47-59 Steering column transition thru the firewall?

[mobileortho]

A little late to the party but he’s where I am so far with my column.

[Phungki]

Originally Posted by skip99

I just used a piece of muffler pipe,

that is a super clean look. I like it. do you have a pic from the engine compartment side by chance?

[Phungki]

Originally Posted by daveshilling

If you can get the column through a 2"ish hole in a metal plate, then I'd go with a metal plate to cover that recess in your cab, including blocking off other holes you dont need, then use a swiveling chrome floor mount to clamp the column to the plate, and you can move the floor mount above the carpet when its time for that.

I'll be welding up all the holes I dont need. currently putting it back together so I can patch up all the holes that arent needed.

lots of great Ideas in this thread

[R&B51]

Leegreen, I think I got the dash notch idea from you on another thread. Thanks!
I think mine will definitely be plenty stiff, considering what I said above about the firewall recess and also I’m using one of those performance online brake pedal assemblies from dash to firewall just to the left of steering column. The thing is a beast welded out of some heavy steel, it will provide plenty of stiffness so I can swing in on that steering wheel like a stiff 64 year old like me can be guilty of. I will use the drive by wire pedal assembly that came out of the C6 Corvette mounted to the firewall recess.

Phunki, great thread. Good luck with all of those firewall holes that was a chore for me anyway.
Be sure to let us know how are you end up getting yours set up.

Main reason I was talking about terminating column inside firewall, and using pillow block to go through, was just to seal a little up against water and wind without using rubber collar but I guess it would actually provide one more level of stabilization.
I will have to think about that advice on leaving the column termination on the firewall a little flexible in case of accident. Memories of skipped school to float a river and a 70 mile an hour broadside collision on the way back in my buddies 68 cougar and the engine coming through the firewall between us, I can relate. Lucky to survive with a broken neck, knee caps and one of many concussions…what were we talking about?
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[dsraven]

phunki, if filling firewall holes it makes it easier to do if you first clean both sides down to bare metal, then use a stepped drill to drill them all out to be round. then you can use an "unhole" sold by somebody like welders series, or you can make your own "unhole maker" by taking a piece of solid stock, drilling a hole in it the size you need for your unhole, then cutting a slice in the side of that piece, perpendicular to the drilled hole, so the slice goes in just a bit further than where the hole is drilled. this allows some sheet metal of the same thickness as your firewall to be slid into the slice and then a pin punch that fits the drilled hole can be used to punch a hole in the sheet metal. the piece that is punched out becomes the unhole.

[R&B51]

Phunki, dsraven is so right.
I’d read a bunch of times this site and his very advice on just enlarging the holes and using a couple size plugs to fill but only did it on larger ones when I did mine.
Decided to just throw copper block behind and weld-fill Al those 3/8-to 1/2” ones. Bulled through, grinder relatively smooth. All done, the few I tacked and then stitched plugs into look SO much better and didn’t heat, warp locally as others slightly did.
Kinda like a song plays on my “ZZ Top” Pandora station:
“Just 'Cos You Can Don't Mean You Should” by Joe Bonamassa
I’ll listen to dsraven and others next time.
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[Phungki]

Originally Posted by dsraven

phunki, if filling firewall holes it makes it easier to do if you first clean both sides down to bare metal, then use a stepped drill to drill them all out to be round. then you can use an "unhole" sold by somebody like welders series, or you can make your own "unhole maker" by taking a piece of solid stock, drilling a hole in it the size you need for your unhole, then cutting a slice in the side of that piece, perpendicular to the drilled hole, so the slice goes in just a bit further than where the hole is drilled. this allows some sheet metal of the same thickness as your firewall to be slid into the slice and then a pin punch that fits the drilled hole can be used to punch a hole in the sheet metal. the piece that is punched out becomes the unhole.

I dont have any issues welding up the hole. I'm just curios on what transition piece ppl have used if any. someone suggested a 2 piece unit that sandwiches the firewall between them. Probably going that route. seems sturdy

[leegreen]

I had to get under the dash of the '95 Sonoma that is my daily right now and the way the column is done reminded me of this thread.
for your consideration:

[dsraven]

thats what I was thinking with the pic of the envoy column, it shows how the column is short and hung from 2 spots under the dash. your pic is better, haha.