Recommend a steering column?
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 68
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Recommend a steering column?
Hi Everyone,
Long time lurker (owned a few Ford trucks), but this is my first real Ford truck project.
I have a '52 Merc M3. Front end is a Heidts Superide II, with Mustang power rack. Tranny is a Chevy 700R, so I'd like something with gear selection.
Any budget recommendations?
Thanks
John
Long time lurker (owned a few Ford trucks), but this is my first real Ford truck project.
I have a '52 Merc M3. Front end is a Heidts Superide II, with Mustang power rack. Tranny is a Chevy 700R, so I'd like something with gear selection.
Any budget recommendations?
Thanks
John
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
Looking for tilt? New? The Ididit columns, especially the paint ready steel ones are well made and reasonably priced. If you are looking for used, the Chevy units from the full sized van are popular. The GM unit has several advantages over others: wiring colors and plug matches the aftermarket harnesses, simple column without a bunch of covers and external bracketry to have to remove, shift pattern matches, many aftermarket steering wheels directly bolt on, can be found with or without ignition in the column.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
In case I didn't make it clear, the Ididit and Flaming River columns use the same wiring and plugs as GM and have the same advantages vs other manufacturer's OEM units as the GM columns, plus they can be ordered to length.
Senior User
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 218
Likes: 1
From: Kamloops, BC Canada
Have a look at this, it may help you with your decision, if you're going aftermarket.
http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/in...ng_Columns.pdf
http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/in...ng_Columns.pdf
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2014
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Thanks guys!
Would much rather a swap or something cheap. The truck is old and has a good patina, so I will be driving it like that for a while before any paint is considered
Currently it has a mid-80s Camaro column in it. However the Camaro was a floor shift, and I'd rather not lose that real estate in the cab. Maybe I can use this column, and find an add-on gear selector
John
Would much rather a swap or something cheap. The truck is old and has a good patina, so I will be driving it like that for a while before any paint is considered
Currently it has a mid-80s Camaro column in it. However the Camaro was a floor shift, and I'd rather not lose that real estate in the cab. Maybe I can use this column, and find an add-on gear selector
John
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Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 15,882
Likes: 88
From: Durham NC
Have a look at this, it may help you with your decision, if you're going aftermarket.
http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/in...ng_Columns.pdf
http://www.lvvta.org.nz/documents/in...ng_Columns.pdf
Hoffman Group/Helix/Johnny Law products they just ooze "quality" or more correctly mostly just plain ooze! A lot of the low priced parts sold on ebay and by "discounters" were supplied by HG/H/JL The Harbor Freight of the aftermarket automotive parts suppliers. No wait, that's way too insulting to HF!!!
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Brett Foote
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Joined: May 2010
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From: Austin
Hey Bagged,
Welcome Aboard! Post some pics of your Merc when you get a chance & let's see what you are working with. I went with a cheap Ebay special 30 inch steering column the first go round. What looks like metal is just chromed over plastic. The parts were so cheap I couldn't even get it together as the metal screws just tore holes in it. I tossed it & went with an Ididit paintable column.
Ididit chrome beautiful columns are pricey but the paint grade ones aren't too bad. This is one area I didn't go with salvage or used. I found the used columns were pretty sloppy & worn out.
Good luck over there.
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
Welcome Aboard! Post some pics of your Merc when you get a chance & let's see what you are working with. I went with a cheap Ebay special 30 inch steering column the first go round. What looks like metal is just chromed over plastic. The parts were so cheap I couldn't even get it together as the metal screws just tore holes in it. I tossed it & went with an Ididit paintable column.
Ididit chrome beautiful columns are pricey but the paint grade ones aren't too bad. This is one area I didn't go with salvage or used. I found the used columns were pretty sloppy & worn out.
Good luck over there.
Ben in Austin
1950 F1
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 1,511
Likes: 1
From: peyton, colorado
There used to be a sticky or article on this, don't know if it's still out there. From that article, I got a column from an early 90's, square body jeep cherokee. It's a GM column, 30" long. Tilt, cruise, wipers and high beams on the column. Cut the mounting flange off the bottom and slip it through the floor. I don't know if they came in column shift, mine was a floor shift.
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Junior User
Joined: Dec 2014
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The Ididits are out of budget at this point in the build. $500+ hurts right now
Will get some pics up Ben. Will need a build thread:
- Jag IRS
- Heidts Superide II IFS
- 305 TPI engine w/700R4 trans
- Bagged with Autopilot V2 management
- Dual diaphragm master/booster on the frame
Lots going on
Will get some pics up Ben. Will need a build thread:
- Jag IRS
- Heidts Superide II IFS
- 305 TPI engine w/700R4 trans
- Bagged with Autopilot V2 management
- Dual diaphragm master/booster on the frame
Lots going on
Elder User
Joined: Feb 2012
Posts: 948
Likes: 0
From: Central Oregon
I used a 78-79 Ford van column in mine. I had to redo the wiring to the Speedway kit I used, shorten the column 8", and adapt the column shifter to my C4. While not simple, it was doable in a day or so and cost me a total of $8 at the scrapyard. It was set up for a column shift, tilt, and no key in the column. It came with a rag joint that bolted right up to the Toyota factory ujoint on the Toy PS box.
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