Classic Performance Products   Adds A Tilt Steering Column to  1967-72 Chevy/GMC Trucks    

Of all the customizing ideas and features generated over the years, installing a tilt steering column has to be one of the oldest. In fact, swapping a straight stick for a tilt version has almost become an automatic procedure, especially for classic truck owners. There's just something more comfortable about having a tilt column. It makes getting in and out of a tight classic cab much easier, and allows you to adjust the steering wheel to a number of positions more suited to your driving style.  The most well known name in the custom steering column market is unquestionably ididit. They've been making custom steering columns in aluminum and steel for nearly every truck and car application for years. Although the billet aluminum columns are the most widely noted, ididit's steel replacement tilt columns are just as nice, and can be painted to look factory or to match the vehicle's paint color. 

Another great feature of ididit's custom tilt columns is that they are brand new and very solid. If you go to a junkyard and pull a '70s or '80s column from a car, it's generally seen years or even decades of use. You also have to take into consideration that the column and shaft will probably have to be shortened and that many of the internal parts will have to be replaced. In the end, you will spend as much or more rebuilding the old column as you would have to buy a new one.  To give you a good idea of just how easy it is to swap an old column for a new ididit version, we caught up with the folks at Classic Performance Products who were removing a stock straight column in a 1967-72 Chevy pickup and replacing it with an ididit column made to fit this generation of truck. With the exception of the Cheyenne Super, trucks from this generation  came with

non-tilting columns, which can make getting in and out of the cab a little tight. The new ididit tilt column has been constructed to exceed the stock specifications for the original tilt version, and, when painted, looks factory.  So if it's ever crossed your mind to install a tilt column in your 1967-72 truck, this is the answer you've been looking for. Even better, the kit comes with new signal and tilting arms, aluminum knobs and a clear indicator panel that attaches in the same fashion as the factory column. Classic Performance Products topped off the installation by equipping the ididit column with a cool, new Impy's aluminum steering wheel to fully capture the custom element. 

Classic Performance Products offers the ididit 1967-72 Chevy truck tilt column complete with a new shifter and accessory arms, indicator, aluminum knobs, neutral safety switch, and factory harness adapter. 

The swapping process begins by first removing the power brake support bracket from the firewall and booster. 

Unbolt the shifter arm that extends down to the transmission from the column. Be sure not to misplace the bushings or washers from the arm. 

After removing the firewall bolts, the column support bracket attached to the top of the column is removed. 

Now the clamp that secures the column shaft to the collapsible steering shaft is removed, and the two shafts are separated. Inside the cab, the large cover plate and the clamp that actually secures the column to the dash are removed. It's best to leave the bolts in the column clamp loosely in place until you are ready to remove the column. 

Inside the cab, the large cover plate and the clamp that actually secures the column to the dash are removed. I'ts best to leave the bolts in the column clamp loosely in place until you are ready to remove the column.

The last thing to remove before taking the column out is the firewall clamp  that attaches around the column where it protrudes through the firewall. 

After disconnecting the column wiring harness, the stock column can be removed from the truck. 

There's only one catch to the column swap. The factory firewall and dash rubber gaskets, as well as the firewall brace clamp, need to be removed. The rubber gaskets are available new from any 1967-71 parts dealer, but the metal brace is very difficult to find. To remove them from the old column, you can either take the stock column completely apart to get the shifter ear off, or you can cut it off. The bottom line is that these items, particularly the brace, have to be removed. 

With these three parts in hand, install them on the ididit column by first removing the neutral safety switch, then removing the shifter arm that's bolted to the bottom of the column. 

Before actually removing the shifter arm from the column, mark the holes that are used to hold the ear to column. The shifter ear is "timed" with the column to provide precision alignment with the steering shaft, which attaches to the transmission. Any adjustments needed after the column installation should be done by picking another set of holes to attach the column. 

With the arm removed, first slide the rubber dash gasket all the way up past where the neutral safety switch attaches. 

Next, slide the metal firevall brace and rubber gasket onto the column. Make sure they are installed facing the firewall. You won't want to have to redo this  procedure once  you've started  installing the  column. 

To complete the parts exchange  reinstall the neutral safety switch and shifter arm. 

To install the new ididit tilt column, it is best to have someone hold the column in place from inside the engine compartment once it has been inserted through the firewall.

Slide the U-shaped collar over the column and bolt it to the dash assembly. You'll want to tighten the bolts enough to hold the column in place, while keeping them loose enough so the column can be correctly positioned. 

Next, the rubber firewall gasket and metal support brace are positioned and secured to keep the column from falling.

Now the splined end of the column shaft can be inserted into the collapsible end of the shaft and tightened up. 

With that complete, turn the column as needed to achieve the best alignment with the tranny shifter shaft and interior ergonomics. It is important that the column shifter arm, signal and tilt arms be in the most comfcutableposition. When complete, reinstall thelarge, flat metal cover under the dash, along with the thin column collar that fits over the rubber dash gasket.

Back into the engine compartment, the firewall bracket and column clamp are reinstalled in their original locations. Make sure the upper flange of the firewall bracket slides UNDER the brake  booster bracket not on top.

Providing you correctly reinstalled the shifter arm on the end of the column, it should line up and bolt right together with the tranny arm. It is best to do this with both the column and tranny in the park position. This will make aligning the two parts easier Once bolted together, shift the tranny from gear to gear to make sure it won't get stuck between gears, even though the column may say differently.

Using the provided harness  adapter, connect the column wiring to the factory harness.

The aluminum shifter knob simply slides onto the end of the arm and is secured with a set screw. The tilt actuating lever screws into the column housing.

To install the turn signal lever, turn the steering shaft until the slots on the black metal collar allow access to the hole provided on the signal actuator. The arm slides in through the side of the column and under the slotted collar.

The clear plastic indicators attach with adhesive tape. Shift the tranny into park, then attach both the plastic needle and labeled indicator panel accordingly.

To properly finish off the installation, Classic Performance Products installed an Impy's aluminum steering wheel adapter and steering wheel, which really provide the finishing touches to a trick tilt-steering column swap. 

And there you have it, a quality tilt-steering column installation that Provides not only comfort and adjustability, but great looks that match the factory effort.