steering column

[climb-101]

does anybody know what it takes to swap out a ‘74 auto/tilt steering column over to an ‘89 suburban column auto/tilt/ and cruse. i want a column that has the cruse setup so i can hook up my drive by wire stuff to it.

 

[AuroraGirl]

does anybody know what it takes to swap out a ‘74 auto/tilt steering column over to an ‘89 suburban column auto/tilt/ and cruse. i want a column that has the cruse setup so i can hook up my drive by wire stuff to it.

from all knowledge they should be very similar mounting wise, just wiring you will have to worry about and maybe the length of shaft/connection to the box

 

[75gmck25]

The steering box connection will be different for the shaft, but the rag joint may still work to adapt the newer shaft. IIRC, older boxes (pre ‘77?) used a splined connection to the box and newer ones use a D-shaped fitting.

Bruce

 

[AuroraGirl]

i have a 77 column out of vehicle, a 78 and 80 in vehicle i can show pics of if needed for the difference

 

[Raider L]

climb-101,

Are you going to keep that column?? I'm in dire need of a column for my '74 C10. I have a post on this site of what the one looks like I've

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been driving around with and that would help you see how desperate I am. The one that I had in my truck was a auto w/tilt, shift on the column. Does yours have shift on the column? Why does mine look like that? Someone tried to steal the truck but after destroying the outer housings still couldn't figure out how to get it started. Then they went to work on the bearing housing breaking it to pieces. Then they gave up and left. I did what I could figure out in order to be able to drive it...slowly, carefully.

What kind of shape is it in? How much do you want for it?

 

[Raider L]

I thought I had a clearer one of the column. Yeah, this pic is much clearer that shows the damage to the bearing housing. Behind the turn signal is a chunk knocked out of the bearing housing, probably by ball peen hammer. If you know what one looks like inside you'll recognize the internal parts, ha, ha. The place where the shift handle was, was broken off so I had to drill a hole in it( I was surprised to see how thick it was) and tapped it and put in a 3/8ths. bolt with a lock nut to hold it securely. Picture in previous post.

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[Raider L]

AuroraGirl,

How about you AuroraGirl? You seem to have a lot of spare parts from trucks from all kinds of years. Do you have a column for a "74 C10 auto, tilt, with shift on the column? I used to but I can't seem to find one on the net for the right price or parts. It'll be for my year truck, auto, tilt but then it's for a stick on the floor. Or they want a million dollars for it. Do you know I found one on the net for over a thousand dollars!! Good luck finding someone who'll pay such a stupid price for that. And the bad part is I think it's from Ididit or one of those. Are they serious?

I took mine completely apart one time fixing the outter tubing. It had to be taken all the way down so I could take it to work and weld the tube. Somehow it was broken completely in half. How it got that way I have no idea. I bought that truck about seven years before and I don't remember having any movement in the column as if it were broken. But I guess it was and progressed over time. But I cleaned the whole thing and meticulously put the thing back together by the factory manual. It looked like new and I wouldn't have asked that much for mine and that's all Ididit does is clean it replace parts, and paint it. It ain't worth that much I don't care what they did to it. That's a sucker price, seeing if some sucker will bite.

If you would sell me one I have no idea how to exchange info or get money to you what with all the privacy and security these sites have built into them.

You know we all would make a great group of friends with all we have in common. I can see us all at a huge bar-b-cue with all the guys (no offense AuroraGirl being a girl), hanging out looking into each others engine compartments and the wives and girls friends hanging out over on the other side talking about how we're all a pain in the butt being so obsessed with parts and everything trucks, engines, whatever. All they hear is some alien language that's made up of part numbers and names of truck components, " Yeah, po783-456 bracket support!". Oh yeah, it's a an438 pressure check valve!". Ha, ha, ha.

Let me hear from ya' gal.

 

[AuroraGirl]

the only columns i have are 2 manual columns no tilt(so basic, most basic from 1973-1977, 1980(78+ being collapsable)
1978 auto on the column, tilt, cruise.

Even though you could use the 78, based on its rarity and the fact its still in the truck i could fix, I will be keeping it. Sorry lol!

But i do have 79, 80 cutlass supremes which have auto on column and tilt, but are red and olds logoed.
You would also have to change a lot of shaft componennts ,but it sounds like it could be made to work.
75 tilt auto cruise brights column, but shift on floor and because of its insane rarity, I will keep that too. steering wheel alone is like 200 dollars :O

 

[Raider L]

AuroraGirl,

Well, thanks anyway but no thanks. I appreciate you looking though. Yeah, mine doesn't have any of those headlight switches or cruise on the outside of the column. I've seen plenty of those in the wrecking yards but mine doesn't have the wiring for them anyway. I've wondered if some old Catillac's would fit, the length that is. I know the older ones just had the auto, tilt, shift like mine with none of all the bells and whistles like the later ones had.
Got any ideas?

 

[AuroraGirl]

AuroraGirl,

Well, thanks anyway but no thanks. I appreciate you looking though. Yeah, mine doesn't have any of those headlight switches or cruise on the outside of the column. I've seen plenty of those in the wrecking yards but mine doesn't have the wiring for them anyway. I've wondered if some old Catillac's would fit, the length that is. I know the older ones just had the auto, tilt, shift like mine with none of all the bells and whistles like the later ones had.
Got any ideas?

up to 76 or 77 or 78 whenever the collapsable column was introduced should give you almost any column from gm to about 68 or so as crossable

 

[Bennyt]

AuroraGirl,

Well, thanks anyway but no thanks. I appreciate you looking though. Yeah, mine doesn't have any of those headlight switches or cruise on the outside of the column. I've seen plenty of those in the wrecking yards but mine doesn't have the wiring for them anyway. I've wondered if some old Catillac's would fit, the length that is. I know the older ones just had the auto, tilt, shift like mine with none of all the bells and whistles like the later ones had.
Got any ideas?

I have an extra column out of a '77. Tilt, Auto on column. No keys for it and it's locked; not sure if that's a problem or not. It's been sitting exposed for a few years so it will need to be cleaned up. Was holding onto it for parts just in case but I can let it go for $75 plus shipping? I can take pictures tomorrow if you like.

 

[Raider L]

AuroraGirl,
I don't care what color it is because I'm going to repaint it anyway. But as Bennyt was saying he has one that has been sitting out side? How much rust am I going to have to deal with if it's been sitting out in the rain? I would rather it not have any rust on it. Of course it's mostly aluminum and there would be some slight oxydation, but I don't care about that so long as it isn't to bad. But the bearings and races are all steel and would have rusted or locked up if rain has gotten in there and I'd be looking for a set of bearings. I might have to use the one's out of my column. I'm willing to pay good money for a clean column in good shape, no dents, or bends. I don't need a key I kept the one out of what was left of my bearing housing. I don't need a steering wheel, and I don't care what color it is, and either for a '74 or the years that fit my truck, because I'm really not familiar with what years were like my trucks steering column, plain.

 

[Bennyt]

AuroraGirl,
I don't care what color it is because I'm going to repaint it anyway. But as Bennyt was saying he has one that has been sitting out side? How much rust am I going to have to deal with if it's been sitting out in the rain? I would rather it not have any rust on it. Of course it's mostly aluminum and there would be some slight oxydation, but I don't care about that so long as it isn't to bad. But the bearings and races are all steel and would have rusted or locked up if rain has gotten in there and I'd be looking for a set of bearings. I might have to use the one's out of my column. I'm willing to pay good money for a clean column in good shape, no dents, or bends. I don't need a key I kept the one out of what was left of my bearing housing. I don't need a steering wheel, and I don't care what color it is, and either for a '74 or the years that fit my truck, because I'm really not familiar with what years were like my trucks steering column, plain.

I doubt mine has any rust. I live in Phoenix. I would take apart and clean and grease more because its 40 years old than because its been exposed to the desert elements for a couple years. I was actually was going to rebuild it when I rebuilt my son's but probably better to get it gone and clean up the spare parts pile.

 

[Raider L]

Bennyt,

And what kind of shape is it in? No dents, cracks, or visible damage? It sounds good. But with all the security we will need to ask the guys who've created this site as to how do we go about communicating each others addresses, phone numbers, etc. Payment would be easy because I pay for things off the net, i.e. bills, house note, etc. with U.S. Post Office money orders exclusively. And in this case I would pay it with one of the postal money orders. I've paid my bills with them for over thirty years. Most people these days use credit or bank cards for everything. I've gone the other way due to security issues. I've posted back and forth with one of the older members who might know let me see if I can find out and if you know any of the administrators then let me know what they say how we're to contact each other because I can't figure it out. They must have something special set up just for people buying stuff from each other.

 

[Raider L]

BennyT,

Hey I contacted the owner or someone like that and they said that to contact some of the other guys who've bought stuff from each other and to find out how they did it, that some have figured out how to preserve security and bought and sold stuff. So let me know if you here from anyone and I'll do the same here. I'll contact a guy I know here and see how he did it, he'd probably know.