New Tilt with old steering wheel

[Blue666(2)]

I scored a floor shift tilt column from a 95 Firebird at the Pick & Pull. I pulled the 1995 wheel & tried on the 1966 c10 wheel but it doesn't fit. The 1966 wheel has a larger diameter center.

I checked both Flaming River & ididit, neither sell an adapter. ididit suggested trying out a local machine shop.

Has anyone had this issue & if so how did you solve it? Did you have to switch to a more modern wheel?

[65chevysub]

I have a 72 truck tilt column, and my original deluxe wheel from 65 fits it perfect.. I've heard later model columns don't accept older wheels.

[Jimal]

Originally Posted by Blue666(2)

I scored a floor shift tilt column from a 95 Firebird at the Pick & Pull. I pulled the 1995 wheel & tried on the 1966 c10 wheel but it doesn't fit. The 1966 wheel has a larger diameter center.

I checked both Flaming River & ididit, neither sell an adapter. ididit suggested trying out a local machine shop.

Has anyone had this issue & if so how did you solve it? Did you have to switch to a more modern wheel?

I think a '95 anything column is going to be tough because of what they had to do to integrate airbag equipped steering wheels. I have a '75 vintage tilt column in my K10 and a '63 wheel bolted up with minor modifications to the horn circuit.

[Blue666(2)]

Thanks for you responses guys. I also recieved this reply from Jegs. He did hit the prolem right on the head, shaft diameter problem.

Hello:

Thank you for giving JEGS the opportunity to assist you with your technical question.

Unfortunately, we do not show an adapter for the 95 Firebird/Camaro. All of our adapters stop at 94 for the Firebird/ Camaro so you probably have an airbag with a different shaft dimension form the early Firebird/Camaros.

Remember we have FREE Shipping and Handing!!

Sincerely,
Greg Jordan
Technical Sales Representative

And to think I saved 50% on this unit during a half price day @ the Pick & Pull.

[jonzcustomshop]

ebay it!

I put a chevy shaft together with a 48 for column when I built my model t, I tapered the ends of both pieces, and laid them in a piece of angle iron to get them straight. then I proceeded to weld them together like you would do for a guided bend test.

however I have no idea what the piece you need to connect to looks like, to say if that would work...
probably the best solution is to try to find an earlier, or a van column...

[joedoh]

something isnt stirring the kool aid for me here, I have a 98 column with a lecarra GM adapter that used to be on a 78 C10 and on a 96 c1500 and a 94 s10 blazer...

most adapter companies wont tell you that the adapter fits the 94+ application because they dont want to be responsible for you taking off your SIR airbag steering wheel, but I havent run into a different shaft on a chevy GM yet. In fact when I swapped in my late model column a guy at the shop asked me what I was doing with my 62 wheel, and bolted it right on his 95 dually.

[Blue666(2)]

joedoh - I went back & tried the wheel a couple of more times. It did not seem to go down on the stud far enough & continued to spin.

I checked on a Firebird site & LS1tech site & each talked about removing the airbag, wheel and the SIR module.

I went out to the garage & removed the SIR module. (I really did not know what this was & left it in place.)

The 1966 wheel now drops right down tight on the splines.

Joedoh, Thanks for making think a little harder.

[joedoh]

hey man glad it worked out!