Put Yourself in the Driver's Seat When Installing a Steering Column

by Dick Zakrzewski

Installation of a steering column isn't brain surgery, but it does require attention to detail. Driver safety and comfort is the guiding principle throughout the process. For this case study, I'm using my 32 Ford fitted with a Vega steering box and a floor-mounted master cylinder.

Preliminary work

The process actually begins with the installation of the seat! Seat height and forward/back position has everything to do with where you are going to be positioned relative to the steering wheel. Be sure that seat position is comfortable and will allow a full view of upcoming traffic lights. This is especially important if the car has a radical chop.

Locating the hole in the firewall

The first question most people have is "where do I drill the hole in the firewall for the column?" My position is that you want to enter the firewall as high as possible, then vary the column length and drop to give you maximum comfort behind the wheel.

In order to enter the firewall at the highest point possible, you must know the mechanical constraints. Fortunately there's only one…the maximum operating angle for the universal joint. Borgeson recommends a maximum angle of 30 degrees.

After installing a universal on the input shaft of the Vega box, make a template from a piece of corrugated cardboard with a 30-degree angle on the topside. See Photo #1.

Photo #1

A quick way to generate a 30-degree angle is to remember the hypotenuse of a 30-degree triangle is twice the rise. With the car sitting on a smooth garage floor or driveway, set the template on the ground such that the 30-degree angle passes through the centerline of the free end of the universal. Now project along the 30 degree angle of the cardboard until you intersect the firewall. Bingo! You have determined the horizontal centerline for steering column opening. See Photo #2. Next, transfer this line to the inside of the car by measuring up or down from an existing opening, drilled hole, or contour. Once inside, scribe a vertical line that allows the column to pass just to the left of the brake pedal. The point of intersection between the horizontal line and the vertical line is the point where you will drill the hole for the column. The diameter of the hole is dependent upon the column you have selected. Standard diameters are 1.75", 2", and 2.25".

Photo #2

However, in my case this would have placed the column too far to the left, leaving no room for my left foot. To facilitate shifting the column more to the right, I modified the brake pedal arm by bending it to the right about 3 inches. The bend was made as close as possible to the pivot point of the arm. See Photo #3. The bend was performed on a press break with no heat. Making the proper bend on this L-shaped arm is the toughest part of the job because the bend must be made in such a way that the pedal arm doesn't move significantly laterally (left or right) as the pedal is depressed. I would suggest making an arm from cardboard and attaching it to the end of a squared off broom handle. Bend the arm near the broom handle and understand how the bend should be made to minimize lateral movement of the pedal. See Photo #3.

Photo #3

To keep the brake pedal from interfering when my foot was on the accelerator, I had to straighten the arm at the point where the pedal attaches. Use heat when straightening this 90-degree bend to prevent it from breaking off. See Photo #4.

Photo #4

With the brake pedal shifted to the right as far as possible, I scribed a vertical line for the column that will give me adequate clearance to apply the brake. Again the point of intersection between the horizontal line and the vertical line is the point where you will drill your hole for the column. See Photo #5.

Photo #5

Note: Never position the column to the right side of the brake pedal. Doing so could severely inhibit your ability to quickly move your foot from the accelerator to the brake…not a good thing, especially if you have to stop in a hurry. I have actually seen just this configuration on some rods!

Column length

The easiest way to determine column length is to attach a round cardboard disk (the diameter of your desired steering wheel) to the end of your broom handle. As you can see, I'm big on cardboard and broom handle modeling. It's cheaper than experimenting with expensive parts. Now, sit comfortably in your seat and feed the broom handle through the hole in the firewall. Once the wheel is comfortably positioned, measure the distance from your cardboard wheel to the firewall and allow another inch or two to extend through the firewall. I like to keep the amount of column extending through the firewall to a minimum, thus helping maintain the 30-degree maximum angle at the universals. Armed with this length dimension, any good column manufacturer, like ididit, would be able to recommend the correct column.

Column Drop

While the broom is still in position, take the measurement for a column drop bracket. If the supports behind the dash are not horizontal, you'll need to make an adapter and allow for the drop it creates. See Photo #6. Column drops are available in various drop lengths from ididit and Mullins. Standard drop lengths from ididit are 2-1/2, 3-1/2, 3-1/2, 5-1/2, 6-1/2 and 7-1/2 inches. Standard drop lengths from Mullins are 4, 5, 6 and 7 inches.

Photo #6

Final Hook Up

With the new column bolted into position, attach the second universal to the end of the column and measure the distance between the free ends. With this information, any good universal joint company, like Borgeson or Flaming River, would be able to specify a splined or double D shaft that will connect the two universals.

Note: You must decide what kind of shafting you want to use before you purchase the universals. The two choices are splined and Double D. The advantage of Double D is that it can be cut to the correct length. In order to meet your specific requirements, the manufacturer must be capable of cutting splined shafts. I would also suggest that one of your universals contain a vibration resistor.

This may seem a like a lot of work, but the results are worth the effort - many miles of happy motoring.

Dick Z