Shoebox Steering column

Hey guys I have a 51 ford shoebox I'm building that i'm trying to get on the road in a month or two. My question is my steering shaft is a 46 1/4"(stock) and i need to find a way to make it 7" shorter to accommodate the steering wheel I have. Would cutting and welding the shaft be a very bad idea? Do they sell shafts like this i could simply buy and replace? also I think I need an adapter because the whole steering system is stock but i need to adapt the gm steering wheel to my ford shaft, any pointers on this as well? The picture is the project a few weeks back.

 

no , shortening the column is not a problem if done properly. for the gm wheel splice a upper part of a gm shaft to the lower ford shaft

there should be a few threads on here about shortening the shaft , i know i have done a couple

 

Don't weld the shaft. You can cut the shaft and install a universal joint.

Your Ford has the "spear of death" steering column, meaning that it is a solid shaft with a solid connection to the steering box. This is your opportunity to change to something a little safer.

 

Suggestions?

 

like Big A added what are some suggestions?

 

I'm no expert and typically I'm a traditionalist, but if you're gonna change the column, you might look into a more modern collapsible unit. Since you want to mount a GM steering wheel, I guess GM is the place to look.

 

are you using the original steering box?

 

I was planning on just adapting the shaft to accommodate the steering wheel and I was going to run it. As of right now it is the stock steering setup. I would like to keep the car very traditional as well im not a fan of tile wheels etc..

 

i will say it again , if done properly shortening the shaft and adapting a different piece of shaft to allow for different wheel is ok. i repeat.....if done properly

or i don't know what i'm talking about and ignore what i have said

that's all i have to say

 

It sound like you are using more than a GM steering wheel, more like a GM steering wheel and column.

I'm running a stock wheel, stock upper column, shortened at the bottom, double D shaft with couplers to a GM box.

Rich

 

I'm bettin' he's adding a 59 Olds wheel to the existing shaft. My buddy did it to a 49 or 50 Chevy.



I had to add a 39 upper shaft to my F100 bx to run a banjo wheel. Not a job for a guy learning to weld but remember the pipes in a nuclear power plant are welded together. You can see the weld about 6" below the steering lock collar. If you are scared of welding have a professional welder do it.

If you had ever seen what they do to certify a welder you'd be a lot less scared. a properly done weld is just as strong as the original parent metal. It' just the harry homeowners with their bubble gum welds that scare everybody.



You ain't putting a U joint in this column!!!!

 

Yep, no room for a coupler in a shoebox column. Jegs sells splined shafts in different lengths, is this as simple(?) as determining the spline count and length and ordering one?

 

thanks for the info guys and no not a 59 olds its a 60 Pontiac wheel wheel I'm trying to adapt when accomplished ill post pictures!

 

What about using a monte carlo shaft?