TILTED T

[jackfordt]

Wish i was an engeneer because my steering rubs on my knee ,nice when i wear pants but with shorts it sticks to my flesh. Lack of mesurements and a tendency to put the look first made me do this mistake (took my mesurements with no shoes on). Just found a nice deal for an Auto Lock tilt steering that i brought home but now its too long.............. I am trying to figure how to dismantle it in order to shorten it. Did one of my favorite experts did one or know where i can get details..........................:cripple:

 

["The Bat" out of hell]

After the build fixs;Some tilts are fat and that yet a new thing in the way between legs. Mostly i seen a deeper dish steering wheel used or a spacer put between wheel and adapter,if it's getting in is a deal/there are flip up things for steeringwheels also.
Mod on tilts are another bag of worms,hope some one can pich in.

 

[jackfordt]

Already have a 3in. spacer that i made might consider a deeper steering weheel or taking off the foam from the seat. But the tilt is very interesting of course its larger but looks reasonable to me.

After the build fixs;Some tilts are fat and that yet a new thing in the way between legs. Mostly i seen a deeper dish steering wheel used or a spacer put between wheel and adapter,if it's getting in is a deal/there are flip up things for steeringwheels also.
Mod on tilts are another bag of worms,hope some one can pich in.

 

[lkeuten]

I don't know if this will help you on your auto lock column but the attached is how a GM column comes apart on the top end. The bottom of the GM columns are a couple of spring clips and a nylon bushing with a seal. The big thing is keeping the inner shaft and outer column sleeve straight when you shorten it. I usually slip a solid piece of shaft that fits tight inside the inner shaft and clamp a piece of angle iron across the joint and make a few tacks. Make Sure to Leave enough gap so that you can get weld penetration into the solid shaft. The outer column piece I clamp into a piece of angle iron to keep it straight make a few tack welds, take the angle iron off and finish welding. Triple check everything before and after for trueness.

 

[Mr T Bucket]

You won't know for sure if it can be shortened until you get it apart, but there should be enough room to take out what you need. I bought one of the cheap chrome tilt columns off ebay. Was able to take about 9 inches out of it. I should have taken pictures, but I was so excited to actually be doing it and wanted to get it done, LOL.

 

[jackfordt]

Great, can you tell me how to take it apart. This is what i am trying to figure.Thanks

You won't know for sure if it can be shortened until you get it apart, but there should be enough room to take out what you need. I bought one of the cheap chrome tilt columns off ebay. Was able to take about 9 inches out of it. I should have taken pictures, but I was so excited to actually be doing it and wanted to get it done, LOL.

 

[Mr T Bucket]

Kind of depends on how your column is set up. If it's a GM column, or based off a GM column, there are a couple places online that I found with a quick search that will get you at least 1/2 or 2/3 of the way apart.

http://www.fieros.de...s/steering.html

http://www.epiccompu.../tilt/tilt.html

If it's like mine and was made across the big pond, then all bets are off as to how it comes apart. I do need to take mine back apart to put the wiring and switch back in, but was wanting to leave the extra stuff out during mock up. I can't really recall from memory, but it was a little similar to the GM columns, until you got past pulling the tilt pivots out and then removing the base of the tilt from the rest of the column. I think the 4 screws that normally can loosen up over time that they are talking about in those 2 links, on my column, they screw into an odd notched shape plate that pulls the lower bell or bowl up the column tube against a snap ring. The lower bowl, or bell is an almost press fit on the tube, where I had to be careful about using a rubber mallet or my hand to try and bump/nudge it off once the snap ring was removed. The bottom of the tube had a thick flanged metal sleeve with plastic bushings for the shaft to turn in. Not the best setup, but I didn't have to spend $700 or more for a custom length ididit or Flaming River column. Now that I think about it, there was an inner tube also, in addition to the chrome outer tube. The inner tube was welded to the lower flanged sleeve and the odd shaped plate with the screw holes went in the other end. The lower bowl or bell was on the inner tube, and the whole shebang sort of captured the outer chrome tube, or maybe the lower tilt halve, positioned it. Something like that. I wanted a real ball bearing down on the bottom instead of the plastic bushing, plus, in order to cut everything even, I had to grind where the inner tube was welded to the lower flange, so I could move it up after the cut. I ground down the flange so it would fit up inside the outer chrome tube. I was lucky and found a flanged ball bearing that had the specs I was looking for, so that allowed me to weld the old flange to the new bearing, and then weld the old flange back to the inner tube, which was now shorter. I believe the wiring ran between the inner and outer tube, so the shaft wouldn't rub against the wires. The column, as delivered, had something like a 1"DD hollow shaft for what came out of the end of the column. The I.D. of the 1"DD was 3/4"DD. I was able to cut and flip half the lower shaft so I could use the solid 3/4"DD. I was really amazed at how well everything just kind of fell into place for what I was wanting. For the record, it really is a cheap column though.

Like I said, I was too happy to stop and grab the camera. I could probably take a few this weekend if you think it would help?

 

[jackfordt]

Thanks a lot will start stripping it next week. And for shure it looks the same quality but for summer driving it should be ok. I migt replace the switch with the GM one that i used on my old column.(i was using a vandura column before)looks stronger .

Kind of depends on how your column is set up. If it's a GM column, or based off a GM column, there are a couple places online that I found with a quick search that will get you at least 1/2 or 2/3 of the way apart.

http://www.fieros.de...s/steering.html

http://www.epiccompu.../tilt/tilt.html

If it's like mine and was made across the big pond, then all bets are off as to how it comes apart. I do need to take mine back apart to put the wiring and switch back in, but was wanting to leave the extra stuff out during mock up. I can't really recall from memory, but it was a little similar to the GM columns, until you got past pulling the tilt pivots out and then removing the base of the tilt from the rest of the column. I think the 4 screws that normally can loosen up over time that they are talking about in those 2 links, on my column, they screw into an odd notched shape plate that pulls the lower bell or bowl up the column tube against a snap ring. The lower bowl, or bell is an almost press fit on the tube, where I had to be careful about using a rubber mallet or my hand to try and bump/nudge it off once the snap ring was removed. The bottom of the tube had a thick flanged metal sleeve with plastic bushings for the shaft to turn in. Not the best setup, but I didn't have to spend $700 or more for a custom length ididit or Flaming River column. Now that I think about it, there was an inner tube also, in addition to the chrome outer tube. The inner tube was welded to the lower flanged sleeve and the odd shaped plate with the screw holes went in the other end. The lower bowl or bell was on the inner tube, and the whole shebang sort of captured the outer chrome tube, or maybe the lower tilt halve, positioned it. Something like that. I wanted a real ball bearing down on the bottom instead of the plastic bushing, plus, in order to cut everything even, I had to grind where the inner tube was welded to the lower flange, so I could move it up after the cut. I ground down the flange so it would fit up inside the outer chrome tube. I was lucky and found a flanged ball bearing that had the specs I was looking for, so that allowed me to weld the old flange to the new bearing, and then weld the old flange back to the inner tube, which was now shorter. I believe the wiring ran between the inner and outer tube, so the shaft wouldn't rub against the wires. The column, as delivered, had something like a 1"DD hollow shaft for what came out of the end of the column. The I.D. of the 1"DD was 3/4"DD. I was able to cut and flip half the lower shaft so I could use the solid 3/4"DD. I was really amazed at how well everything just kind of fell into place for what I was wanting. For the record, it really is a cheap column though.

Like I said, I was too happy to stop and grab the camera. I could probably take a few this weekend if you think it would help?

 

[Keeper]

Great info.

Is there a list of "donor" cars out there for using the tilt column? I am planning on installing a tilt, but after seeing some of the prices for ididit or flaming river, I am thinking a trip to the bone yard is in order.

I seen an old cordoba tilt column at a swap meet that looked promising.

 

[jackfordt]

Tilt column is hard to find, usually i use GM donnor parts because replacament parts are easy to find and resonably priced. Liked chevy van column simple, compact and easy to modify but like all early column with no ignition keys (because they are smaller) they are very rare and when we find them they need complete overhaul. And if you find one its very expensive (even for a used one). So now you can find some new cheapy colums on e-bay or Auto lock that are half the price major brands. You can expect to pay around 250.00 for those.