One of the things that really grabbed our attention the first time we saw Tom Pagano's Hemi-powered '27 T roadster pickup was the wild steering setup on the car. Instead of rising from the floorboard at a 45-degree angle, the steering column stuck out of the dash almost horizontally, like on a new car. And in the engine compartment the steering shaft came out of the firewall about 18 inches lower than where it went in. As it turns out, the upper column is connected to the lower shaft by a series of sprockets and chains.
The part was not purchased from some aftermarket catalog, but was a prototype piece developed by Pagano's friend, car builder Dave O'Connor. Dave came up with the idea while trying to figure out how to gain a little leg room inside the cramped quarters of his chopped and channeled Model A Tudor. He knew the answer lay in getting the steering column out from between his feet, and his solution was simple but imaginative. He filled a machined aluminum case with quarter-inch shafts, sprockets, industrial roller chain, sealed bearings, and UHMW nylon glides acting as tensioners.
"The second I finished the prototype, I knew my life was going to change," Dave tells us. He now has a patent pending on his offset steering coupler, officially introduced at the '05 SEMA show, and hopes to have product available for customers by the time you read this story. We're eager to see how it catches on. In addition to the prototypes he built for his own sedan and Tom Pagano's roadster pickup, Dave created another coupler for a '46 Ford sedan, owned by Ron Kummerle. Tom photographed the progress of the conversion and passed the photos on to us. It's a pretty simple job, but the end results offer a whole bunch of benefits.
The Wizard Fabrication offset...
The Wizard Fabrication offset steering coupler is about as simple as it gets. The coupler connects to the steering column at the top (left in this photo) and to the steering shaft at the bottom, via a chaindrive.
The real secret to the success...
The real secret to the success of this conversion is the correct location for the coupler. It can be mounted on the inside of the firewall out of sight, or on the outside. Either way, it should be mounted in a position that allows the best lower shaft access to the steering box using the least amount of U-joints. Keep in mind that the goal isn't necessarily to get the steering column as horizontal as possible; it's to get it off the floor away from your feet. That could be achieved with the coupler mounted low on the firewall. The surface of the firewall could be a limiting factor. If it doesn't provide a good mounting surface, your may have to fabricate one or more mounting brackets. For appearance reasons, it's a good idea to keep the coupler as vertical as possible, but that's not critical to its operation. In fact, in this case the lower part of the case was pivoted slightly toward the framerail to let the shaft clear the headers. If the coupler in this photo looks funny, it's because it is a dummy case that Dave used as a template to measure and mock up the mounting position and the path of the steering shaft segments from the coupler to the steering system (in this case a rack-and-pinion box) in order to figure out the best mounting position. Wizard Fabrication will provide a template to customers with center holes marked for that same purpose.
After the position of the...
After the position of the four mounting holes has been determined, the firewall is cut with a 3-inch hole saw to make room for the steering column. Look closely and you'll see that the upper mounting holes are marked just below the saw blade.
If you measure correctly,...
If you measure correctly, like David did, the coupler will line up correctly with the steering column. As we forewarned a couple of photos ago, the coupler's two lower mounting holes extend below the firewall, so a bracket will have to be made.
From underneath, it's easier...
From underneath, it's easier to see that about half the part extends below the firewall. Dave is thinking about offering the product in two or three different lengths, which would help solve that proble
For now, the solution is an...
For now, the solution is an angle bracket built to tie the bottom of the coupler to the floorboard from underneath...
...Notice that the proportioning...
...Notice that the proportioning valve and brake lines were relocated to the bracket, which gets them out of sight and helps clean up the firewall.
There isn't a lot of daylight...
There isn't a lot of daylight between the lower shaft and the header, but compare this setup...
...requiring only three U-joints,...
...requiring only three U-joints, to the extreme U-joint angles of the previous setup (photo 9).
Improvements to the interior...
Improvements to the interior are especially noticeable with the dash out of the way. A piece of rectangular tubing with a raised notch extends the length of the dash to support the column.
The triangular Lokar column...
The triangular Lokar column cable shift linkage bracket, clamps, and neutral safety switch are clearly visible from this bug's-eye vantage point, but are invisible from normal view.
When the job was done, the...
When the job was done, the improvements to the interior of Ron's sedan were huge. The brake swing pedal is still in place but has been curved to the left to bring the brake closer to the center. The accelerator pedal has been relocated a few inches to the left. Not only do the new positions for the steering wheel, brake pedal, and gas pedal look a lot better, they make the car a lot more comfortable, and a lot more fun to drive.