Installing the Steering
Column |
| Marking
the column location
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We wanted the column to come out
at the same line as the center of the steering wheel,
which is also where we put the wiper. That way,
everything will be in line. The only people that
will probably notice it are those who are watching
this buildup, but it'll still be ambiguously appealing.
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Here is the ididit column we're using. It's a
28" steel tilt unit, with a Lecarra Mark 9
steering wheel on there for now. I've wrapped giant
Saran wrap around it so that the oil from my hands
doesn't make it rust.
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This is a tricky part. The firewall on the Bear
body is about 2-1/2" thick. In order to put
the column through that behemoth firewall, the
holes on either side need to be staggered vertically,
and also they're not round holes, they're ellipses.
We decided to use a 1-7/8" hole saw to cut
through, and then clean the rest out by hand. This
should result in a very clean looking firewall
- there won't be the typical billet floor mount.
Just a hole exactly the size as the column. If
I'm good.
Column position is a crucial part of the comfort level
of the car. If your column is in the wrong spot, it
won't tilt properly into position, and it won't be
in the optimal spot when you're driving down the road.
We established the position by sitting in the car,
holding the column up at the bottom, and then marking
the top of the output shaft on the tape. The left
to right position was determined by dropping a plumb
line from the wiper hole center, which is also the
center of the steering wheel. It's a bit tricky to
get all this stuff lined up, so take your time. It
will be worth it when you're comfortable. Oh, and
make sure you have THE SEAT THAT YOU'RE USING installed.
NOT a milk crate, or a toilet, or whatever else you
think might work. |
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| I drilled a very small hole on each side of the
firewall, then used a welding rod to make sure I had
the holes on the right angle going up to the steering
wheel. Then I enlarged the hole to 1/4". This
allowed me to use a 1/4" rod, with a flat ground
on one end, as a sort of pilot guide in the middle
of the hole saw. This will ensure I have the drill
on the correct angle all the way through the firewall.
I started from the engine side, and just broke through
the outside surface of fiberglass. Doing this will
protect the gel coat from chipping when I break through. |
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Here's the other side. |
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| Voila, the slug. We can use this material
to insert riv-nuts into to mount the A/C evaporator,
gas pedal, etc. without bolts going through to the
other side. |
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| A 2" exhaust tube was used as a guide so I
knew when I had sanded enough without hoisting the
column into position every time I wanted to check
the hole. It was tricky, because the hole isn't square
to the firewall, and the fiberglass is about 1/8"
thick. |
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| I thought I was being really smart by cutting points
into the end of the tube, to act as a 2" hole
saw. It didn't really work too well. But this is what
I came up with- looks pretty sharp, eh? |
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On to the column drop... |
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