Any tips...Steering column Alignment

HI folks,

Split the bodyshell and frame this weekend un my newly aquired, unbuilt CMC. Pleased to report that it all looks just fine....Pan has obviously been refurbed, new brake lines, master clyinder etc. Not found any rust and even the old paint is cleaning up :)

Bulkhead has not been cut for steering column, any tips to ensure the column ends up pointing at the steering box when making the hole.....? Or is it just a case of eyeballing it, cut the hole and glass up any mistakes :)

Cheers
Gerry

If you haven't already, you should print off the CMC manual here on the site.

It shows a slot under the gas tank for the column, not a hole.

I put a piece of electrical conduit on the steering coupler stub and used the place where it hit the "firewall" as a place to start cutting.

I glued in a plastic pipe coupling at the forward end to make a nice round opening for the column to pass through.

Then I put the outer tube in place wrapped with pipe insulation and polyethylene film to form a space around the tube.

I fiberglassed over this.

Most of the CMC suggested slot is not needed so don't follow the CMC directions ...Place a short piece of dowel against the steering coupler to align it with the firewall and cut a bit at a time.

How about an 1/8 inch hole in fire wall. Run a stiff wire thru it (or a laser light?) and line it up on both sides of the fire wall. By the 3rd hole you should be dead on. Plug any unused holes wih putty.

How much misalignment can the steering coupler safely absorb ?

I centered my steering column to the driver seat, and ended up with about 12 degrees diff to the coupler. Seems OK 1000 mi/3yr later ...

Geez!

Talk about re-inventing the wheel!!

OK, Gerry, since I have to do this same thing on my kit later this Winter (I hope) I just went out and measured my completed car to pass along the measurements for the center of the hole through the bulkhead.

This assumes that you have the body mounted on the pan. My steering shaft (inside the column tube) is just about centered in the column, so I assume things are reasonably straight, so here goes:

The steering column tube is 1-3/4" diameter.

At the bottom of the bulkhead, looking in from the master cylinder side, there is a welding flange where the pan frame head is welded to the splash guard under the master cylinder. At the bottom is the splash guard, then the frame head welding flange sits on top of that. Measuring from the top surface of that flange to the centerline of the bulkhead hole for the column shows 12-1/4" Here is a picture of a frame head (not to be confused with a headset, where the front beam attaches: http://www2.cip1.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=VNG-95-13-26-0&Click=92365

Next, I duct-taped a piece of cardboard onto the wheel well bulkhead such that I have a reference to measure across, horizontally, to the center of the column tube. THAT dimension is 5-1/2", measured at the bottom of the tube.

Remember that you'll eventually be drilling or opening up a hole that is elliptical, since the column goes through the bulkhead at a downward angle toward the steering box. Remember, too, that you have to rotate the steering box rearward around the torsion tube to the upper stop to duplicate the column angle for a Karmann Ghia, rather than that of a Sedan (which is more upright).

Lastly, I had to remove some bulkhead fiberglass up under the dash to allow the column tube to fit up where it belongs when it is secured at the dash mounting piece. This material was part of the shelf for the gas tank, and I just glassed over everything after the column was fitted correctly (See mike's picture above).

Next lastly, I drilled a 5/16" hole even with the column centerline and 1" to the right (passenger side) of the column to accept the speedometer cable (I have a right-mounted Speedo).

HOLY SCOTLAND, BATMAN!!!! I just realized that everything I just told you is for a left-hand steering wheel and your's might be on the right!!! You may have to flip all these instructions left-for-right.

Hope this helps.....now I can use it for my next kit!

Gordon
The Speedstah Guy from Beaufort

As an afterthought, you could use this as a rough centering measurement, open up a slightly larger hole, then put a flange around the column that gives you a working surface against the bulkhead. Get everything centered and mounted (dash and steering box) then position the column tube so the shaft is centered and mount the flange to the bulkhead with 6mm bolts. Done.

Shouldn't be a big deal, Dave. If it seems stiff and you're using a urethane coupler, then switch to the more "stock" rubber coupler - it has a little more "give".

gn

Thanks all for the replies and thanks Gordon for the detailed reply and link!

Fortunately my CMC began its life in Florida and is LHD :)

Warning :
Be careful when installing the steering column dash brace so as not to force it up against the dash - 2x2 metal cross support
Doing so, you'll place a lateral load on the column crush cage.
Over time, it will prove to be the weak link and snap suddenly..... ~Alan