The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network - View Single Post - got in wreck cause steering colum came apart

Gromit · 03-08-2016, 10:50 PM

Losing steering has got to be the worst system of all to have go out on you.. I'd rather have the brakes go because at least there would be hope for a choice of what to steer toward and hit to stop.. in other words between that oncoming truck head on - or that chicken coop in somebody's yard; aim for the coop!

Three lanes of traffic - I hope you mean they were all going in the same direction as you and not head on -

There is a two lane road near my home with a long flat straightaway where people routinely seem to just want to naturally drive at 85.. so as you motor down that road the high speed oncoming traffic is just three feet away from your left shoulder and even doing 65 mph (no doubt with five cars buzzing angrily on your bumper) every time you feel that whoosh of the oncoming car going by it is a reminder that your closing speed is probably 150 mph... (and we've seen the NHTSA videos for 100+ mph crashes ...gulp).

NASA would have a checklist for a system as risky as this.. maybe to preserve board members we can come up with a steering system checklist and prevent this from happening to anyone else.. Glad you wrote to tell the forum and glad you are okay to tell the tale.

As far as your question - I have been tempted by those IdidIt columns - because the NOS and limited repop GM steering column parts seem to be really expensive for what you get and relatively hard to source - also the sloppy shifter syndrome seems all too common and hard to fix - so if it were me I would take the opportunity to try the IdidIt product.

03-08-2016, 10:50 PM	#13
Gromit Registered User Join Date: Jul 2015 Location: Central Coast, CA Posts: 501	Re: got in wreck cause steering colum came apart Losing steering has got to be the worst system of all to have go out on you.. I'd rather have the brakes go because at least there would be hope for a choice of what to steer toward and hit to stop.. in other words between that oncoming truck head on - or that chicken coop in somebody's yard; aim for the coop! Three lanes of traffic - I hope you mean they were all going in the same direction as you and not head on - There is a two lane road near my home with a long flat straightaway where people routinely seem to just want to naturally drive at 85.. so as you motor down that road the high speed oncoming traffic is just three feet away from your left shoulder and even doing 65 mph (no doubt with five cars buzzing angrily on your bumper) every time you feel that whoosh of the oncoming car going by it is a reminder that your closing speed is probably 150 mph... (and we've seen the NHTSA videos for 100+ mph crashes ...gulp). NASA would have a checklist for a system as risky as this.. maybe to preserve board members we can come up with a steering system checklist and prevent this from happening to anyone else.. Glad you wrote to tell the forum and glad you are okay to tell the tale. As far as your question - I have been tempted by those IdidIt columns - because the NOS and limited repop GM steering column parts seem to be really expensive for what you get and relatively hard to source - also the sloppy shifter syndrome seems all too common and hard to fix - so if it were me I would take the opportunity to try the IdidIt product.