steering column
Thread Starter
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 171
Likes: 0
From: Concord ca
steering column
Hey guys,
Just finished stripping the car down today. Almost no rust but a ton of broken glass under the drivers seat. Anyway , I was seeing if anyone knows a good steering cloumn for a 78. I saw that jegs sells one for a 68 thats billit. I was thinking about buying it and do the brackets myself. Does anyone know the length difference on the inside between
78 and 68? Engine comartments easy to compensate. Thanks for any help.
Just finished stripping the car down today. Almost no rust but a ton of broken glass under the drivers seat. Anyway , I was seeing if anyone knows a good steering cloumn for a 78. I saw that jegs sells one for a 68 thats billit. I was thinking about buying it and do the brackets myself. Does anyone know the length difference on the inside between
78 and 68? Engine comartments easy to compensate. Thanks for any help.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
I am going to give you Jim Shea's opinion on this matter. Take it for what it is worth.
I really hate to see someone removing a collapsible, energy absorbing OEM steering column and replacing it with one of a rigid design. (Particularly on a vehicle that is driven on the street.)
General Motors and Saginaw Steering Gear spent millions of dollars designing, testing, barrier crashing, and validating the OEM steering column. This was so that the steering column and the vehicle structure working together would provide the maximum protection for the driver in a severe frontal collision. A rigid aftermarket steering column will completely defeat this design objective.
My 2cents,
Jim
I really hate to see someone removing a collapsible, energy absorbing OEM steering column and replacing it with one of a rigid design. (Particularly on a vehicle that is driven on the street.)
General Motors and Saginaw Steering Gear spent millions of dollars designing, testing, barrier crashing, and validating the OEM steering column. This was so that the steering column and the vehicle structure working together would provide the maximum protection for the driver in a severe frontal collision. A rigid aftermarket steering column will completely defeat this design objective.
My 2cents,
Jim
Le Mans Master
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 6,640
Likes: 287
From: Ann Arbor Michigan
You can rebuild it yourself using Jim Shea's many papers on the subject or you can send it to these guys and have them do it.
http://www.columnsgalore.com/index.htm
http://www.columnsgalore.com/index.htm
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
Energy absorbing steering columns were introduced on all 1967 GM passenger cars. I have not problem replacing earlier (pre 1967) solid shaft columns with the newer aftermarket rigid tilt columns.
Jim
Jim
