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1971 Chevy C10 - Tilt Into A New Steering ColumnPacific Coast Customs Installs Tilt Steering In A C10 From the February, 2009 issue of Custom Classic Trucks By Robbie Azevedo Photography by Robbie Azevedo
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Editor's note: Pacific Coast Customs, owned by Robbie Azevedo, is a pro shop in the wine country region of Northern California that builds some awesome custom classic trucks and cars. You may recall Robbie designed and built the '48 Impression we featured most recently in the May '06 issue. Pacific Coast Customs (PCC) recently purchased a 1971 C10 pickup to convert into a shop truck to cruise around, run to the parts store, and promote our shop. On the 30-mile journey home in the truck, the steering column was so worn out and sloppy we barely made it home. We knew we had to swap it out for a rebuilt unit before we did much more driving. Since we were going through all the work of removing the old steering column and installing all-new and rebuilt parts, we thought we would swap it out for a tilt unit. With factory tilt columns getting harder and harder to find, we pulled out our old column and trekked to the local salvage yard (right next door). At Pacific Auto Salvage, they rebuild and repair steering columns and have an aisle full of parts and pieces. We came away from the yard with a '78 Chevy van column. When compared side by side with the original C10 part, the van column looked like it would work fine with a few modifications. The housings were the same length, but the shaft needed to be shortened. Other than that it was a bolt-in job, with a few other parts being replaced along the way and all-new switches and bearings installed to provide years of solid steering. To give that occasional middle rider a little more legroom, we hooked up the column shift linkage. Fresh out of the CNC machine at Billet Accessories Direct, we topped the column with a new leather-wrapped steering wheel. So follow along with us on a journey to see how you too can install a new steering column without your bank account going tilt.  One of the most important...  One of the most important aspects of any custom classic pickup is handling ability. Thanks to the easy installation of the tilt column and new steering wheel, Pacific Coast Customs' '71 Chevy C10 steers like a new truck. Find out how to steer yourself in the right direction by learning how to install a tilt column in your pickup. Follow along, vintage hotted truck fans!  Old, tired and worn out is...  Old, tired and worn out is what this column told us when we first drove our recently acquired shop truck, a 1971 Chevy C10. So we're going to pull it out and replace it with a column shift tilt unit from a '78 Chevy van.  First, we removed the small...  First, we removed the small trim panel under the instruments.  The dash crossbrace and brake...  The dash crossbrace and brake pedal stop came out next.  We unplugged the original...  We unplugged the original steering column's wiring.  Robbie unscrewed the small...  Robbie unscrewed the small metal steering column ring against the firewall. This holds the rubber seal tight to keep out unwanted heat and noise from the engine compartment.  We partially unbolted the...  We partially unbolted the clamp that holds the steering column. Since it needs to hang there until it's removed, we left the connection loose.  Focusing our attention on...  Focusing our attention on the engine compartment, we unbolted the lower clamp and removed the bolt from where the steering shaft connects to the column shaft.  Robbie completely removed...  Robbie completely removed the upper clamp and gave the column a good tug to disconnect the shaft, making sure to rotate the component to permit the shift arms to fit through the hole in the firewall.  The black tilt column on the...  The black tilt column on the left came from a 1978 Chevy van. The housings were the same length, and the shaft was only 3 inches longer. It was a breeze to shorten because it came collapsible from the factory and was held together with plastic rivets.  Only 3/4-inch in diameter,...  Only 3/4-inch in diameter, here's the old steering shaft inside the column.  The new column is a 1-inch-diameter-thick...  The new column is a 1-inch-diameter-thick spline shaft. We are going to use the connecting shaft from the same vehicle to connect the new steering column to the old steering box.  To shorten the shaft without...  To shorten the shaft without tampering with either splined end, we slid a wrench over the shaft and gave it a good whack to shear off the small plastic rivets. We tapped it with a hammer until it was the desired length.  This is what the shaft looks...  This is what the shaft looks like inside the tilt collar. A small plastic knuckle keeps everything intact and allows all the movement to occur.  After painting all the pieces,...  After painting all the pieces, Pacific Coast Customs replaced the lower bearing.  Including a new turn signal...  Including a new turn signal switch and tilt knuckle, PCC also rebuilt the upper end.  To keep the outer housing...  To keep the outer housing from moving from side to side, lightly tapping it as it went on kept it square.  As you can see, PCC replaced...  As you can see, PCC replaced the indicator light and the tilt control arm.  We also installed a new turn...  We also installed a new turn signal indicator lever.  In addition, we installed...  In addition, we installed a new shift indicator lever.  We gave the upper end a final...  We gave the upper end a final check to make sure everything worked properly and felt snug.  Lastly, PCC installed the...  Lastly, PCC installed the small cover that clips on to hide the wiring coming out of the column cone.  To hold it securely in place,...  To hold it securely in place, we wrapped the cover in electrical tape. The electrical tape will not be seen once the column is installed in the vehicle.  Obtained from a local auto...  Obtained from a local auto parts supplier, here's the wiring adapter that comes with the new turn signal switch. The wiring adapter makes the new-style plug and the old one in the '71 C10 shop truck compatible.  Drum roll please-our newly...  Drum roll please-our newly rebuilt '78 Chevy van steering column is ready to be assembled in the PCC shop truck!  We removed the connecting...  We removed the connecting shaft from the steering gearbox, as we need to swap it out for the newer shaft.  Here are the shafts compared...  Here are the shafts compared side to side. The shorter one on the left is from our truck; the one on the right is from a '73-style Chevy pickup. We need to shorten the shaft the same way we shortened the shaft inside the column.  We clamped the shaft in the...  We clamped the shaft in the vise and hit the end with a sledgehammer. Because both ends are female-style, we weren't concerned about burring the splines.  The shaft is now collapsible...  The shaft is now collapsible and slides in and out. It is no longer a fixed length, which will make installation easier. Here are the plastic rivets that break out. They hold the shaft at a fixed length.  Here are the shafts compared...  Here are the shafts compared side to side. Our new shaft is now the correct length.  To begin installing the column...  To begin installing the column in the shop truck, the first thing we did was slide the clamp up the column tube. This is much easier when done before the column is in the truck.  We connected the steering...  We connected the steering column clamp very loosely so we could hang the column by it to ease its installation.  PCC inserted the column through...  PCC inserted the column through the firewall hole. You will need to rotate it just right to get the shift arm through the notched hole.  We slid the clamp over and...  We slid the clamp over and let the upper end of the column hang by it.  Within the engine compartment,...  Within the engine compartment, PCC installed the lower column mount to the firewall.  We snugged the lower firewall...  We snugged the lower firewall column mount up a bit, but didn't fully tighten it yet, as the column will need to be moved up or down.  Determine how much of the...  Determine how much of the column you want sticking out of the dash. We decided a couple of inches would be a good length. This can always be changed later on down the road to make it more comfortable.  With the column where we wanted...  With the column where we wanted it, we tightened the upper clamp.  We made sure the column was...  We made sure the column was straight in the truck and that it wasn't leaning to the left or to the right. Usually the turn signal arm should be perfectly horizontal. We completely tightened the lower and upper clamps.  To keep out heat and noise,...  To keep out heat and noise, PCC pushed on the lower rubber boot.  The small metal ring makes...  The small metal ring makes sure the rubber insulator stays tight and in place.  PCC plugged in the column's...  PCC plugged in the column's wiring.  The extra light gray wire...  The extra light gray wire needs to be connected into the dimmer switch, as it powers the indicator light.  We reinstalled the dash support...  We reinstalled the dash support bracket and small upper trim piece.  To install the steering connecting...  To install the steering connecting shaft, it should only go on one way, as the splines have a flat spot that has to be lined up in order to slide on.  For installing the steering...  For installing the steering connecting shaft to the column's base, we collapsed the shaft and slid it up. Once again there is a flat spot that needs to be lined up in order for the bolt to slide in to hold it all in place.  To hold the shaft in place,...  To hold the shaft in place, we put a little dab of blue Loctite on the bolts.  We inserted the bolt in the...  We inserted the bolt in the lower rag joint. The bolt will prevent the shaft from pulling out and make a tight fit around the splines.  We installed the upper bolt...  We installed the upper bolt and nut. This will keep the joint from coming apart.  We are also using the column...  We are also using the column shift linkage from a '73 pickup for a newer shift linkage style. Here is the bracket taken off the chassis on the newer truck. We utilized the bolt that holds the speedometer cable on and drilled out the second hole in our chassis to attach the bracket.  Here is the crossover arm...  Here is the crossover arm setup from the newer truck. All the ones we found were the same. You need to make sure you get the spring and the small plastic washer, as it is made to fit the "cup" of the bracket on the chassis.  To install the shaft, we slid...  To install the shaft, we slid the spring end in the hole on the bracket, then pushed in the opposite end through the hole in the bracket on the transmission and installed the clips. (If you lose the clips, a cotter pin will work.)  This arm connects the crossover...  This arm connects the crossover shaft to the steering column.  We began by sliding the end...  We began by sliding the end through the shift arm on the steering column and installing the clip. (If you lose the clip, a cotter pin will work fine.)  PCC put the end of the shift...  PCC put the end of the shift arm through the hole in the clamp-style bracket on the cross-over shaft. Make sure the transmission and the steering column are both in park and tighten down the clamp. Now have someone get in the truck and go through the gears to make sure they all work before moving on. It may need readjusting. Ours worked perfectly.  This is our Billet Accessories...  This is our Billet Accessories Direct steering wheel. It's a brand-new design called The Retro. These are all the parts unassembled. We had our steering wheel wrapped in gray leather.  The first step was to install...  The first step was to install the adapter onto the steering column, making sure the turn signal canceller is in the proper location (right in the middle between the left and right canceller).  With the wheels straight on...  With the wheels straight on the truck, we attached The Retro to the adapter using the supplied Allen bolts.  Finally, we installed the...  Finally, we installed the horn wire and horn cap. Pacific Coast Customs' '71 Chevy C10 shop truck now has a brand-new steering column and wheel ready for years of firm steering with added tilt comfort! Watch for more how-to articles from Pacific Coast Customs in future issues of Custom Classic Trucks.
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1959 Ford F-100
Scott Oshinki rebuilt a 1959 Ford F-100 for his father-in-law Art Carney....
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