Is steering shaft captured in column? (Page 1/1)
grkboy707 MAR 03, 11:09 PM
Hello everybody! Been a while because I'm onto new projects, but I'll never forget where I came from!

Long story short- I need to know if when you remove the steering column on an old GM (such as a Fiero of course), the steering shaft is contained or captured in the column, and wont pull out.

Long story long- I'm dropping a 350z drivetrain in my Datsun 1600 roadster and need to route my steering shaft around a lot more engine than should have ever been put in this body lol. This means that I'll need to put several joints in it. THIS means that I have to make the steering column contain capture the shaft. It didn't before because it used the death-spear system, where one end was held in place by the steering box, and the other was simply kept from lateral movement by a bearing.

Any help would be appreciated! I would also accept if you tell me to kick rocks because this information is going to benefit a Japanese car lol.

Thanks!
Greg

EDIT: I'll include this link if you'd like to look into the work I would have to do to make my column work.
http://www.mildevco.net/chevypowereddatsuns/

[This message has been edited by grkboy707 (edited 03-03-2020).]

theogre MAR 04, 01:40 AM

quote
Originally posted by grkboy707:
Hello everybody! Been a while because I'm onto new projects, but I'll never forget where I came from!

Long story short- I need to know if when you remove the steering column on an old GM (such as a Fiero of course), the steering shaft is contained or captured in the column, and wont pull out.

Yes, shafts are "Captured" and won't fall out normally.
If one does, the crush zone and/or other parts has big problems.

But...

Column and other parts will fail if loads pulled out and/or pushed in because column and other parts only really made to take rotational loads. Many bearing and crush zones have plastic parts or otherwise fail for axial and radial loads > some design specs from GM etc.

Adding or realign flex joints etc have rules too and fail to follow causes joint binding to breaking.
Big example is drive shaft joint(s) break because morons jack/lowered the vehicle and don't fix joint angles.
Even CV joints for axles won't last long bending to the limits 24/7.

Adding joints can add play for steering even if you follow flex angle rules.

------------------
Dr. Ian Malcolm: Yeah, but your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn't stop to think if they should.
(Jurassic Park)

The Ogre's Fiero Cave