steering column upgrade
- Thread starter rrapom
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Chryco Psycho
Well-Known Member
You may want to look at an IDIDT column , the problem with tilt is the dash has a long over hang over the gauges does allow much room for tilt .
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Chryco Psycho
Well-Known Member
I figured it was something along those lines that made you want the tilt , just using a smaller diameter wheel like a tuff wheel or D shape does help
1973
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I was wondering about this too in my 73, i am 6'7"
Avalanche
Well-Known Member
I tried a couple things. First I got a B-body crush sleeve. Since it's shorter, I thought it would be good for the wheel to be closer to the dash and father away from me, thus making more room. Didn't work. It just made the wheel tighter to my knees.
I then got a smaller diameter tuff wheel and that made a world of difference. With the original crush sleeve, of course.
I then got a smaller diameter tuff wheel and that made a world of difference. With the original crush sleeve, of course.
basketcase70
Member
I plan on using the Saginaw tilt scope that I got out of a 70 New Yorker (C body). The column mounted (Chrysler) key switch looks to be the same as any other Mopar of the era. With the scope collapsed, the steering wheel hub to steering box length measures out closely to the same length as the column in my E body (70 Challenger). Even without taking the column out of the Challenger, I can see the E body mast jacket + steering wheel can is roughly the same length as the collapsed scope column mast jacket. Adapting the E body floor plate to the New Yorker column or the New Yorker column floor plate to the E body floor looks do-able. This column uses an adaptor harness from the Chrysler wiring to the GM style comb on the mast jacket. Not getting it with the column will result in the PIA of making one up.
A major rub to doing this swap is that the dash bracket on the New Yorker column is totally wrong for the E body and the E body bracket won't bolt to the New Yorker column without a total rework, if at all, so making up a new from scratch may be the only option to mate the column up to the E body dash. Unlike a B or E body, the C body column uses a short intermediate engine compartment shaft with a normal Mopar pot coupler at the box. It's been a while since I mocked it up, but a custom dash bracket might allow dropping the upper end of the mast jacket a several inches closer to the dash, making it practical to actually use most or all of the scope function for someone normal sized. Because the short intermediate shaft on the C body column also has a GM style rag joint at the upper end, shortening it to reduce the overall steering wheel hub to box length should not require disassembling/modifying the mast jacket or primary shaft.
The C body steering wheel is a very mundane, flat plastic, two spoke, rim blow that begs for something else to be adapted. Adapting to a different wheel to this column should be a little easier because the column is the later style that uses a short lever at the steering wheel hub for scope adjustment, not the earlier one (mid 60s) GM used that required turning the center of the steering wheel. I have a junk wood grain rim blow sport wheel I'm going to try to adapt before I restore or replace it. Perhaps the smaller diameter "Tuff" wheel would be more ergonomic, but fitting up a working horn button assembly would be necessary and this is what I have.
Finally, unlike an E body with a column shifter, the New Yorker column shifter doesn't have a quadrant, necessitating a bunch of adaptation if you want to add a quadrant to the column, or using something like the Dakota Digital setup that offers a read out in the instrument cluster or mounted to the the dash. Of course, most E bodies use a floor shift, side stepping the whole issue by removal of the column mounted lever.
It's been a while since I tried resizing and including pictures. If I get it figured out, I'll add them.
A major rub to doing this swap is that the dash bracket on the New Yorker column is totally wrong for the E body and the E body bracket won't bolt to the New Yorker column without a total rework, if at all, so making up a new from scratch may be the only option to mate the column up to the E body dash. Unlike a B or E body, the C body column uses a short intermediate engine compartment shaft with a normal Mopar pot coupler at the box. It's been a while since I mocked it up, but a custom dash bracket might allow dropping the upper end of the mast jacket a several inches closer to the dash, making it practical to actually use most or all of the scope function for someone normal sized. Because the short intermediate shaft on the C body column also has a GM style rag joint at the upper end, shortening it to reduce the overall steering wheel hub to box length should not require disassembling/modifying the mast jacket or primary shaft.
The C body steering wheel is a very mundane, flat plastic, two spoke, rim blow that begs for something else to be adapted. Adapting to a different wheel to this column should be a little easier because the column is the later style that uses a short lever at the steering wheel hub for scope adjustment, not the earlier one (mid 60s) GM used that required turning the center of the steering wheel. I have a junk wood grain rim blow sport wheel I'm going to try to adapt before I restore or replace it. Perhaps the smaller diameter "Tuff" wheel would be more ergonomic, but fitting up a working horn button assembly would be necessary and this is what I have.
Finally, unlike an E body with a column shifter, the New Yorker column shifter doesn't have a quadrant, necessitating a bunch of adaptation if you want to add a quadrant to the column, or using something like the Dakota Digital setup that offers a read out in the instrument cluster or mounted to the the dash. Of course, most E bodies use a floor shift, side stepping the whole issue by removal of the column mounted lever.
It's been a while since I tried resizing and including pictures. If I get it figured out, I'll add them.
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