72 tilt column with 66 deluxe steering wheel questions

[chev-obsession]

I had the bright idea to swap in a 72 truck style tilt column and use the 66 deluxe steering wheel and horn ring. I am to the point of installing the horn ring and I’m not sure what to do. I’m thinking that I need to modify the 72 turn signal cancel cam. I can’t bolt the clear plastic spacer onto the steering wheel hub like I should be able to with the 72 horn contact button.

Any tips or suggestions?
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[spudder]

Measure the length of the white sleeve for the 66 and compare it to the 72. Also remove the 72 contactor and temporarily remove the spring on the shaft. Try installing the steering wheel just to get an idea on spacing. I have put these tilt columns in many different cars and have always been able to use a factory steering wheel. There are different length metal plungers that fit in the plastic 72 contact. You can remove it by pressing down and twisting the plastic insert that has ears to hold the plunger and spring in the contact. Be careful, the insert, plunger and spring will fly out. Hope someone else will help with ideas.

[cparr]

I am trying to mount at 68c10 steering wheel onto a tilt 72c10 column.
When I try to bolt it down it drags. What am I doing wrong or missing?

[Lokin4AReason]

Any update(s) ?

[chev-obsession]

Originally Posted by Lokin4AReason

Any update(s) ?

Yes. I finally got it all buttoned up this weekend. I had to clean the center hub on the steering wheel to get the horn to work correctly. I had to do a fair amount of modifying on the intermediate steering shaft and had to weld on some mounting tabs. I can take more pics if needed. Truck is still a huge mess.

[rideblue00]

Yes def post up pics of your mods. It looks great on there and doesnt look like a huge deal to do this. Others will want to do this as well.

[chev-obsession]

Here’s the pictures of my progress, I used a tilt column out of a GMC bus chassis that I got from a swap mee so I don’t know its exact application. I took pictures of it next to a 72 style truck tilt (out of a motorhome which is nearly identical to the real 72 tilt). The column i used is quite a bit shorter than the original ‘65 and even the motor home tilt. When I mounted the column up to the dash, the way the cast aluminum nose cone and the tilt mechanism lay out it’s really not much shorter than the factory steering column. The aluminum. Ode cone rests up against the dash panel and the added length for the tilt mechanism sticks out quite a ways, but being able to move the steering wheel up makes up for the added length. Which is really all I was after.

[chev-obsession]

If memory serves me correct, the 65 column is clamped into place. Since I knew where the column was going to stay I bolted the E-Brake bracket below and used a steel wedge between the E-Brake bracket and bottom of the steering column to hold the column where I wanted it. I cut out two little metal tabs and bolted them into place, so they were touching the outer edge of the steering column tube. Then tack welded them to the column. After some testing I figured this was its final resting place and welded it up, then painted all the parts. Notice in the previous post the end of the column BARELY sticks out park the clamp at the firewall. I didn’t take any pics of the intermediate shaft, I got one from a 72 Chevy truck, lengthened the bottom part of the shaft that bolts to the steering box, that way I still have the safety feature of the intermediate shaft collapsing in the event of a wreck. Had to do some cutting/ welding on that part as well.

The outer diameter of the tilt column is smaller so the angle of the steering column is steeper and get the steering wheel away from the seat in the straight position.

Since the turn signal harness on the tilt column was cut at the end, I ordered a new replacement for a 72 truck. After installing the new harness I cut the end of the new harness and crimped on Packard 56 terminals to accept the plastic housings from the 65, it just so happened they both used the same color wires and the colors matched up to the same function. I did some searching and found out the function of each color and everything is working. I didn’t add the hazard lights which would be nice.

[chev-obsession]

Here is the final product, pictures aren’t great and the truck is currently a non-operable mess and can get better pictures later. Everything is working like it should, tilt mechanism, turn signals, horn etc.

[DPowers]

awesome

[Braunschweiger]

Great Work, awesome.