Ebay/summit aftermarket steering columns

[K10eddie]

So the tilt steering column in my 1979 K10 is toast. The steering wheel is loose up and down and has some electrical quirks. I thought about rebuilding it, but I found this steering column on ebay.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1973-1981-...264285734807?_trksid=p2385738.m4383.l4275.c10


How much extra work would be involved in swapping over to this column? So far I see I'd need to swap over the steering wheel and the dust cover, the cab mounting bracket and the firewall cover. Anything else? Anyone have good luck with this style of column? It seems similar to the universal jegs and summit columns too.

 

[bluex]

Stay away from these cheap imported columns. They are downright dangerous. If you don't want to rebuild yours go with flaming river or ididit only.

You could send yours for a rebuild for what that junk column costs. If you Google about them you'll see all the failures an issues people have with them.

 

[K10eddie]

Ah ok, good to know. I think I might take a shot at rebuilding it myself first. Worst case scenario I screw up and throw money at the problem.

 

[Paint guy]

I will beg you not to get that column. I personally know people that have bought those cheap knock off columns thinking they were saving money and being smart. All of them have failed. A couple were lucky and things happened when parked or at low speed. One friend wrecked his hot rod pick up as he lost the steering completely. Look at it this way, to me steering and brakes are safety items and NOT something we should be looking to save money on and use cheap parts. An IDIDIT column is roughly $300 more than this column you posted..... Is your life, or the life of a stranger driving down the road worth the 300 you are saving?

This is from a well respected safety company that tests and inspects these types of items:



The principle difference between well-made aftermarket tilt columns and their unsafe counter-parts is that the tilt mechanisms within good quality columns employ a proper miniature constant velocity-like joint (that replicates the OEM system used by General Motors in their tilt columns) which cannot disconnect within the column housing, whereas the dangerous products coming out of China use a low-grade plastic bush and pin system which can – and have – fallen apart during operation, leaving no connection whatsoever between the steering wheel and the steering shaft.

There are also some tilt columns coming out of China which have a correctly-made tilt mechanism, but which feature very poor quality welding of the various welded sections of the steering shaft.

The affected columns are typically very cheap compared to the long-established and reputable name-brands, and generally have no identification or branding on them. “These columns are cheap and nasty knock-offs of reputable aftermarket brands, made in China and built entirely on price” LVVTA CEO Tony Johnson says. “Although they look great on the outside, it would seem that whoever has designed this rubbish neither understands automotive engineering nor gives a toss about people’s lives.”

 

[K10eddie]

I thank the both of you for posting. I won't be getting the column, and this weekend I plan on taking mine apart to see if I can rebuild it. If I can't, I'll pick up a used stock one.

 

[WarlVlachine]

There is actually a rebuild walk through on here somewhere, I used it a while back. Lots of pictures and step by step. A search should turn it up easy.

 

[WarlVlachine]

Actually it was on a different forum, I just remembered. I'm not a traitor! lol

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=12525.0

 

[CorvairGeek]

There is a good one here too;
https://www.gmsquarebody.com/threads/how-to-fix-loose-gm-steering-column.3085/

 

[MikeB]

https://www.nzdra.co.nz/racer-info/health-safety/2-uncategorised/40-steering-column-safety-alert

Amazing these things are still imported to the USA. I hope someone gets their ass sued off!

Excerpt from the article:

LVVTA’s inspections of some of these dismantled brand new unsafe columns have showed that the tilt mechanism consisted of a poor-quality plastic bush with an insufficiently-engaged pinning system. ‘Slop’ was evident in the brand new column, and the design appeared to be such that the plastic bush and pin system had the potential to completely fail, rendering a vehicle unable to be steered. This theory has in fact just been proven in practice during the last week of April 2013, when exactly such a failure happened to Auckland’s Paul Haaker whilst manoeuvring his almost-finished 1960 El Camino in his driveway. The column internals in Paul’s car suddenly disintegrated, and while his steering wheel spun freely, his front wheels did not turn.