Mounting a steering column

[gliryan]

I'm trying to mount a late cj fat column into my early cj. The early cj is a postal body, made to have the column on the right. So my task is to fab this up from scratch essentially. Sorry I have no pics at this time because I didn't anticipate throwing this thread up.

Before I get pics tomorrow, if you can imagine this, I have made the basis for what the main mount will be by bolting a piece of angle iron on each of the tabs for the column. Again, I'll have pics tomorrow. But maybe someone knows exactly what I'm talking about tonight and can shed some light. Where should this column bolt to after my angle iron mount?

thanks for hanging in if you have input!


pic of said jeep

 

[IOPort51]

Look and see where the peddles hang. that will be the place to hang the column, and of course that needs to move too.

I'm trying to mount a late cj fat column into my early cj. The early cj is a postal body, made to have the column on the right. So my task is to fab this up from scratch essentially. Sorry I have no pics at this time because I didn't anticipate throwing this thread up.

Before I get pics tomorrow, if you can imagine this, I have made the basis for what the main mount will be by bolting a piece of angle iron on each of the tabs for the column. Again, I'll have pics tomorrow. But maybe someone knows exactly what I'm talking about tonight and can shed some light. Where should this column bolt to after my angle iron mount?

thanks for hanging in if you have input!


pic of said jeep

 

[gliryan]

Thats not exactly going to work. I put in a brake booster and had to mount it in a Limited area. I'm trying to figure out how to mount it, not where. Or at least not where as in location of pedals but where as in what to mount it to. You can see the angle iron I am starting with, and the whole that was cut probably 20 years ago when someone first started to do this.

 

[IOPort51]

I would think the where is pretty obvious, the question was what the pedals mounted to because that is what the original mounted to.
If this were mine, I would put a piece of flat bar across the column bolted to the same two places you have the two angles. Then a piece of 1/4" x8"x6" bolted to the back of the dash. move the column into position and tack weld it, pull iy out, weld and reinforce, remount and move to step 2.
this looks like a walk in the park from here.

Thats not exactly going to work. I put in a brake booster and had to mount it in a Limited area. I'm trying to figure out how to mount it, not where. Or at least not where as in location of pedals but where as in what to mount it to. You can see the angle iron I am starting with, and the whole that was cut probably 20 years ago when someone first started to do this.

 

[gliryan]

That would work as well. The dash is pretty flimsy though, which would probably be easy to sturdy up. I may end up having to going that route. I'll just have to bend the flat around the top of the column because the tabs aren't flush with the top of it. I don't have any flat stock so I was going to try and figure something out with the angle. Oh well, thanks for the input!

The pedals are attached to a plate I built, cut out rather, and then a brake booster on the other side. Nothing is factory, and nothing is meant to be pretty. Its destiny is the trail not a parking lot

 

[billyocup]

I don't know if this will help you any, because I used the pedal assembly to help support the steering column, but here are a couple of pics of what I put together when I installed my column. Might give you a couple of ideas.

Good Luck - Bill

 

[IOPort51]

That would work as well. The dash is pretty flimsy though, which would probably be easy to sturdy up. I may end up having to going that route. I'll just have to bend the flat around the top of the column because the tabs aren't flush with the top of it. I don't have any flat stock so I was going to try and figure something out with the angle. Oh well, thanks for the input!

The pedals are attached to a plate I built, cut out rather, and then a brake booster on the other side. Nothing is factory, and nothing is meant to be pretty. Its destiny is the trail not a parking lot

thats why the good lord gave us flat washers, a stack of 3 or 4 on each side. Hard rubber would be good too.

Like I said put the column where it needs to be and tack weld.
plan B Plastic Protractor/Angle Finder-2791 at The Home Depot

if you don't own one of these you are way overdue.

 

[gliryan]

Thanks for the pics! I'll see if I'm able to use that idea or not.

I've got the angle finder from harbor freight lol. Its super cheap but seems to be accurate, it is at least consistent which is the big thing. I use it religiously for building motorcycle frames.

Thanks all for the tips, hints, and ideas. I definitely needed them as I was getting burnt out working on such a long project list.

 

[mylittlecj5]

My buddy that builds street rods uses exhaust clamps to hold the steering columns in place. He sets the clamp up around the column like it would be on an exhaust pipe, then uses that flat area to mount to the mount (angle iron, flat bar, tube, tabs, whatever the car uses under the dash for a mount).

 

[gliryan]

whoa sweet idea! That would work awesome at the firewall!