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73-87 Chevy _ GMC Trucks => Interior & Equipment => Steering Columns => Topic started by: snibook7537 on May 13, 2011, 12:06:19 am

Title: Tilt column
Post by: snibook7537 on May 13, 2011, 12:06:19 am

I have an 87 GMC v3500 with a sm 465 and a non tilt column.  I am pretty good buddies with the owner of a junk yard and could swipe a tilt column out of an 80's or 90's full sized Chevy Van with Tilt pretty cheap.  The van is of course a tilt auto and mine is a nontilt stick (floor shift). I am just wondering if I could take apart both and have a functioning tilt column that looks like it was factory.  It *looks* like the plastic parts of the column could swap in place of each other and I could eliminate the column shift for the special ignition lock pawl on the manual trans.  I know I could go to GMtiltsteering.com but if I could do this for under $20 bucks in a weekend that would be cool. I just can't find any trucks with a tilt column and a stick around here.   

Title: Re: Tilt column
Post by: snibook7537 on May 18, 2011, 12:50:40 am

Looks like the one from a van might be a little different but what about an 91 GMC k1500? it's really a nice column. Anybody know if I could swap out the manual parts to make it look like a factory tilt without an auto shifter on it?

Title: Re: Tilt column
Post by: beastie_3 on May 18, 2011, 01:02:10 pm

why not just get a tilt column from a 81-87 truck?

Title: Re: Tilt column
Post by: 756man on May 18, 2011, 01:19:28 pm

Tilt columns for 81-87 were all automatics, tilt wasn't available with manual trans. at that time .

Title: Re: Tilt column
Post by: Grim 82 on May 18, 2011, 01:30:07 pm

The original column for my 82 is a tilt manual trans column, but it's not for sale. They do in fact exist though.

Title: Re: Tilt column
Post by: beastie_3 on May 18, 2011, 02:35:30 pm

The shifter can be taken off by punching out a little pin, and there shouldnt be any other mods needed to make it work.

Title: Re: Tilt column
Post by: snibook7537 on May 19, 2011, 01:11:24 am

okay excellent, the reason I wanted the later body style is because there are none of the 73-87's in the one junk yard I go to alot, but if it's that easy I will definitely get one.  Much appreciated guys real life saver.
 

Title: Re: Tilt column
Post by: ssapach on May 19, 2011, 09:55:41 am

My 1986 has a tilt column from factory, with the manual transmission.

The 1985 that I took to the wrecker also had a tilt column from factory, again with the manual transmission.

Both are 4x4, 1 ton drw, the 85 being a regular cab though.

So they will exist...