Collapsible steering column help

[A ron]

I'm wanting to install a collapsible steering column. My car however has two helms/mounts on the steering shaft. All the ones I can find only have one. Is there such a thing as a split helm that I can bolt together? Any other suggestions? Wanting to make the car as safe as possible.

[hammond motorsports]

You have a GRT?? If so Sweet has a column for that .

[A ron]

Yes sir it's older though (98). I will check it out man thanks!

[A ron]

I found it man! Thanks a ton!

[cheaterleaddog]

I'm wanting to install a collapsible steering column. My car however has two helms/mounts on the steering shaft. All the ones I can find only have one. Is there such a thing as a split helm that I can bolt together? Any other suggestions? Wanting to make the car as safe as possible.

I remove the shaft out g body stock steering columns since the column is inside car they are in great condition unlike the ones located under hood the small end is 3/4" and the other end is double d. A regular u joint welds on small end and the double d can be found in most street rod catalogs.

[A ron]

I will look into this as well!

[merc123]

We used this in our GRT. The end of the shaft came out to about the firewall and we put a solid shaft with a knuckle from the rack to the collapsible one. The solid shaft had a 2nd heim on it and we welded a mount (plate with hole in it) to the frame right near the firewall.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Collapsible-Steering-Column-32-42-Inch,33036.html


You may also be able to use this:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00D951Z1G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00D951Z1G&linkCode=as2&tag=lawsraci-20&linkId=T5SOQPDSDQJMWSGX

[A ron]

I went on and dropped $350 or whatever it was on the one from sweet. Outrageous price but a lot cheaper than a collapsed chest. Thanks for all the help guys.

[Matt49]

^^^ I wish everybody thought this way

[72Dubya]

I went on and dropped $350 or whatever it was on the one from sweet. Outrageous price but a lot cheaper than a collapsed chest. Thanks for all the help guys.

You picked a good one! Put the Sweet shaft in my Street Stock and I LOVE it. The install was easy and it is nice and tight, no slop at all. I may have lost a little money that I could have put into other little things, but safety should always be at the top of everyone's off-season upgrade list.

[A ron]

Thanks Matt. Yeah I could probably have gotten a nice set of Ohlins for what I've spent on Safety stuff so far, and still have more to do to be as safe as possible but can't afford to not show up to work on Monday.

[72Dubya]

Safety before speed. Always. You definitely have your priorities straight. Some guys that have been at it for years seem to think the opposite.

I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors, always glad to see someone new step into the dirt racing world!

[billetbirdcage]

BiG SAFETY NOTE, when running a collapsible steering column:

Since the column can collapse, if the set screw that attaches the u-joint to the rack (which never seems to stay in and often overlooked that it's missing) comes out or loosens there is nothing that keeps the column from shortening and pulling off the rack. This can happen in other places depending on how your column is set up in the car.

You need to attach a hose clamp to the column so it can't shorten on it's own without some added pressure like a wreck. Simply install the hose clamp next to the sliding part of the column (most of these are typically square or a splined shaft) where it hits the larger diameter tube it slides in and out off. This will stop it from shortening and pulling off the rack and thus NO STEERING. The hose clamp will not hold it in a wreck and allow it to collapse yet will keep it where it belongs should the set screw come out.

You can also put the clamp next to a firewall bearing if your using that, just anything to add resistance to the columns ability to shorten with little to no force.

I've seen my share of destroyed cars due to this.

[billetbirdcage]

Ron, the easiest way to install in a older GRT car is to just use a firewall bearing instead of a 2nd rodend on the column. Install the one on the column like normal to the column support and run the sliding end of the column out the foot box/firewall.

Something like this: http://www.speedwaymotors.com/Firewall-Mount-Flanged-Bearing-for-Steering-Shaft,2044.html
Obviously your firewall should be made of something a little thicker then plain .040 colored sheet metal for best results but it does work fine with .040 but I prefer thicker .050 on that piece. You can always add a stiffener bracket if you so desire.

Too keep the column more straight so it isn't at an extreme angle and gives more foot/gas pedal room and makes the steering wheel more square to the driver, I prefer to run it out the firewall and to the left of the mid plate vertical bar that has the mid plate tabs. So the column isn't running between the vertical bar and the C shaped cut out in the mid plate, it will be on the left side of the vertical bar. Then use a u-joint just outside the fire wall and directly too the rack with another U-joint and you're done.

Then install the hose clamp on the end of the sliding column where it goes thru the firewall bearing just in front of the u-joint to stop the problem I listed above.

Also when making the lower half of the rest of the column, be sure to phase the u-joints so they are clocked correctly as this is often overlooked and can cause binding or a non smooth steering action if they have some angle to the u-joints

[A ron]

Billet I scratched my head for an hour thinking how to prevent what you were talking about haha I ended up with a hose clamp where you were talking about and one around the joint at the rack to keep that screw from backing out. Also I agree the sweet column truly is "sweet" compared the sloppy thing that was in it before. Wheel feels very solid. Thanks everybody for your help.

[drtrkr244]

BiG SAFETY NOTE, when running a collapsible steering column:

Since the column can collapse, if the set screw that attaches the u-joint to the rack (which never seems to stay in and often overlooked that it's missing) comes out or loosens there is nothing that keeps the column from shortening and pulling off the rack. This can happen in other places depending on how your column is set up in the car.

You need to attach a hose clamp to the column so it can't shorten on it's own without some added pressure like a wreck. Simply install the hose clamp next to the sliding part of the column (most of these are typically square or a splined shaft) where it hits the larger diameter tube it slides in and out off. This will stop it from shortening and pulling off the rack and thus NO STEERING. The hose clamp will not hold it in a wreck and allow it to collapse yet will keep it where it belongs should the set screw come out.

You can also put the clamp next to a firewall bearing if your using that, just anything to add resistance to the columns ability to shorten with little to no force.

I've seen my share of destroyed cars due to this.

Very good advice bbc. We tore up the rf of a brand new car years ago, when the shaft came loose from the rack. I believe Coleman makes an aluminum collar that clamps to the steering shaft, similar to a weight clamp. We used two.....just in case. BTW, our driver commented that its not fun when you come off turn 4, headed to the wall, and you have no steering!

[rakracing]

i'm with billet on this, mine has 2 knuckles one at the rack and on the end of the sweet rack witch is the short one for the grt, I had the set screw and lock nut come out leading a heat race it got real exciting and expensive. I locktight the set screws and a clamp over the set screw now. also recommend anyone running a latemodel to use a Schroeder steering wheel, 10 weeks in a cast sucks when you get your thumb in the spokes, like lanigan did.

[FlatTire]

I've always used two extra long set screws with jam nuts & loctite on the joint that connects to the rack plus a hose clamp on the shaft to keep things from casually pulling off. Never had any problems.

Rak- I have a Schroeder steering wheel. Its a 3 spoke peace sign looking thing. It still breaks thumbs. Is there a certain type you are referring to? Looks like 910FG on their site.

http://schroedersteering.com/steering-wheels/

[Matt49]

Simple solution to the thumb deal:
Don't drive with your thumbs in the steering wheel. I don't even do that in a street car. This helps with wrist injuries also. In a hard impact, your hand will slide off of the wheel instead of twisting like it does when your thumb is inside.

[95shaw]

Simple solution to the thumb deal:
Don't drive with your thumbs in the steering wheel. I don't even do that in a street car. This helps with wrist injuries also. In a hard impact, your hand will slide off of the wheel instead of twisting like it does when your thumb is inside.

This is what I taught my daughter while kart racing. I see she does this while driving on the street now that she is older. good habits sometimes stay with you.

[rakracing]

yes the 910 is the one I have, the spokes are to the rear and the wheel is fatter to help prevent it, when this happened we had a sweet flat wheel and was out further ,when you roll your left hand over to counter steer your thumb would roll under, moved the wheel closer to me and switched to this wheel and knock on wood no problems. we had four guys in a row have the same thing happen one year and all had the same sweet wheel, nothings fool proof though.

[FlatTire]

Matt- if it was just that simple! I practice not driving with my thumbs inside the wheel when I go down the highway...muscle memory is a hard thing to overcome. Over the years, I've broken 2 thumbs and a wrist. I either have weak bones or crash too much!

The only thing I've seen Danica do right is take her hands off the steering wheel and place her arms across her chest right before she crashes.

[rakracing]

flattire best I can tell ya is keep the wheel as close as you can to your body, I put the two spokes at 10 and 2 and hook the tips of my middle fingers on the inside of the spoke, on rough tracks it keeps the thumb out of the spokes, hope this helps someone from the aggravation of a broken arm dislocated thumb and surgery for pins.

[jasjenh]

I broke my thumb three years ago in a modified wreck. My solution was to put plastic in the center of the wheel to keep my thumbs out of there. plain flat plastic. set the wheel on the plastic and draw it out then cut it out and rivet to the center spokes. You can make it as wide as you want or need. Simple and cheep. 15000 dollars worth of surgeries and I could have prevented it with 3 dollars worth of plastic. Saved my brothers fingers at the end of last year when he clipped a big tire. He took some skin off his finger tips but no broken bones.