<o></o>CHEAP and EASY TECH - How to take your old school one piece column/steering box, and convert it to work with a modern setup<o></o><o></o>. Total cost - $7.99 + an afternoon of your time <o></o> I have been asked about this one several times since writing a really small article about body swaps onto more modern frames about what I do about the steering column. Nothing looks worse to me than a late model column and wheel in an otherwise nice period car. I understant why its there - the original column and steering box where one unseperable unit - but it still just kills the look. The long skinny stock columns still look the best. So, if you want to keep the stock style column, but have clipped the front end, done a front suspension upgrade to a newer box, or even maybe a frame swap, you will have to convert the column to keep it.<o></o><o></o> P.S. - sorry about the pics. My camera sucks. Half of them didn't come out when I was putting together the column. The camera doesn't understard anything closer than about 4 feet it seems. Doh. There are a few types of columns - with shifter or without, and those with a shifter can be internal or external shift linkage. It doesn't matter, and you can also convert a stock manual column shifter to work a modern automatic if you don't mind not having a shift indicator.<o></o><o></o> Its not very hard to convert the column, and the older the car the simpler it is. I have done it on several chervolets, and all of them have a 2" OD column tube with a wall thickness of about 0.075" or so - roughly 14 guage. The steering shaft has been 0.75" on the cars I have done it to - 49' Fleetline, 51' Coupe, and the one I am converting in this article - a 55' Chevy wagon. The 55' is the most complicated one so far since it not only has the turn signals built into the column, but also has an internal shift linkage for a manual transmission. For a column with external shift linkage, just ignore all the mods to the shift tube.<o></o> <o></o> The older steering columns are generally made up of only 7 major parts or less: <o></o> Steering wheel - if I have to explain what this is, you need to just put the wrench down. Now.<o></o> Steering shaft - runs down the center of the column tube connecting the steering wheel to the steering box<o></o> Column Tube - the outer jacket that makes the main part of the column. The shaft, and shift tube runs inside of it, the shift bowl and column cover mount on it under the steering wheel<o></o> Shift bowl - if you have a column shift with internal linkage, the bowl is the part that the column that shifter connects to and rotates with the shifter. It is keyed to the shift tube.<o></o> Shift tube or rod - if you have a column shift with internal shift linkage, the shift bowl is keyed to the shift tube which can runs inside the column tube. On older cars the shifter might be keyed to an external rod instead.<o></o> Column Cover - this is a simple cover that covers the column at the base of the steering wheel <o></o> Shifter - see steering wheel above<o></o><o></o> Conversion parts needed:<o></o> <o></o> Bearing NC204 and retainer kit - $7.99 at Princess auto.<o> </o><o></o> Here is how I convert the column so that I can connect it to a modern steering box.<o> </o><o></o> 1. Remove the steering wheel.<o> </o><o></o> 2. Now depending on what you are doing with the column, will determine where we are going to be cutting it. Measure how far the column protrudes from the dash or mark the column at the dash so it can be put back in the same position.<o> </o><o></o> a. If you are going to re-use the stock column shifter mark the column the width of the conversion bearing below the shift linkage.<o></o> b. If you are going to use a floor shift, or convert the stock column shifter to run an automatic, then mark the column tube a few inches out from the firewall. You need enough clearance for the new shift arm.<o></o> <o></o> Cut the steering column off a few inches above the steering box, but below the marks you made on the steering column tube. Since this will be cut down further later on, you don't have to be too neat. I use an angle grinder with a cut off wheel.<o> </o><o></o> 3. Unbolt the steering column trim, and the column support under the dash. There is also a hard rubber seal/support at the firewall that will have to be unscrewed from the floor. Remove any shift linkage. There should be at least 1 wire for the horn - disconnect all the wiring. You should not be able to remove the column.<o> </o><o></o> 4. Take the column to your workbench and remove the turn signal cams and swtich (if equipped) to be able to access the screws hold the column cover to the shifter bowl (if equipped) or just to the column. Remove the column cover and any wiring there. If you dont have a column shift, skip to step 6. <o></o><o></o> 5. You should now see the shifter bowl, and shift tube. <o></o><o></o> <o></o> Drive out the roll pin that holds the shifter arm on and remove the shifter arm. Now you should be able to grab the shifter bowl and slide it upwards off of the shifter tube. The shifter bowl is keyed to the shifter tube so it can only go on one way. <o></o><o></o> The Keyed shifter bowl.<o></o> <o></o> 6. Grab the steering shaft from the bottom and pull it out. Pull out the shifter tube also. Dont loose any of the washers that come out with either of them. Your column should be completely disassembled at this point.<o></o> <o></o> <o></o> 7. Skip to step 9 if you are not going to setup the column for an automatic trans.. Sorry, no pics for this since I am going to be using a floor shifter for this car. To set up the stock column shifter for an automatic you need to make a simple shift arm and cut clearance in the steering column tube for the arm. The arm has to be reasonably strong, so I use 14g steel strapping and make an arm about 3.5 long and 1 wide. At one end I drill a hole that matches whatever linkage I am using for the transmission. <o> </o><o></o> Temporarily reinstall the shifter bowl and shift tube. Mark the shift tube where the column tube ends. Rotate the shifter bowl to put the shifter in its full up position mark both the shift tube and column tube. Now rotate the shifter bowl to put the shifter at the full down position (remember the shift bowl and tube still have internal stops) and mark both the shift tube and the column tube. Also mark the end of the column on the shift tube. Disassemble the column again. Take the shift tube and measure the width of your bearing (mine was just over 0.75) up on the tube and make a mark. Now cut the shift tube at this mark. <o></o><o></o> <o></o> Your shift tube is now cut to the proper length.<o> </o><o></o> 8. If you have an external shift linkage, just cut it to a handy length at the bottom of the column and weld a shift arm to the end. Easy stuff. If you have a column with an internal shifter linkage its a bit more involved.<o> </o><o></o> You must make a window in the column tube for the shift arm to come through from the shift tube, and since we are welding on the shift arm, it has to be slightly oversize to get the welder in there. Remember the two marks you made on the column tube for the range of motion of the shift tube? These will be your center-to-center measurements for the shift arm. In other words, if you are planning on using a shift arm that is 1 wide, add a half inch to each of the marks. Measure up from the bottom of the the width of your lower bearing and carefully cut a slot in the column tube between these marks. Remember the slot has to be wide enough so you can weld the shift arm to the shift tube. I like to reassemble the shift bowl and tube again in the column tube and mark where the slot you just cut is on the shift tube.<o></o><o></o> The slot cut for a shift arm. 9. Now we must fit some sort of support the bottom of the shift tube to that it doesnt flop around in the column tube. Go through the washers that came out of the column during disassembly and you will find two that fit over the shift tube, and inside the column tube snugly. One is a steel washer and the other fibre. The fibre one is no longer used and can be discarded. Take the steel one and fit it snugly over the shifter tube as close to the end as you can. If you are converting the column to run an automatic, you will see it through the slot you just cut. It should be just the width of your lower support bearing up inside the column tube when you insert the shift tube. Ones its there, and square to the tube, make sever large tack welds to fix it to the tube in this position. <o></o> <o> </o><o></o>Make sure the welds are on the opposite side of where the bearing will seat, since it will be seating against this washer. Skip to step 11 if you are not converting the column shifter to an automatic.<o></o><o></o> 10. Now we need to weld on the shift arm that was made in step 8 to the shift tube. Reassemble the shift bowl, shift tube and column tube. Center the shift tube in the column tube, and rotate the shift bowl so the shifter is in its full up position, and weld the shift arm to the shift tube and washer in the full up position in the slot you cut in the column tube. Make sure it will clear everything once installed in the car since at this point it will be difficult to go back.<o></o><o></o> 11. Re-assemble the steering columns shift bowl, shift tube, and column tube if you havent already. Add the steering shaft, column cover, and steering wheel. Now slide your bearing on to the steering shaft protruding from the bottom of the steering column. <o></o> <o></o> You may have to polish the shaft with some fine sandpaper to remove any corrosion. Push the bearing up against the washer on the shift tube and pull the steering shaft downwards to make sure everything is snug and the gaps in the column are correct. Make a mark at the bottom of the bearing and remove it. On the retaining collar for the bearing there is a grub screw that screws in and holds the bearing in position on the steering shaft. Measure how far the grub screw is in relation to the bearing and transfer that measurement to the shaft by using the mark you made at the bottom of the bearing. Take an angle grinder and grind a small flat for the grub screw to set against, and then reassemble. Tighten the retaining collar grub screw into the flat you just made on the steering shaft.<o></o><o></o> 12. Now just reinstall the column in your car. With the ¾ round shaft at the bottom, you should be easily able to connect your column to the steering box using commonly available steering linkage components. You get to figure that one out! I am going to make the column pretty by cutting off the little mount for the shifter arm, and fixing a small plate with epoxy. A little work and you wont even know it ever had a shifter.<o></o><o></o> <o></o>
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