Steering column extension

[TheArf]

Just been reading the reply's on here, Albert the only time that the inlet manifold on any ford installation which is what most people start with on this forum is if your steering column, like yours, is on the wrong side of the car.
When your steering is on the correct side of the car you need to dodge the exhaust.

Arfon

[Stot]

Originally Posted by TheArf

Just been reading the reply's on here, Albert the only time that the inlet manifold on any ford installation which is what most people start with on this forum is if your steering column, like yours, is on the wrong side of the car.
When your steering is on the correct side of the car you need to dodge the exhaust.

Arfon

Hi Arfon,

Crossflow, CVH and Zetec E engines all have the inlet on the UK drivers side too so there is a mixed bag.

Cheers
Stot

[Oscar]

Just the stage I'm getting to, I'll probably have to reread this thread a couple more times before I'm ready to anything though
Also, my steering column is different again, got an extra join in it and different ends, annoyingly.

p.s. DOHC has inlet on uk (correct) drivers side, exhaust on the other at just the right point for exiting bodywork

[Eddy]

A further update

The new part arrived. Here it is next to the original, you can see how it is more suited to extension, without the extra joint:



I then cut the brand new part in half, which just felt wrong!



The cross section of the cut has a diameter of about 17mm, which is too big for the 20mm OD 3mm wall tube I bought based on what I had read previously, so I'll need to get some more tube. Let me know if any of you have anything suitable you would like to sell.

A quick look on eBay found some 22mm OD 2mm wall tube which should fit. Will this be up to the job?

[voucht]

Hi Eddy,
Very strange your new steering column has a 17mm outside diameter. Is it from a Sierra ? Anyway, if the tube you bought has a 20mm outside diam with 3mm thick walls, the inside diameter is 14mm. That should be too small anyway to fit on a "normal" Sierra column which is 9/16'' (14,29mm). I think 15mm inside diameter would have been the way to go.

If I had been you, I would have used the first (old) steering column. I would have cut it anywhere above and under the central UJ as Alga says, keeping in mind you want to leave enough length to guide the column inside the tube to keep it straight. I would have used a 3 to 5mm thick wall, 15mm inside diameter seamless tube for the extension.

Are you sure you can not force the tube you already have on this column? It would be worth to try I think. Or perhaps you can find a 9/16'' or 15mm drill and machine the inside diameter on its length.

If you think it is too late for that, you have to find another extension tube to fit the new column which has a 17mm outside diam. To answer your question, I would NOT use 2mm walls, in my opinion, it is too thin. 3mm should be the minimum, 5mm might sound overkilling, but on the safe side. Also, better buying a seamless kind of tube.

Hope this will help

Good luck.

[Eddy]

Thanks for the comments

I was expecting the new column to be a smaller diameter than 17mm. It was advertised as for the Sierra and has the triangular connection one end and the correct splined shaft at the other.

I must admit I took a bit of a guess on the tube as I was placing an order along with some other bits and wanted to combine postage. It was as someone had suggested on locostbuilders and I was away from the build so couldn't check. There is no way it will fit on the column I have without drilling a lot of the inside of the tube, which will reduce the wall width considerably.

The problem with the first column is that the diameter is even bigger than the 17mm replacement one. I had read that the extension tube can't be too big or it will foul one of the uprights.

I will keep my eye out for some 17mm ID seamless tube with a wall thickness of 3mm.

Cheers

Eddy

[Eddy]

Right, I bought a digital caliper to measure the thickness of my cut column accurately - It comes out at 17.8mm:



It comes out with that measurement everywhere except where the part number is raised, but I can grind that down.

What tube should I be getting - I'ver found some 25mm OD, 3mm wall stuff for sale. Will that be a tight enough fit?

Cheers

Eddy