One of the benefits of building a fat-fendered rod or a postwar integrated-fender car is that you can get the performance advantages of an aftermarket independent front suspension setup without detracting from the retro appearance of the car. In the case of this small-block-powered '49 Plymouth, the car was modified with a new IFS suspension and rack-and-pinion steering system from Fatman Fabrications.
The owner wanted to retain the factory steering column because he felt an aftermarket column would alter the stock look of the interior, so he took the car to Hollywood Hot Rods in Burbank, California, for help.
Garrett Wilson from HHR modified the column to make it work, and, Garrett tells us, it's a relatively simple job. The stock column gets cut to the proper length, and attached at the floor with a mounting plate to prevent it from moving around. A universal joint at the lower end of the column connects to the lower steering shaft that extends to the Fatman system. There's a little more to it than that, but not much. We were there for half a day, following the procedure.
The steering column was removed...
The steering column was removed and ready to be modified when we got to Hollywood Hot Rods. The mods would primarily consist of adjusting the column length, repositioning the column at the dash, fabricating mounting plates, and reassembling the setup using some new Flaming River U-joints. The challenge was to locate everything to maintain the most comfortable driver position as well as the best location for the steering intermediate shaft inside the engine compartment, where clearing the headers, suspension parts, and motor mounts was an issue. Garrett used a piece of rod to get a rough idea of what angle would work best.
Once he had determined the...
Once he had determined the correct column position, Garrett marked and drilled a hole through the floor. In this case, the location for the column was slightly below and to the left of the stock location. HHR has found that many factory columns are offset slightly to one side, which is something they try to fix when possible.
After it had been correctly...
After it had been correctly repositioned, the steering column needed to be shortened by several inches, so it wouldn't extend too far through the firewall, or above the dash. Garrett marked the tube at the point where it reached the column drop at the dash (D), where it reached the floor (F), and at the cut mark (C), and then cut the column with a bandsaw.
Garrett test-fit the column...
Garrett test-fit the column and the wheel again and found that the length of the tube was now correct, but moving the location of the hole in the floor required the column drop (which was easily adjusted) to be moved to the left slightly. The tube extended through the firewall the proper amount, and in a position that will keep the lower intermediate shaft away from any clearance problems under the hood.
Garrett used a piece of 1/8-inch...
Garrett used a piece of 1/8-inch steel to fabricate a square floor plate. The outside diameter of the column was determined and the appropriate hole was drilled in the floor plate. The floor plate will be fastened from the interior side of the firewall through a mounting hole in each corner. If the column stopped at the floor, this plate would be critical. Since the column extends through the floor, the plate is not as necessary, but serves to cover the hole and keep the column firmly in place.
Now that the stock steering...
Now that the stock steering box is not being used and the steering shaft has been cut, HHR needed to install a support for the shaft at the lower end of the column. They use a variety of bearings and bushings. The bushing they're using here (which HHR gets from McMaster-Carr) is nylon. They also make them with other low-friction synthetic materials, but nylon has a slippery enough surface for light-duty applications, such as this. No lubrication is needed.
Garrett installed the bushing...
Garrett installed the bushing by cutting a plug and then drilling a hole that matches the outside diameter of the bushing. The plug was trimmed to match the column diameter and cleaned up with a belt sander.
The plug was welded onto the...
The plug was welded onto the end of the column tube along with the floor plate a few inches up from the bottom. The bushing was then pressed in place to seal the column and provide a low-friction surface for the steering shaft and U-joint, which rides against it. If for some reason the shaft had to be longer, and the U-joint didn't butt against the bushing, you'd have to add a collar so the steering wheel and shaft could not be pulled back into the car. In this particular case, they don't need a collar because the U-joint holds the shaft in place.
Mounting holes were drilled...
Mounting holes were drilled into the floor plate at each corner.
Garrett cut the steering shaft...
Garrett cut the steering shaft about an inch below the bushing, allowing enough of the shaft to stick out so the U-joint could be installed.
He then drilled a hole through...
He then drilled a hole through the shaft so the U-joint could be installed using a through-bolt with a Nyloc nut. He countersunk a hole into the shaft, 90 degrees from the through-hole, and added an additional set screw to make the Flaming River U-joint that much more secure.
The double D steering shaft,...
The double D steering shaft, also from Flaming River, fit snugly in the universal joint at the end of the column. The column was painted, reinstalled, and fastened at the drop and at the floor. The final result is clean, clears everything sufficiently, and works perfectly with the aftermarket front end.