C3 General General C3 Corvette Discussion not covered in Tech
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

Borgenson steering for 77

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old May 1, 2018 | 07:05 PM
  #1  
DavidandJoansVette's Avatar
DavidandJoansVette
Thread Starter
Pro
Veteran: National Guard
 
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 570
Likes: 43
From: North Carolina
Default Borgenson steering for 77

I seem to have typical p/s leak issues. Switching to Borgenson steering has a lot of appeal and the various vendor price seems reasonable. HOWEVER one issue gives me pause- the sentence which says the column must be shortened or collapsed 1 to 2 inches for the pieces to fit. So my question is how difficult is the shortening to accomplish ? Thanks in advance ,
Reply
Old May 1, 2018 | 07:17 PM
  #2  
brent319's Avatar
brent319
Drifting
10 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 1,541
Likes: 268
From: iowa city iowa
2020 Corvette of the Year Finalist (appearance mods)
C3 of Year Winner (appearance mods) 2019
Default

it is very easy. I put some vice grips on the shaft as a stop/marker and smacked it down into the column. I think I put a 2x4 over the end and beat on it a couple of times if I remember right. I really like the upgrade.
Reply
Old May 1, 2018 | 07:41 PM
  #3  
cagotzmann's Avatar
cagotzmann
Melting Slicks
10 Year Member
Liked
Top Answer: 1
Top Answer: 3
 
Joined: Jun 2011
Posts: 3,116
Likes: 598
Default

Originally Posted by brent319
it is very easy. I put some vice grips on the shaft as a stop/marker and smacked it down into the column. I think I put a 2x4 over the end and beat on it a couple of times if I remember right. I really like the upgrade.
And how easy is it to return to factory should a person decide to go back to factory original ?

Doesn't collapsing a steering column break something (injected plastic ) inside similar if it happened in a collision.
Reply
Old May 2, 2018 | 01:19 AM
  #4  
Kim72's Avatar
Kim72
Pro
15 Year Member
 
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 558
Likes: 22
From: Vancouver, B.C., Canada
Default

I've had Borgeson steering for a very long time. Trust me, you won't go back.
Reply
Old May 2, 2018 | 07:08 AM
  #5  
David Mc's Avatar
David Mc
Racer
20 Year Member
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 448
Likes: 21
From: Klein Texas
Default

Mine collapsed fairly easily. (meaning the plastic pins are doing nothing but providing a friction fit)
Reply
Old May 2, 2018 | 07:53 PM
  #6  
The13Bats's Avatar
The13Bats
Race Director
20 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 11,608
Likes: 780
From: Eustis ( Area 51 Bat Cave ) Fl
Default

Originally Posted by DavidandJoansVette
I seem to have typical p/s leak issues. Switching to Borgenson steering has a lot of appeal and the various vendor price seems reasonable. HOWEVER one issue gives me pause- the sentence which says the column must be shortened or collapsed 1 to 2 inches for the pieces to fit. So my question is how difficult is the shortening to accomplish ? Thanks in advance ,
This is a hang up to me also, i have not seen jim sheas opinion on it and he is the vette steering guru,
Im big into modding but gm designed the column in a certain safety way,

How would tampering with it effect liability in the event of an accident?

If there wasnt a kit being sold and just "some guy" said he planned a mod that requires the column shortening in this way on this forum he would get called a hack job bubba, but because its a sold kit that makes it okay

as a modder i dont believe its any big deal to bust the part and colaspe the column and if i do get in a crash how well will i fend either way but another hurdle is would it be worth it to me,

Ive had and daily driven vettes all my life and even manual steering wasnt horrible to me, perhaps tina might not have liked parking it though,

When the stock steering is really up to par its not bad, we cant gauge it with 30 40 50 plus year old warn parts...
Reply
Old May 3, 2018 | 12:32 AM
  #7  
Bikespace's Avatar
Bikespace
Race Director
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
Top Answer: 1
 
Joined: Mar 2017
Posts: 11,953
Likes: 4,509
From: Virginia
Default

I'm still working on it in my 79. I had to pull the steering column out to get it to collapse, and to use a Dremel to fix the damage done with a few missed hammer hits while it was still in the car. It collapsed easily enough when mounted in a vise, but there was no way I could have hit it that hard in the car with the engine still in place. Now I'm just waiting on parts to fix the problems I found when I pulled the steering column.
Reply
Old May 4, 2018 | 02:13 AM
  #8  
redcruz1120's Avatar
redcruz1120
Drifting
15 Year Member
Liked
Loved
Community Favorite
 
Joined: Feb 2007
Posts: 1,498
Likes: 206
From: Pearland Texas
St. Jude Donor '09
Default

Not hard. The key is to make your marks and take your time tapping. i used a small piece of wood and had to take small taps cause the engine was in the car. as far as going back? i doubt you'll want to.






Reply
Corvette Stories

The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts

story-0

10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

 Joe Kucinski
story-1

Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

 Brett Foote
story-2

10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

 Michael S. Palmer
story-3

8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

 Joe Kucinski
story-5

How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

 Joe Kucinski
story-6

Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

 Michael S. Palmer
story-7

Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

 Joe Kucinski
story-8

150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

 Joe Kucinski
story-9

8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

 Verdad Gallardo
Old May 9, 2018 | 11:24 AM
  #9  
jcloving's Avatar
jcloving
Burning Brakes
10 Year Member
 
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 945
Likes: 10
From: Winston Salem NC
Default

I used a 5lb sledge. I measured carefully the amt to move and tapped it in slowly.

I love the Borgeson upgrade. I did the hydroboost at the same time. Excellent upgrades for the C3. The Hydroboost really opens up the engine bay.
Reply
Old May 9, 2018 | 02:05 PM
  #10  
DavidandJoansVette's Avatar
DavidandJoansVette
Thread Starter
Pro
Veteran: National Guard
 
Joined: Nov 2017
Posts: 570
Likes: 43
From: North Carolina
Default

Originally Posted by jcloving
I used a 5lb sledge. I measured carefully the amt to move and tapped it in slowly.

I love the Borgeson upgrade. I did the hydroboost at the same time. Excellent upgrades for the C3. The Hydroboost really opens up the engine bay.
Hydroboost?
Reply

Get notified of new replies

To Borgenson steering for 77





All times are GMT -4. The time now is 01:23 PM.

story-0
10 Ugly Corvettes That We Still Kinda Love

Slideshow: 10 ugly Corvettes that we still kinda love.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-06-03 10:34:17


VIEW MORE
story-1
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer

A lot of money has changed hands at the online auction house over the years.

By Brett Foote | 2026-06-03 10:21:50


VIEW MORE
story-2
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)

Slideshow: 10 great gifts Corvette enthusiasts actually want for Father's Day!

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-06-03 15:43:40


VIEW MORE
story-3
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems

Slideshow: These are the quirks, annoyances, and oddly lovable problems that every Corvette owner eventually learns to live with.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-28 09:31:39


VIEW MORE
story-4
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years

Slideshow: 10 reasons why the C6 Z06 is still a performance benchmark after 20 years.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 17:20:09


VIEW MORE
story-5
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972

Slideshow: How much horsepower every Corvette engine lost in 1972.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-27 16:54:53


VIEW MORE
story-6
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!

Slideshow: How to Protect A Convertible Top: 10 DOs & DON'Ts

By Michael S. Palmer | 2026-04-03 00:00:00


VIEW MORE
story-7
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!

Slideshow: The 10 most explosive Corvettes ever built based on power-to-weight ratio.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-20 07:23:03


VIEW MORE
story-8
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter

Slideshow: From C1 to C8 we compare every Corvette generation by the numbers.

By Joe Kucinski | 2026-05-12 16:54:12


VIEW MORE
story-9
8 Coolest Corvette Pace Cars (and Replicas) of All Time

Slideshow: Some Corvette pace cars became collectible legends, while others perfectly captured the look and attitude of their era.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-11 09:50:51


VIEW MORE