I am helping a club member add F-Body disc brakes to his 65 Chevelle.

We had to drop the steering shaft and the headers to get the drivers side A-arms off.

For safety sake, what parts can we use to convert his non-collapsable steering shaft to a 2 piece collapsible shaft, short of swapping the column? :rolleyes:

This would be a low-budget thing since I don't know if he will swap columns later on for a newer one anyway. I know Flaming River and Classic Performance sell a u-joint kit for the shaft. Is there anything GM we can cut up and reweld?

Thanks
graemlins/clonk.gif

DG,
Sorry, no help for the collapsable steering column, but on the upper a arm on the drivers side, all you gotta do is knock the knurled bolts that hold the upper arm on out with a hammer and the arm pulls right up. Then to replace you put the arm in and push the bolts thru most of the way, lift the arm and bop the bolts back in place with the hammer again. If they spin when you're tightening the bolts up, just hold the head of the bolt from the wheelside with a 5/8" socket or wrench..

D.G.,

Went through this last year on my 65, the common consensus was that the column would have to be replaced with either a later column or with an ididit/flaming river setup.

Since then I've put the column on the back burner and am working on other portions of the car.. if you cobble something together I'd love to see it, as the concept of a non-collapsible column coming through my chest really bothers me.

Replaced my column with a chev pickup or van from a 70 to 72 model. Same length with the same wiring harness. It has fourway blinkers and a different looking shift indicator. Shift lever is also different, not strait. You might be lucky and find one that is a tilt, I did. Also uses the same neutral safety backup switch.

Team Chevelle Gold Member #74

Steve D 64 SS,
I had planned to knock the knurled k-nuts out but they wouldn't budge. Not much room between his headers and the steering shaft to get a good wack anyway.

I may give it another shot on the passenger side.

Got any tricks for knocking the bolts out?

I don't mind getting Medieval on some one elses car. graemlins/clonk.gif

Originally posted by 65Camino:
Replaced my column with a chev pickup or van from a 70 to 72 model. Same length with the same wiring harness. Wouldn't the ignition be on the column though, or did that happen later on trucks/vans?

Could you swap a 1967 column into a 65? I am asking out of my own curiosity. The steering shaft thing scares me too. :D

Originally posted by DG:
Steve D 64 SS,
I had planned to knock the knurled k-nuts out but they wouldn't budge. Not much room between his headers and the steering shaft to get a good wack anyway.

I may give it another shot on the passenger side.

Got any tricks for knocking the bolts out?

I don't mind getting Medieval on some one elses car. graemlins/clonk.gif Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh, I just realized. I wasn't thinking, sorry. My motor was still in the machine shop a couple weeks ago when I tore apart the frontend. Made it too simple. Maybe pulling the headers out would give you enough room for a hammer swing? You could always pull the motor! ;) J/K thats a huge PITA just for a few seconds of knurled bolt bopping. Tho maybe if you pull the headers take out the mount bolts and just lift the motor a little bit it would help? :confused:

Sorry for forgetting my motor was out when I did it..