Early GMC Automatic Steering Colom

[Surfdaddy]

I didn’t want to highjack the thread of the 3 on the tree, but the thread reminds me of something I wanted to ask for a while but keep forgetting. On my 61 the shift lever gets pulled in when going from neutral to drive but stays pulled in (close to the wheel) when you go down to reverse, remember this is the original shifter, neutral is where park is now and reverse is where low is, when trying to park or having to move the wheel a lot the lever is a little close for comfort. I looked at the linkage and it looks like a standard three on the tree set up. Is this true and they just got lazy when installing the automatic. It sure would be nice to have the lever more towards the dash and have extra room while parallel parking.

[Clyde65]

Surfdaddy, show us a pic if you dont mind, I know some trucks got a hydro automatic that had different placement for the gears, different that what we all typically see in a PG or TH350 and etc.

[padresag]

Originally Posted by Surfdaddy

I didn’t want to highjack the thread of the 3 on the tree, but the thread reminds me of something I wanted to ask for a while but keep forgetting. On my 61 the shift lever gets pulled in when going from neutral to drive but stays pulled in (close to the wheel) when you go down to reverse, remember this is the original shifter, neutral is where park is now and reverse is where low is, when trying to park or having to move the wheel a lot the lever is a little close for comfort. I looked at the linkage and it looks like a standard three on the tree set up. Is this true and they just got lazy when installing the automatic. It sure would be nice to have the lever more towards the dash and have extra room while parallel parking.

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i have one of those columns. I will chck it out
ron

[Surfdaddy]

This was the only picture that shows the linkage in my archives. I’ll try and take some more later. To shift you pull the lever in, but it stays in until you get to reverse at the bottom then it will allow to go out / away from the wheel. The shift linkage is a little sticky and I may try and lube it to get it to loosen up a little. If you grip the wheel the lever seem a little close for comfort, and if you have to turn the wheel fast, hand over hand, I’m afraid I’ll get wrapped up in the lever and break it. Though its 50 years old I’m sure that hasn’t happened too often. This picture was how I got the truck. sitting since the early 90's. I looks a lot better now

[padresag]

that detent is so that you couldn't pull it into reverse by accident- sort of a primitive lockout. it would only be close in reverse, so you shouldn't really be doing that much hot rodding going backwards
ron

I do have the shift linkage too if you ever need any