[APalusky]

I want to hook up steering in the 37 Ford. I have a Mustang II manual rack. and a GM column. I heard tonight from a guy at another site that my motor mounts are still wrong.. I bought them threw Speedway Motors. They are bolt ins that I also had welded in. I placed them where they were suppose to go following what the instilation guide said. The shaft from the Mustang rack faces at a support that was on the mount. I had a plate welded on top of the mount, and then cut the brace out so that the joint will go under the plate. If something is wrong it must be in the design of the mount. I have looked at other mounts, and they look like plates that just go over the frame on down to the engine.

My main question is two part.. One.. How long is one of those joints?? I want to see if it will go under that plate.. Also just what do I need to install to the column. I also don't have the GM column in, because I have no idea where it is suppose to go. I will temp. put on the dash tommorow, along with the bucket seat on the drivers side. Does the column mount to the floor, or the firewall?? Thanks.. Al

[APalusky]

What it looks like http://s92.photobucket.com/albums/l1...DSC00024-1.jpg

[OneMoreTime]

Most likely I would mount the column to the firewall..the interference with the motor mount is a revolting development and you are not alone as I am sorting out something similar..

I think those speedway mounts would be fine if you were running the original suspension but in this case you may need to re-do the mount on that side to allow for steering shaft clearance..I am not exactly sure just how I would build a mount in this case but I think I might look at building the mount so that the steering shaft would go through the center of the mount..

You so want to make the angles in the steering shaft as straight as possible and still get the wheel in a good position..

This is kind of a constant when building these things as we do find that the best laid plans run afoul of whatever..Ask me how I know that as I have had to on several occasions cut something out and do a do over when things interfered with one another in the build..

Good luck

Sam

[APalusky]

That brace that you see in the picture has been cut out. I will take a better picture of it tomorrow. There is room left so that I can notch out the other side of the top plate. Just in case that the joint didn't go threw all that good. I also thought that maybe one of those double joints might work. I don't know how long the whole joint is, or how thick it is to see if it will fit ok. The picture makes it look like the shaft is going to go straight threw the whole mount, when it will go under that top plate. With that brace out it will only be a little out of straight.. Al

[powerrodsmike]

Here is what I did on a 40 that I had in the shop a while back..






I use 3/4" dowl to do my mockups.



That has to be the ugliest weld I've ever done...(it got ground out and redone.)

I used the motor mount as a place to put my support bearing. I made the mount and the bearing housing. The spherical bearing I got from mcmaster carr.

A Borgeson U-joint is about 3 3/8" long and will operate up to about 35* if you get the high angle joint.

I have been using Maval,(unisteer) U-joints because they will bend to about 41* without binding. Those are about 3 1/2" long as well, (If I remember right.. )

Here is a pic from a 33 pickup that I routed the shaft through the motor mount and then made a bearing support that landed on the frame.



Hope this helps,
Mikey

[powerrodsmike]

Hey Sam, ...For real problem children with big clearance issues you might consider a stub column and some double U joints


This is that 33 pickup again..

Shorty column with double U joint inside the cab...Gives a ton of footwell room. I made a tube to protrude through the firewall with bushings in it..it served as a support bearing at each end of the steering shaft as well. Gave me a place to hang a brake pedal also.


Here's a better view of the column without brake pedal.





Here is the outside view, see how much clearance you get for headers.




Here is a bottom view.


Better view of the motor mount through hole.


Hope this might help.


Mikey

[OneMoreTime]

Mikey to the rescue.. I don't think mine will quite be that bad to do..I have cut down a Ford column and made a shorty just long enough to get through the fire wall..additionally my engine is off set a bit to the right so that will help and if I have to I will make the headers go outside of the steering shaft..Goona be a bit snug but I think it will make it OK..

Thanks for the pics as that is a help..

Sam

[APalusky]

I cut my brace out, but added support in other areas. It is good to know that I didn't do anything wrong this time. For mounting the column is it a wise idea to weld in some square conduit for support?? Also. What is that lever on the bottom of the column for??

[powerrodsmike]

Originally Posted by APalusky

I cut my brace out, but added support in other areas. It is good to know that I didn't do anything wrong this time. For mounting the column is it a wise idea to weld in some square conduit for support?? Also. What is that lever on the bottom of the column for??

Support for the column is very important, brace it up so it doesn't move at all. I don't know what square conduit is, but some 1" square steel tubing is a good sturdy material to build your braces out of.


The lever by the base of the column is a brake pedal that I made. We mounted the master cylinder on the firewall on this car. That's why the bracket is large, as it ties into the upper dashrail and firewall. We didn't want the master cylinder moving when you hit the brakes.


later, mikey

[APalusky]

Square conduit, and square tubing about the same.. I think.. I have a piece of exercise equipment. that uses square steel tubing. I was going to cut that up and weld it in across just above the bottom of the dash. The lever I was talking about is on the stock steering column. There is a lever down there.. Is that a reverse lockout or something??

[powerrodsmike]

Originally Posted by APalusky

The lever I was talking about is on the stock steering column. There is a lever down there.. Is that a reverse lockout or something??

How far down? It could be a reverse lockout or a shift lever or the lever that runs the neutral safety/ backup light switch.

The reverse lockouts I've seen need to be pushed up before the key can be removed. Is the key located in the column or was it from an earlier car? Is it a column shift?

A picture might be helpful.

Later, mikey

[APalusky]

It is at the bottom of the column. The key is in the column. The column also has tilt, but there is no shifter on the column.

[APalusky]

Ok. I got the joint on the rack. I had to cut an extra 1/4" off, but no big thing. It wasn't holding on to anything. I have two different sets of headers. Some chrome ones, and some plain. They are both hugger headers. The chrome ones stick out to far, and the joint hits. With the plain header it works ok.. Now where is the propper location inside the car?? One guy told me with his 37 he put it in at a angle. Also. I have the joint on the column as well. That one was hard to put on. I had to almost force it on, but it went. I measured from the bottom mount on the column to the joint and I get 7". If I put the column on the floor now.. The joint would be 7" down. Would it work that way??, or do I have to do something else?? Thanks.. Al

[APalusky]

Here is what I have done. I think it might work. the dowel is 7" from the firewall at the mark on the dowel. I do have a question though.. My brake pedal is sticking up rather high. Do you think I should heat it up and bend it down so that most of it is below the floor??