Don Shirer from Precision Street Rods and Machines positions the steering column into a comfortable place for the driver. Although it's hard to see in this photo, the column is wrapped in a towel to keep it scratch-free. |
With the column in place, we taped and marked the floor where the steering column will have to pass through the Bitchin Products firewall. |
We were fortunate in this application because the hole will have to be made in the flat part of the firewall. |
Using a 2-inch hole-saw, Don drills the firewall. |
Don put the 2-inch exhaust tip through the hole and lined it up so it corresponded to the correct angle for the steering column. When he achieved the angle desired, he marked it accordingly. The exhaust tip will hold the bottom of the column. |
The exhaust tip was cut at the correct angle with a carbide rotary cutter. |
Don installed the pipe and welded it to the firewall. When he was finished he ground the weld smooth. |
After the pipe was installed we put the column in for a trial fit. The small bevel at the end of the tip holds the column in place. The angle was perfect. |
This is what the engine side of the firewall looks like after the tube is installed. Some minor grinding at the firewall and tip will be necessary for a perfectly smooth transition. |
A Mullins column drop was used to secure the steering column to the dash. Don marks the location of the drop on the dash. |
We didn't want any indication of how the steering column was supported, so we made a stud plate that we welded to the firewall. This will give us the extra bracing we will need with the fiberglass dash. |
Looking from the backside of the dash, you can see how we mounted a 3/16-inch steel plate on the inside of the dash for extra support. The column-drop base is mounted with the fiberglass dash sandwiched in between. |
For extra support we welded some 1x2-inch box-tubing onto the 3/16-inch steel plate at the dash and added a 3/16-inch piece of angle at the other end, which attaches to the stud plate mounted to the firewall. By using box-tubing we can pass wires through it. |
We removed the dash in this photo to show you how the brace mounts to the column drop and the firewall. The thick fiberglass dash from Fairlane will give the column plenty of up-and-down support. |
With the dash installed, the column is solidly mounted and looks great. |
We ordered U-joints and steering shafts from Borgeson Universal Company. Borgeson had everything we needed to complete the installation. We used three U-joints, two shafts, and an intermediate shaft-support bearing. |
Here's how the steering shaft had to snake around the small-block Ford engine. We made sure the U-joints were in phase for smooth operation. |
When you build an early street rod there are certain construction steps you can always count on. Every car will need an improved front suspension, even if it's just the installation of a dropped axle and disc brakes. Every car will also need improved steering such as a new steering box or rack-and-pinion and, in conjunction with that, a new steering column topped by a custom wheel. In previous issues of R&C we've shown you several ways to install a column in an early all-steel car, a fiberglass car, and a '55 Chevy. What we haven't tackled yet is a mid-'30s fat-fender car, which can be a little more difficult.
Each application we've mentioned is different with respect to the fabrication needed for the steering to work correctly and safely. In this application, we have a steel car that has been outfitted with a Fairlane Company fiberglass dash. Even though the dash is very sturdy, we feel it requires extra bracing to the firewall so that the steering column will be securely mounted. If we were using the original steel dash, this bracing probably wouldn't be necessary.
This particular car is outfitted with a Fat Man Fabrications chassis, a tubular Mustang II front suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering. It's also equipped with a Ford 302 EFI engine, which just happens to have a side-mounted oil filter that normally sits directly in the way of the steering hookup. In order to get everything working properly, we used a Ford Motorsport/SVO swivel-mounted oil-filter bracket that, in this application, can be mounted sideways. Since we wanted tilt steering, we used a chrome-plated ididit steering column, Borgeson U-joints and steering rods, and topped it with a Budnik steering wheel. Follow along because this installation will probably give you some good ideas for your street rod even if it isn't a '36 Ford.