C10_Blackie
Full Access Member
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2024
- Posts
- 64
- Reaction score
- 138
- Location
- Seattle, WA
- First Name
- Rob
- Truck Year
- 1981
- Truck Model
- C10
- Engine Size
- 350
One more recommendation from a recent experience: this one for Steering Columns Galore in upstate New York.
I wanted to repair the floppy tilt steering column in my 1981 C10 but was not ready to do that kind of work myself. The mechanics at the shop I used warned me that once you get into repairing steering columns it is typical to start finding other things that are wrong until the labor costs start to go over what you'd pay for a replacement - so it's a gamble. That made things a bit more difficult because I wanted to keep the truck as stock as I reasonably could but was really unsure about what sort of quality I might end up with sourcing a donor from a junkyard sight-unseen.
Turns out the shop had experience with Steering Columns Galore and recommended giving them a shot. It's a family owned and operated business that has been in business since 1989. They aren't exactly cheap, but they aren't outrageous either. How they work is that you tell them what you need and what options you have on your current column. Unless what you want is super rare, chances are that they already have a rebuilt and repainted one and then they send it out to you. You swap the levers and bits out and then send your old column back to them with a pre-paid shipping label they send you to avoid a $350 core charge. They'll even paint the column to match your old one.
It was comforting to know that my replacement column had been totally gone through and rebuilt by someone who does just steering columns for a living, as opposed to taking my chances on a junkyard. The new unit works great and looks great too. The company has a good reputation and I believe they'll take care of you if anything happens to go wrong. They were good at communicating and were very easy to deal with.
Definitely a more spendy way to go, but it's one more option at least.
columnsgalore.com
I wanted to repair the floppy tilt steering column in my 1981 C10 but was not ready to do that kind of work myself. The mechanics at the shop I used warned me that once you get into repairing steering columns it is typical to start finding other things that are wrong until the labor costs start to go over what you'd pay for a replacement - so it's a gamble. That made things a bit more difficult because I wanted to keep the truck as stock as I reasonably could but was really unsure about what sort of quality I might end up with sourcing a donor from a junkyard sight-unseen.
Turns out the shop had experience with Steering Columns Galore and recommended giving them a shot. It's a family owned and operated business that has been in business since 1989. They aren't exactly cheap, but they aren't outrageous either. How they work is that you tell them what you need and what options you have on your current column. Unless what you want is super rare, chances are that they already have a rebuilt and repainted one and then they send it out to you. You swap the levers and bits out and then send your old column back to them with a pre-paid shipping label they send you to avoid a $350 core charge. They'll even paint the column to match your old one.
It was comforting to know that my replacement column had been totally gone through and rebuilt by someone who does just steering columns for a living, as opposed to taking my chances on a junkyard. The new unit works great and looks great too. The company has a good reputation and I believe they'll take care of you if anything happens to go wrong. They were good at communicating and were very easy to deal with.
Definitely a more spendy way to go, but it's one more option at least.
OEM Rebuilt Steering Columns: Steering Columns Galore
We stock 3,000+ OEM rebuilt steering columns for cars and trucks from 1967. Direct fit, easy install, 30-day money-back guarantee. Nationwide shipping.
columnsgalore.com
