last night I took out the column (took forever) and then mocked up the seat and mocked up a column using a broom will post pics later tonight...it looks alot better and with the seat of the ground morew and the column almost touching the bottom of the dash it will fit very nice.

Now that I have no column do u guiys no of any columns that will fit in my truck with out alot of tinkering around? i was looking at the IDIDIT's I don"t know what I am looking for. Any help will be great

 

posted new pics of my mocked up center console idea..tell me what you think

 

What is going into the console? is there a reason for the V shaped section after the main panel coming down from the dash? What are you planning on making it from? Will it be painted, upholstered? It loks like you picked up the character lines from the dash for the width? Personally I'd like to see some curved shapes in there to reflect the Deco dash styling. Let me see if I can sketch you something to show what I mean.

 

well it was kinda hard to curve it with cardboard, but ya that is what i am thinking lots of smooth curves. I am eather going to paint it or leave it brushed steel, the very back is going to have cup holders the downward part from the dash is going to have steel toggle swiches for things liek lights, choke, cab light, ect and the middle part is going to have my ignition and then I am going to have a spring toggle swich start (like in nascar)

 

Depending on how much curve you want you can build the framework out of 1/2" electrical conduit or 3/8" steel rod and cover it in sheet metal. If you use a conduit bender it's easy to get smooth curves. For tighter curves fill the tube with dry sand packed tight and plug each end, bend around the groove in a pully. Don't try to bend a complex shape out of one piece, bend it in 2 halves or multiple sections, trim and weld together. If you mess up a bend, you don't have to start all over. I picked up a set of 2 siamesed cupholders from some GM product (Camaro?) off ebay. They are a rubbery material with a lip around the top so they will drop into holes in the console top and can be removed for washing.

 

Well, the massive grant wheel you put a pic of is not the right size if you have this issue. I am a very nice 6' 7" and I have a wee little MoMo steering wheel, and a steep angled column, and I fit just fine (well almost, I need to adjust the brake height, it is running VERY high, I need to start a thread to get help with this.) I also opted for a custom home made column (2 inch galvanized steel piping) braced right to the bottom of the dash. My steering is a rag joint, but I adjusted the angle of the steering box and am going to compensate with an adjustable drag link. Funny how it goes from not fitting to drag links. Try with a smaller airbagless wheel, and if you are good at fabricating advanced mechanics, try AX's Z bend idea, otherwise you will need to get into the dangerous business of adjusting steering geometry.

 

I decided on a 15" wheel as a compromise between the large stock wheel and the 13" ones for the import tuner market that look like they belong on a gokart rather than in our trucks.

 

I also used a 15 inch wheel (Grant) on my F-3. With a different column and PS it seems to be the best compromise on these old trucks...not too small and not too large.

 

What kinda column did you guys use? does ididit have a column that workes?

 

Yes, I used an Ididit tilt paintable steel column with my Toyota PS box conversion. My wheel is also a Grant banjo style, but ordered a Grant specific adapter from Ididit rather than stack the Grant on top the Ididit universal adapter. I bought a 32" column but found it too long to suit me so I shortened it 2".

 

what was the price for that colunm and the diamiter?

 

2 1/4" diameter without shift. 289.00 from Mid Fifty.

 

I used a column out of an 87 Chrysler 5th Ave that was the donor for my front suspension. The length is perfect but I would not use this column again and don't recommend it. The shifter linkage is on the outside which has to be cut off and welded to the inside, it has non-integrated brake/directional signals so I have to run separate lights for directional signals, and no neutral safety switch (it's in the transmission) so I had to fabricate one out of an old brake light switch.

Other than that it's golden!

Knowing what I know now I'd definitely go with a GM or Ididit paintable like Ax did...

 

I could not tell if you were staying with a column shift for the automatic like a Ranger has. With a floor shifter columns that can be used are more plentiful (and cheaper). My F-1 is set up with a highly modified late 70's T bird column shifted tilt column. I have more work to do to use it with the AOD. What are your shifter plans?

 

I was going to get a floor shifter to put in my console, as with the ignition, so i need the most basic column i can get will a straight column from ididit work?

alec