Steering column swap
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Junior User
Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Southern NH
Steering column swap
Guys,
I'm changing my Y-block and 3sp manual for 5.0 HO and automatic. I'm going to keep the stock front end for the time being. What's the best way to go ($,Time) to upgrade the steering column for the automatic tranny with manual steering? Thanks guys, Happy Thanksgiving.
Mike
I'm changing my Y-block and 3sp manual for 5.0 HO and automatic. I'm going to keep the stock front end for the time being. What's the best way to go ($,Time) to upgrade the steering column for the automatic tranny with manual steering? Thanks guys, Happy Thanksgiving.
Mike
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From: Columbus, ohio
steering column
Mike , you might think about a floor shifter kit fot the automatic. If the current steering and front suspension is good you are looking at a lot of
time/$ to change the steering column. The existing steering column is part of the steering gear box, so if you change the column you need to change to a different gear box. Changing the column and steering is very possible, search the forumn for ideas of many of the options available. But your question said that time/$ are an issue (they usually are). Good luck, Brian.
time/$ to change the steering column. The existing steering column is part of the steering gear box, so if you change the column you need to change to a different gear box. Changing the column and steering is very possible, search the forumn for ideas of many of the options available. But your question said that time/$ are an issue (they usually are). Good luck, Brian.
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From: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
That`s an excellent plan, the ps makes for a much nicer driver plus the steering will be more acurate. A bit of extra work but you will never go back to manual steering.
Last edited by Fomoko1; Nov 23, 2006 at 02:19 PM.
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
Originally Posted by Fomoko1
That`s an excellent plan, the ps makes for a much nicer driver plus the steering will be more acurate. A bit of extra work but you will never go back to manual steering.
Just a couple hours extra work if he's already changing out the steering column.
Hotshot
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From: Durham NC
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From: Southern NH
With the HO motor going in, I will be upgrading brakes as well. I've seen bracket kits for disc brake conversions and I'm seen complete kits. Does anyone sell the bracket kit including the bearings etc. so I can use my own doner rotors and calipers? My doner car is a 91 Mark VII LSC. So what's the biggest bang for my $ without a lot of fabrication to upgrade steering and brakes. If it's a IFS, then what's the easiest doner column swap to use with IFS? If I go toyota, I can use my stock column and will go auto floor shift. Thanks guys, I have many questions and I'm short on fab skills.
Mike
Mike
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From: Southern NH
Yes most use Gm calipers and Volare rotors. I'd really like to use the Lincoln parts from my doner Mark VII. I have Roger Dion of Dion brothers racing who could fab the caliper brackets but I need the bearing kits etc. for the Lincoln rotors to go on my stock hubs.
Axracer, I spent the last hour plus reading your and other threads on the Toyota power box and I'm going to do it. I used the car-parts web site and found 4 fairly local so thank you very much. I'd like to go with a column shift and can't afford aftermarket atthis time so any sugestions for a doner column that won't need Einstein to put it in? Thanks for all feedback, Mike
Axracer, I spent the last hour plus reading your and other threads on the Toyota power box and I'm going to do it. I used the car-parts web site and found 4 fairly local so thank you very much. I'd like to go with a column shift and can't afford aftermarket atthis time so any sugestions for a doner column that won't need Einstein to put it in? Thanks for all feedback, Mike
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Joined: Oct 2004
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From: Durham NC
Depending on steering wheel you use, you'll need a 30-32" column with the Toybox. Biggest issue with a donor column with column shift will be hooking up the shift linkage. Each transmission has it's own shift pattern and throw length that will need dealing with. The length isn't quite as big an issue since you can adjust it at the tranny by changing the arm length or attachment point, but the indicator on the column and detents may not match the actual shift pattern. I'm running a floor shifted manual tranny, so I have little experience on matching donor columns to auto tranny. Popular donor columns are GM van, Jeep Cherokee, there are likely others.
Re disk brakes: You might want to check with MP brakes to see if they can help you with brackets for your calipers, but I don't think you'll be able to use your hubs, there is more to it than just changing out the bearings, the bearing and race location must also match. I'm pretty confident that if the Lincoln hubs were adaptable the swap would be well known. The GM hub swap that is the easiest gives you GM bolt pattern on front. I know the new hubs MP brakes www.mpbrakes.com sells are available in several different bolt patterns. My truck has the GM pattern front and Ford 9" rear. I'm still deciding on what route I'll take to match the bolt patterns as I don't want to have to carry 2 spares.
Re disk brakes: You might want to check with MP brakes to see if they can help you with brackets for your calipers, but I don't think you'll be able to use your hubs, there is more to it than just changing out the bearings, the bearing and race location must also match. I'm pretty confident that if the Lincoln hubs were adaptable the swap would be well known. The GM hub swap that is the easiest gives you GM bolt pattern on front. I know the new hubs MP brakes www.mpbrakes.com sells are available in several different bolt patterns. My truck has the GM pattern front and Ford 9" rear. I'm still deciding on what route I'll take to match the bolt patterns as I don't want to have to carry 2 spares.
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Mar 2005
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From: peyton, colorado
Shermy, if you have limited fab skills, I'd go the kit route. Most of the brake kits I've seen use the same components, to a degree. That could be based on aftermarket parts availability and price, or maybe because that's what works! How much will it cost you to fab caliper brackets to use your free rotors? As far as the column, I used a Jeep Cherokee (GM) floor shift column. If you're going to column shift, Ax's point about shift linkage may push you to an aftermarket column like Ididit or Flaming River. More money, sure, but they've already solved the linkage problem for you.
Ax, if your bolt patterns happen to be 5/4.5 and 5/4.75, American Racing, Unique, and Stockton, among others, make dual pattern steel wheels. Not the old slotted, uni-lug (yuk) style, but dual drilled, 10 hole, acorn lug nut style.
Ax, if your bolt patterns happen to be 5/4.5 and 5/4.75, American Racing, Unique, and Stockton, among others, make dual pattern steel wheels. Not the old slotted, uni-lug (yuk) style, but dual drilled, 10 hole, acorn lug nut style.
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Joined: May 2006
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From: Kingsford, MI
Originally Posted by imlowr2
I've seen them on ebay all the time. Also check foreign car junk yards.
Usually all I ever see are the long P.S. gear boxes. I see those everytime I check.
Thanks for the link AX. I dont have that parts link!
Last edited by fiddysixF; Nov 24, 2006 at 11:01 AM. Reason: forgot a thankyou!