling day!lol

we all get days like that lol
interesting project, like to see how it turns out

[FFredo]

Watching this also. Keep us posted

[mknittle]

I got a little farther on the column today.Got the slots milled and figured out how I will keep the shaft from rubbing on the wires when turning. I will post some pics tomorrow.

[mknittle]

A bit rarther today,

[mknittle]

oops

[mknittle]

and the other

[mknittle]

try again

[mknittle]

there

[mknittle]

todays progress

[S10Fan]

Subscribed!

[mknittle]

Now for the interesting part. I got the slots for the turn signal switch tilt levers and found a turn signal switch that will work{it least for the fabracation of the stand offs}.
I spent half of this after noon masureing and sketching and I think that I have the mounting for the upper shroud figured out. we will find out in the morning.
These things dont have any two mounthng holes on the same level so the muunting plate will have to compansate. then the switch is the same way.
I wonder if this is the way IDIDIT got started? I really miss working in the machine shop now!

[OKGMC4]

Did this with a tilt. Deleting the switch hole was the tricky part. The head is basically intact with a new lower half. We were surprised how many pieces these columns actually blow apart into.

[mknittle]

Looks good OKGMC, yeah I have a box full of parts And it sometimes takes me a while to remember what som of them do.

how did you fill the switch hole?

[OKGMC4]

It's a combination of an epoxy putty with some panel bonding adhesive. I'll have to stick some bondo on it to get it real smooth. Guess I could have tried glassing it. Hindsight stinks.

[mknittle]

That's how mine started. then what I call the snow ball effect took over and here I am doing this when I should be building a tranny cross member.so i can do the rear suspension.LOL
Oh well I can't move the thing into the shop if I can't steer it

[mknittle]

some more pics

[mknittle]

The drop in the ring is for the flasher switch clearance.
now I need to make the spacers for the switch.
I was suprised at how this all came together.


Anybody else notice no mater how good they may be pictures of tack welds always look worse than they are?

[Pop's C-10]

nice work sofar

[mknittle]

Figured I’d catch up on the steering column progress I found some good bearings {at least for mock up }.
I also shortened the shaft and welded the bottom bearing retainer parts to the column.
Today I made an insulator out of a piece of 1” PVC pipe. This will keep my wiring from getting into the shaft .I also sewed up a vinyl sleeve for the wires on my Big Old Singer sewing machine.
I turned the end of the PVC down to seat against the top knuckle retainer and shortened the other end on a 100 year old lathe from the old southern pacific shop in Sacramento ca My great grandfather brought it home apiece at a time. Wasn’t that a Johnny Cash song?
Any way the stop on the bottom keeps the Tube away from the bearing. simple but effective

[mknittle]

this has snowballed into from steering coulmn to dash repair and brace and clutch/brake pedals. on and on. so all is normal.

top left is where the bottom of the dash was broken. right top is the mock up of the pedals bottom two are moving the hole for the steering coulmn.

[mknittle]

and the fruits of todays labor, I saved this old press brake from being scraped so I tried it out today. i made a pattern out of a chipboard and punched holes at the points that I needed to transfer then tapet and center punched them in to a Some 18 guage sheet.

[hotrodrookie]

Cool thread. You're making me feel lazy just wanting to shorten and fit a van column into my truck Nice find on the press brake too you lucky dog, the next time you see one that needs rescuing let me know, Im right down the hill from you.