Tilt Steering for a '76 CJ5
GlennG
Jeeper
I just bought a '76 CJ5 for a hunting vehicle. It'll be off road 100% of the time. No highway use at all, ever. It has a 3 spd manual tranny, dash ignition button, no power steering and no tilt on the steering column. It has the original low back seats and the flip base/slider.
At some point someone swapped out the steering column with a junk yard find. It doesn't match and it will not work for us because the distance between the seat cushion and the steering wheel is a measured 4 1/2" right now and that is with a much smaller than original steering wheel. My chicken legged son can just barely get his legs under the steering wheel. The current junk yard steering column in it does not have tilt.
I know CJ5s are tight but this is not gonna work for anyone and especially not a full grown guy like me. So I am looking to remedy the situation. I have been reading all of the options for steering column replacement, steering column lengths, seat bases, wheel well notching, etc.
So, I think step 1 is going to be to replace the steering column with a tilt model. It doesn't have the original steering wheel in it now and I think I'll go with a 13"+/- steering wheel to give a little more room. I think 2nd step if the steering column swap doesn't do enough, I'm probably going to make some seat brackets to lower the seat about 2" and do away with the seat slider. That'll give us a little more room too. And if I absolutely have to my last resort will be notching the wheel well but I really don't want to.
So I have a couple of questions, when I spoke to the good folks at Flaming River they suggested a 30" steering column length and said it is pretty much standard for CJs. I have also seen folks say they shorten their columns for more room. Will a 28" give more room? Should I just opt for one of their 28" models or will the 30" be ok? Will the tilt let me get the bottom of the steering wheel up off the seat enough to get 7-8" of clearance between the seat and steering wheel for my legs? Is there a way to push the column up or otherwise change the angle to give more room?
Any suggestions are appreciated. I don't mind spending a little money to get it where I want it but this is a rough hunting jeep, I don't want to spend more than I have to and I am not looking for style points.
At some point someone swapped out the steering column with a junk yard find. It doesn't match and it will not work for us because the distance between the seat cushion and the steering wheel is a measured 4 1/2" right now and that is with a much smaller than original steering wheel. My chicken legged son can just barely get his legs under the steering wheel. The current junk yard steering column in it does not have tilt.
I know CJ5s are tight but this is not gonna work for anyone and especially not a full grown guy like me. So I am looking to remedy the situation. I have been reading all of the options for steering column replacement, steering column lengths, seat bases, wheel well notching, etc.
So, I think step 1 is going to be to replace the steering column with a tilt model. It doesn't have the original steering wheel in it now and I think I'll go with a 13"+/- steering wheel to give a little more room. I think 2nd step if the steering column swap doesn't do enough, I'm probably going to make some seat brackets to lower the seat about 2" and do away with the seat slider. That'll give us a little more room too. And if I absolutely have to my last resort will be notching the wheel well but I really don't want to.
So I have a couple of questions, when I spoke to the good folks at Flaming River they suggested a 30" steering column length and said it is pretty much standard for CJs. I have also seen folks say they shorten their columns for more room. Will a 28" give more room? Should I just opt for one of their 28" models or will the 30" be ok? Will the tilt let me get the bottom of the steering wheel up off the seat enough to get 7-8" of clearance between the seat and steering wheel for my legs? Is there a way to push the column up or otherwise change the angle to give more room?
Any suggestions are appreciated. I don't mind spending a little money to get it where I want it but this is a rough hunting jeep, I don't want to spend more than I have to and I am not looking for style points.