Another 4mulaSvaliant CREATION! No More Column Shifter!

[4mulaSvaliant]

OK guys and gals here is a sneak peek at my latest creation. I recently designed the Flip Top Gas Cap adapters and they are a hit. So much so that I am backed up on the orders. He has been fitting them in for me though.
So here is my solution to the junk left on the column after you switch over to a console.
Correct me if I'm wrong but it seems that you need to get a floor shift steering column in order to get rid of the junk on the column. Well I said to hell with that and made what I have dubbed a "Column Skirt".
The goal here is to not have to modify any of the car, yet have a factory looking piece replace the shifter and gear selector pieces on the column of 67-69 A-bodies. I have taken multiple measurements and put a lot of thought into the design. I wanted to keep it one piece that literally just slips in where the old pieces used to reside.
I wanted to utilize all of the original bearings, switches, turn signal arm, and wiring. The piece when finished will slide on and will be held in place by 2 set screws place at the bottom so they aren't visible. The overall length is exactly the same as the existing 2 pieces together.
As of now the only altering I had to do was not necessary had I realized there is a tool made to remove the pins from the turn signal plug under the dash. The tool is on Ebay.
This first prototype will be installed in my car,and will not be for sale. After I have the entire piece done, I will be able to calculate the cost and whether it will be worth trying to sell. I will have to get these made via CNC to even think about a decent price. There has been plenty of man hours in this already.
Finally, this is the prototype and is not finished! There will be provisions for all the necessary pieces mentioned above. Also it will taper down very similar to the original piece.
Let me know what you think and whether you might be interested. Thx guys!

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

Here is the final model.
I will let you all know how it fits as soon as I get a factory style Wheel. However it has the same exact diameter as the original. So there should be no issues.

 

[Burntorange70]

That is realy cool. Good work.

 

[mullinax95]

I hear ya!

Must be nice being equipped to do that type of machining.

 

[cavemanmoron]

I wanted to utilize all of the original bearings, switches, turn signal arm, and wiring. The piece when finished will slide on and will be held in place by 2 set screws place at the bottom so they aren't visible. The overall length is exactly the same as the existing 2 pieces together.
As of now the only altering I had to do was not necessary had I realized there is a tool made to remove the pins from the turn signal plug under the dash. The tool is on Ebay.
This first prototype will be installed in my car,and will not be for sale. After I have the entire piece done, I will be able to calculate the cost and whether it will be worth trying to sell. I will have to get these made via CNC to even think about a decent price. There has been plenty of man hours in this already.
Finally, this is the prototype and is not finished! There will be provisions for all the necessary pieces mentioned above. Also it will taper down very similar to the original piece

Looking great.

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

Thx Im diggin it whether people are interested or not! LOL

 

[res1vw21]

wow Sweet! I would love to have one, as I have been thinking about modifying an original.

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

Just some added notes.
I created this because I watched an Ebay auction for a Floor Shift column and it went for 307.00
Aside from that , they are rare it seems.
Also you have to do a decent amount of work to get it swapped out.
There is a Column on ebay Im watching to see if it goes as high as the other one.

 

[Longgone]

That is very cool, excellent job 4mulaSvaliant. Just my 2 cents but I think it would look less fabricated if you were to round off the inner top half edge or taper it down to the column sort of the way the original cup is. Like I said though, it`s just my opinion, take it for what it is. Again great work, I love to see people solve problems like this. Necessity is the mother of invention eh?

 

[65barracudadude]

WoW!!! I want to be able to do some work like that. I just love seeing people fabricate their own parts like that. Thats some great work.

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

Thx longgone. Hey guys be sure to read the text! LOL and the 3D model pic is up there to show what the final product will look like. Its tapered and much more "factory" looking. I agree though it would look like crap if left like it is now.

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

wow Sweet! I would love to have one, as I have been thinking about modifying an original.

I also looked into modifying the orig. But the hole that is left after you cut off all the junk is pretty large. Not to mention that its made of pot metal. That can be a pain if you plan to weld it.

 

[Longgone]

Is there material enough on the inner half to taper it more than what is shown in the final drawing?

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

yes there is but It is tapered down to the original diameter on the model. Its like 3-3/16 if I remember correctly. I will look a little more drastic on the actual piece. That pic is really poor quality.

 

[dge467]

Thats cool !!! Could of used that years ago. Bravo!

 

[BigRichieO]

What software are you using?

Is it Unigraphics / Solid Edge ? I'm a SolidWorks user. Cool part though, it looks like it is going to be expensive, have you worked out a price yet or did I miss it in a previous post?

 

[Longgone]

yes there is but It is tapered down to the original diameter on the model. Its like 3-3/16 if I remember correctly. I will look a little more drastic on the actual piece. That pic is really poor quality.

Fantastic work, I love to see some good ole' American engineering in practice.

 

[Longgone]

Good luck with it, perhaps you`ll be able to market it. There seems to be a need for it. I know a guy that could use one now.

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

What software are you using?

Is it Unigraphics / Solid Edge ? I'm a SolidWorks user. Cool part though, it looks like it is going to be expensive, have you worked out a price yet or did I miss it in a previous post?

Autodesk Inventor. I freakin' love this software! I have sooooo much stuff created in models thats just sitten on the back burner for the moment.

 

[shadango]

As a daddy-in-waiting on my car to car, I can say that I would be real interested in this...I prefer a floor shift and mopst of the cars I have seen so far are column shift......most have not had the "junk" removed.

If the price is reasonable, enough to make the $300 for a standard column unnattractive, I would buy one.

I agree though....it needs to taper down more, at the rear...maybe even machine some grooves into it to break up the "slab of metal" look.....

Great idea though man! I will keep an eye on this product!

Will they be available for any year, etc?

Cleaning up the look while not having to do the work of swapping out the column is great!

 

[cuda67bnl]

I watched an Ebay auction for a Floor Shift column and it went for 307.00
.

Man, I have one I'd sell for that price. That's crazy.

 

[RedFish]

Can I get tilt with that ? just kidding
Its an interesting concept ( one piece ). I haven't quite got my head around how you'll service the signal switch though.
Another concern I have is shaft alignment and the life of the upper bearing.
We put a good amount of stress on the steering wheel, more so in manual steering cars. The wheel is a drum for some drivers.
I hope you'll use and abuse prototypes and prove the 2 set screws to be sufficient. To capture both inside and outside of the column tube may be something to consider now.
Please dont take my comments the wrong way. I'm not trying to poke holes in your cup / design. I feel we are alike in wanting to solve our own problems and then share those cures with others.
Best of luck with this venture, Ben

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

All great points! The piece is machined so that it sits against the end of the outer column tube.
On mine I plan on drilling into the outer tube and screwing through it to hold it from moving at all.
The original bearing is utilized also.
As for the switch, it will be easier to service than the original. It will be mounted directly on the surface you see thats behind the wheel. Thats why there are provisions for it to sit properly.

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

OK so here is what we have a little further into the process. I have of course come across some modifications, but nothing serious.
1. I need to have more area milled out to allow for the wires from the switch.
2. same issue with the horn switch. It is spring loaded and needs clearance for the connector to move toward the dash.
These are both issues I thought I may run into, so I'm not too bummed about it.

There are a few pictures here taken for specific reasons. Mainly the blinker arm pics. I took these to show that it clears appropriately when depressed either way. Man does it work beautifully! Feels better than my original!!!!!

On another note: to explain better, how this is held in place it helps to have taken this apart before, so you can understand easier!
On that note, here goes nuthin'

The "skirt" slides over the column (part you see) it is as tight a clearance as realistically possible considering the column is not tube, but sheet metal bent into a tube and it interlocks with itself. By the way it fits nicely with NO slop!
When slid completely into place, the end of the tube bottoms out in the "skirt". This makes it not possible to slide it toward the dash any further.
...........That's one direction it cant move.
Next, after you have to install the factory bearing. This bearing resides on a "knurled" part of the shaft. There is a "C" clip around the shaft that will not allow it to move toward the dash. After you install the bearing, there is a second "C" clip that goes on the top side of the bearing. When this top clip is installed the shaft can no longer move fore or aft because the bearing is in its mating surface which is the "skirt". This is how it was designed from the factory.
...........The shaft is now locked in place.
At this point the only direction that it can move is toward the driver.
To solve this I will make sure that my "skirt" is clocked (positioned) correctly, and drill 2 holes in the column through the holes in the "skirt" They are located underneath so they aren't too noticeable. I plan to tap the holes so I can remove them easily in the future.
............All directions and important parts now have a fixed location.
The 2 holes I say must be drilled are hidden under the "skirt" and should you choose to change your car back to the column shift, the holes will be covered by the original set up as well.

Oh now if you are looking for the "C" clips on the shaft in these pics. I have the shaft pushed inward a bit, so it is not installed during these pics. The bearing is a bit of a PITA to be taking on and off the knurled area while I check fitment.

The only other mod I think may be beneficial is to remove the rubber "sleeve" that is around the factory bearing. By doing so, I can make sure the wheel is dead center with absolutely, no slack. I guess Chrysler put it in as a bit of a cushion maybe? I know my original wheel sat a bit off center to the bottom. We shall see soon.

 

[4mulaSvaliant]

Yes it will be tapered soon! LOL Also I have decided to have a small groove cut into it, to make it look even more like the orig. Right before it begins to taper down.