STEERING COLUMN BRACKET WRONG ?

[seajayare]

It seems like the brackets on my upper steering column are in the wrong place. If I line up the top bracket the bottom bracket is about 4" out. Have I got something wrong? This one doesn't look like it is simple bend to fit but seems too far out to be a manufacturing error.

[Westfield 129]

You can put the tube's bracket so that it matches the mounting tubes welded into the chassis. I thread the chassis mount (tubes) in the chassis so that I don't have to bother with extra nuts and washers, as well as the little covers. I also used fractional bolts rather than metrics so that I only need one set of wrenches to service the thing... I want all the service components and running gear to have the same type of fastener. Much easier if service is necessary on the road, and really cuts down on the number of wrenches you might want to carry to about, um... 3.

Bolting down the tube for the steering shaft is all you need to do. There is no bracket beneath and the steering shaft slides inside the tube. You want about 7" from the instrument panel to the steering wheel rim center. Final positioning will be determined by the length of the coupler to the secondary steering shaft when the rack coupler's splined shaft is welded in place. Remember, you might have a quick release hub to weld on, so there may be more measurements before you weld up the coupler and the Westfield spline shaft.

[seajayare]

Westfield 129 wrote:
> You can put the tube's bracket so that it matches the mounting tubes welded
> into the chassis.

I think the answer I need is in your line above but I can't see how I can make them match up as everything looks to be welded in place with no scope for adjustment.

I saw a post on here where somone had the bracket 20mm out but this is 100mm or more. Any idea how far from the end of the tube the brackets are supposed to be? (the tube that the upper column runs in).

On my column tube I have the upper bracket lined up with one end of the tube and the lower bracket is about an 1 1/2" from the other end of the tube and would need to be 6" from the bottom to line up with the chassis

Chris

[Westfield 129]

There is no "adjustment" in the mounting of the steering column tube.The column tube is bolted into place. The steering shaft slides within the tube, which constitutes any adjustment (7" from the instrument panel to the wheel rim center). Setting the steering shaft position is done at the steering rack coupler, by adjusting the length of the spline coupler shaft that you have to weld into the coupler.

Bolt in the column. The rest will become obvious.

There is the steering shaft that goes to the wheel (quick release couplers are welded to this shaft), the secondary shaft with the U joints, and the coupler shaft, that is welded into the coupler that you cut off of the donor car (bored to fit the stub shaft and then welded once all the distances are set).

Make sure that you have everything facing the right way. The steering shaft has the taper end at the top, in the passenger compartment.

[seajayare]

does the tube only use one mount? If it only uses one of the two I am sorted but If it needs both mounts then I can't bolt them both in.

[Westfield 129]

Just ONE mount. Two bolts. I think that you have it right already.

[Westfield 129]

Cut off the bottom mount tabs to clean everything up. None of my cars had a bottom mount. Just one top mount is sufficient.

Set the length when you have the rack mounted, and are ready to weld the stub shaft to the coupler. DON'T WELD THE STUB SHAFT UNTIL YOU HAVE SET THE STEERING SHAFT LENGTH IN THE COCKPIT. Remember, the shaft length will include the installed quick release hub and wheel.

This was one of the last things I did to complete the rolling chassis and put it on the ground.

[seajayare]

cheers for the help. Westfield did my steering column mod so that bit is a fixed length now., i willl measure to see if it looks anywhere near correct size.

chris

[Westfield 129]

Not if you remove the key switch from the column. You will still have to set the rack coupler stub shaft length.