52 Chevy 3100 Pickup steering box ??

[Da-Rock]

Hello,

I noticed this forum contains mostly cars, but I figured you may know how to help me out on my 52 pickup.

I am 6'3" and around 300 pounds. These old truck cabs are for midgets (height impaired....like my Cousin!). The steering wheel was nestled right ontop of my belly. I purchased a Grant steering wheel, but that made the steering wheel taller. I thought about getting a thinner seat to give me some more room between the steering wheel and my well formed "Keg". I really like the chrome tilt wheels they have....(kill two birds with one stone by getting the turn signal kit installed with the tilt wheel.)

I took the truck down to "Rods R Us" and had them look at adding in the tiltwheel. He said that the 52 Steering box and steering column is all one unit...(no rag....something or another) Anyways he said he would have to cut out a piece and install the joint and then we could shorten the steering column and add the tiltwheel. $1200 buckaroonies for labor etc....

While looking at a Jim Carter catalog I see that they have a Power Steering conversion kit for 1947-1953 models using a 1969-1987 Cheverolet 2 WD pickup power steering box. It says that you can install a GM tilt steering column after that.

Does this sound cheaper and better then the estimated $1200 for fabricating the old steering box and column? Does anyone have any solid ideas for a fat guy in a little car?

 

[surpip]

mostly cars?
this is a truck site, mostly K5's, blazers

 

[Da-Rock]

Oops! My bad....I copied the post out of one of my other forums and pasted it here without double checking it...........

 

[4X4HIGH]

I have owned every year truck from 1949-1954. It would be more work to upgrade the steering box than to cut, shorten, add a coupler then add a tilt steering column to your existing steering box. Also the guy is correct, the steering column is a long 1 piece design that goes into the steering gear box without the use of a coupler. If you need any help let me know and i can direct you to where to buy parts and such for your truck and give you ideas on how to go about certain kinds of upgrades such as this.

 

[Da-Rock]

Excellent! Great info!

I am going to call around and see if I can get a lower price then $1000 to $1200. I like the idea of having non-powered steering anyways.........

Here's a question for you and you will know how much of a noob I am to all of this......what do I look at to tell if my electrical system is negative ground?

thanks

 

[4X4HIGH]

Your system is negative ground for sure. But the way you would tell is to follow the negative battery post on the battery and see where it connects to, negative ground would go to the frame somewhere and if it were positive ground then the positive terminal would go to the frame somewhere.

I know you're only in Sacramento but if you were closer i would help you with this project. To pay someone $1,000.00 or better to do this job for you is just rediculous. Go find yourself a tilt steering column, prefferably from a late 60's car with the 2" diameter steering column. This column may be hard to find but would make the install a lot easier than the later columns found in just about everything else made. Maybe someone lives close to you who could give you a hand at this along with my help from my computer here.