hey everyone.

im transplanting my 1950 F7 cab onto a different chassis, and the massive steering wheel wont be needed. I thought it would be best to swap out the entire steering column and steering wheel, and use something else to mate up with the sttering box ( its a quick ratio GM steering box ).

My original thought was to possibly use a tilt First Gen s10 steering column that i had sitting around, but i decided that may not be my best move, because it has too many unnecessary controls ( key switch, cruise control, wiper switch, etc) and i also feel it will look gaudy, with the chunky 80's plastic look clashing with the 1950 dash.

Really my ideal column would have a turn signal switch integrated, it would have a tilt to it ( although it may not be absoulutely nessecary if i get the right angle and fitment) and would be able to accept my Grant steering wheel. I'm open to any and all suggestions.

Thanks,
Lee

 

My choice 78-79 F Series column. Turn signal/tilt lever combo and if you get lucky no transmission shifter. although they are easy to remove.

 

got a pic? would the 73-77 colulm work as well, or does it need to be a 78-79?

 

Good luck finding a floor shift tilt column out of a 73-79 ford truck for cheap. They fetch big dollars unless the seller is clueless. Also be careful with any 73-79 truck column you pick up. You want one out of 4x4 if you can get one. The 2wd version has a rag joint pressed onto the bottom and is a nightmare to remove.

 

No such thing as a tilt column (only the wheel tilts) until 1978, why the member in post #2 suggested 1978/79 F series (F100/350).

Tilt introduced in 1978 F100/350, Bronco & Econoline. Available with A/T & 4 M/T .. 2WD or 4WD .. Not available with 3 M/T

Thru 1991, the tilt wheel operates by pressing the T/S handle forward.

IMO, you'd be better off using another type of tilt column, as the parts for 1978/91 are all obsolete.

Plus: The tilt wheel locking lever (E2TZ-3B661-A replaced D0AZ-3B661-A = same as 1970/91 cars) has been obsolete for several years, impossible to find NOS

 

Sorry if I misled. But I call it a tilt column as the upper part tilts I guess right at the lower part of the wheel assembly.
I got mine from a 79 F250 and I still use the column shifter in my 53 F100.
I installed another one in my friends 66 Mustang, it was from a 78 F150, although I removed the column shifter as he had a floor shift.
I was told by the wrecker that they only came in 78-79 F series usually XLT's (150-350) so I believed them. Since that is the years I got the ones I used from, and that is the info I have written in my "cool stuff" book, I assumed the wrecker was correct.
That being said they are probably hard to find now since the run on old vehicles a few years ago to the crusher when scrap prices were so high.
I left the rag joint on the Mustang, and I removed it from my column.

 

maybe im better off just getting an Ididit column or something. If im gonna spend a fortune. i may as well spend a fortune on something new.

 

I should mention that i am planning on mounting the column going through the firewall, not into the floor. my steering setup is in front of the engine crossmember, so getting more of a forward angle vs. a downward angle is what im after.

 

Use an ididit and call it a day. They are spendy but the quality IMO is superb.

 

79-'80 Caddy eldo . Tilt /tele no shift lever .