I have not posted anything in a long time, But this is a great site! I need help! I need to know if anyone knows where I can find a steering column shaft for a 1950 Suburban. I got in over my head when I thought I could fix up this modified Suburban about 3 years ago! I finally took it in to a shop where the owner/mechanic assured me that they could fix ANYTHING! Well 2 months later and the Burb is still not operational. The latest problem is with the Steering Column Shaft. The Chevy dealers no longer carry it. Classic Parts doesn't either - at least from my research of the online listing. Help!!!! Please, Somebody! This vehicle has been modified with a Jeep Waggoner frame & 4 X 4 , Chevy 350. The flywheel was a major problem most recently. It made a loud noise when starting. The shop where it is at had to ship it out to a 4 X 4 Shop. The 4 X 4 shop fiddled around with it until The mechanic/owner I know finally got them to bring it back to them. Somehow he managed to overcome the flywheel problem. But then he noticed that there is a problem with the steering column shaft - broken. He is having a terrible time finding this part. I guess we could search for old parts. But I really hate to use an old part for something as important as steering. I would really appreciate good suggestions on how to get this old Burb back on the road - thanks Keith
The shaft itself is a 3/4 inch solid rod. I lengthened mine by cutting mine off(it had good threads for the steering wheel nut) nice and square. The other shaft (didn't have a good thread) was cut longer and square. I ground both ends to make a "V" on the edges, lined them up square and put a tack weld, then rolled it over to check square. Do this until you have all 4 points taCKED AND THE SHAFT IS SQUARE. Now weld it solid, grind smooth, check for any low spots or poor penetration, reweld if needed, grind and polish smooth, re install in column and mark cut for length. Cut it to length, then grind into "DD" so that the adapter will fit. Look for my post on modifying steering column. Good luck.
Hey thanks, ol' chebby! Your suggestions sounds spot on. I am not a welder guy & I doubt that anybody at the shop where my Burb is either. I will mention your solution & print it out for the shop owner/mgr/mechanic. I hope someone knows how to do it. Thanks for a practical solution! I will keep you posted on how it turns out! Thanks, again - Keith
Mig welding is not hard. Start with a decent machine, around $500 gets a good 115v. home job, I'm shure prof. welders scoff at that but it works well in a home garage. The better the welder, the better the results. Get something that will have enough output to work the thikness you may need. I taught myself to mig by doing, asking questions, and reading. I don't claim to be a pro, but none of my welds have let me down yet. Give it a try. Otherwise find a welding shop, this will be no problem for them.
steering shaft I'm not sure of the stock shaft dimensions, but I know I have seen steering shafts available in multiple configurations. Check Flaming River, or Ididit. They also sell u joints for many setups too. Good luck.....Mike
It sounds like you inherited multiple problems. My 2 cents: throw the old junk away and go with a new shaft and all the parts.
