Steering Column Swap - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

bluec10 · 01-23-2003, 11:55 PM

This may be a dumb question, but why do people use 70's and 80's Chevy van columns in our trucks? Why not a column from a late 70's or 80's truck?

Longhorn Man · 01-24-2003, 12:47 AM

Vans had the ignition switch in the dash (like our trucks) untill 82-ish, while the trucks converted to column ignition switch in 73.
The van tilt is real close to perfect as far as what came in our trucks as an option.
You can install a 73 and up truck collumn, but there is quite a bit of extra work involved.

casey · 01-28-2003, 01:17 AM

I was playing with a van tilt the other day at the wreckers, I noticed it wouldn't tilt up past level, it would tilt down but not up past the level spot, I past on it cause I thought it was broke, then later thought maybe thats the way they were, Is this true did they not have the tilting range a newer column has?

Longhorn Man · 01-28-2003, 01:47 AM

Casey, it should have gone up one notch past level. This is how hte van and truck ones were.
A better option for the short person rather than the fat one.

bigvinnie · 01-28-2003, 02:04 AM

ditto, my factory tilt column goes one click past level.... If I didn't have a tilt, I wouldn't miss it cuz level is the perfect setting for me, but at least I get to say "yeah, it's got a factory tilt"... aren't you all so impressed?... LOL....

01-23-2003, 11:55 PM	#1
bluec10 Registered User Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Manitoba, Canada Posts: 663	Steering Column Swap This may be a dumb question, but why do people use 70's and 80's Chevy van columns in our trucks? Why not a column from a late 70's or 80's truck? __________________ Present: 2015 Tacoma. Yeah, not a GM, but I love it. 1969 GMC 32,000 - fix, drive, relax, fix... 2019 BMW R1250 GSA - Yahoooooooo 1979 Honda GL 1000 - retro touring at its best. Past: '05 Sierra 4x4 - Had 270,000 KM and running well when it was written-off by a stop sign runner. '94 F-150 from the "F word" company. I'll admit it...good truck. Sold what was left of it for $800 to a guy who came to pick it up at 11:00 PM with cash in hand. Hmm. '79 Sierra Grande (Black) organ donor - perfect rebuildable 4-bolt 350 and a good TH350. '76 Sierra Grande (Orange) - hate isn't too strong a word. Kid who bought it turned it into a hot rod. '68 C-10 R.I.P. - Dad's old truck...too far gone to resurrect. '59 C-50 - with hoist. Truck is gone, wife isn't. Nuff said.

01-28-2003, 02:04 AM	#5
bigvinnie Registered User Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: escondido, ca 92026 Posts: 1,222	ditto, my factory tilt column goes one click past level.... If I didn't have a tilt, I wouldn't miss it cuz level is the perfect setting for me, but at least I get to say "yeah, it's got a factory tilt"... aren't you all so impressed?... LOL.... __________________ '72 short step, 350, 700R4, tilt, ps, pdb, a/c, lowered coils, etc., other work in progress... San Diego, CA 72 Stepside Project Last edited by bigvinnie; 01-28-2003 at 02:07 AM.

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01-24-2003, 12:47 AM	#2
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	Vans had the ignition switch in the dash (like our trucks) untill 82-ish, while the trucks converted to column ignition switch in 73. The van tilt is real close to perfect as far as what came in our trucks as an option. You can install a 73 and up truck collumn, but there is quite a bit of extra work involved.

01-28-2003, 01:17 AM	#3
casey Registered User Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Kelowna B.C. Canada Posts: 2,048	I was playing with a van tilt the other day at the wreckers, I noticed it wouldn't tilt up past level, it would tilt down but not up past the level spot, I past on it cause I thought it was broke, then later thought maybe thats the way they were, Is this true did they not have the tilting range a newer column has?

01-28-2003, 01:47 AM	#4
Longhorn Man its all about the +6 inches Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Hilliard Ohio Posts: 2,690	Casey, it should have gone up one notch past level. This is how hte van and truck ones were. A better option for the short person rather than the fat one.



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