Steering column position

#1

I tried to get the bolts off that hold on the steering column. I was thinking it would be simple and I would just grind a grove in them and turn them out with a screwdriver. No, nothing is so simple. There was not enough space to get the grinder in and not cut the wires or my hand off:laugh:. So I’m wondering how others have done it.

I saw in a post that someone has drilled them out. Can you explain this? Do you use a bit the size of the head of the screw, or the size of the screw? I can’t see the screw so does anyone remember what size it is?

I’m looking to lower it 3/4" to 1". Is it ok to just use washers to space it out or does someone have a source for spacers? Thanks for any help.

Jason

#2

The lat time I took some of those out I held a fairly large nut on the head of the fastener and tacked it in place with a Miq welder.

#3

jls8177 wrote:

Sorry I can’t help with the bolt removal question. But McMaster Carr should have a spacer you could use. If this modification were legal. :laugh: :wink:

#4

We ought to request a formal rule change to allow some limited dropping of the steering wheel shaft. Once a race seat goes in, the steering wheel really is too high.

#5

It’s on my list for the winter rule requests to Carter and the gang. Not to be confused with Kool and the Gang (aka the 8 track currently playing in IndyJim’s pickup truck).

Hell, the steering wheel is too high in my street E30. Dang old, busted seat shocks…

#6

air chisel works to knock the heads off the bolts, then they come out very easily with no torque holding them in

#7

I’d like to add that I’d also like to be able to lower the steering wheel a little. I’m 5 ft 6 in and with the racing seat that is in the car now it doesn’t feel right.

#8

Jason, what you’re doing will work. You just haven’t removed enough stuff out of the way yet. I did it that way, but it is the hard way. Get a buddy with a welder to tack some nuts into the bolt head and your life will be easier and the chore take much less time.

Yeah, my steering wheel is too high also(stock height at present). I did 2 one hour stints Friday @ CMP. My left hand fell asleep during the last 20 minutes of the second stint. I realized Saturday that my arm was getting pinched by the harness when reaching up(as in turning right).

3 weeks ago, I had the steering lowered by 1 1/8" to 1 1/4". It obscured the bottom portion of the instrument cluster, so you could only see speeds from ~40 - 80 mph. Likewise with the tach. I tried lowering it another 3/4". This let me see the cluster fine, however my elbows were so close in to my torso, I didn’t think I’d be able to safely drive.

#9

No one outside of Nationals will ever protest this mod - everyone wants it. If this is outlawed I’ll eat my hat.

The removal is cake with an air chisel my buddy says he wants to use a sawzall (eek!) and I can see how a grinder would be a problem…

I saw an “adjustable” one… He had washers fill the gap and by changing out the washers he was able to adjust from time to time to allow for changing drivers, and seat etc. (of course not expected to change this in the pits in an enduro!!).

#10

I’m in a unique position of being able to answer this question and provide some information on E30 steering column lowering.

The column is attached to the bracket using M8 ‘shear’ bolts, where the heads shear off once the correct torque has been reached - this is both a safety and anti-tampering measure.

If you can’t weld some nuts on, try drilling out the centre of the bolt (but not the thread) and using a stud puller (reverse threaded bit) or cold chiseling some slots to grab it with a pair of multi grips or turn with a screwdriver. Lots of swearing helps!

I removed the bracket, and it’s side mount shear bolts and replaced them all with regular M8 8.8 grade bolts. I machined up two cylindrical spacers for the lower mounting bolts, 20mm OD, 8mm ID, 16mm thick. This resulted in an overall drop of the steering wheel of 25mm (1"). My boss kit was approx 95mm long, and I was also using a Lifeline Quick Release at the time (55mm long). This 16mm drop (at the bracket) equates to a change in column angle of less than 2 degrees. I would highly recommend the use of a fixed (single piece) spacer over a stack of washers.

This modification became necessary once I moved my seat into the most comfortable position for my 188cm (6’2") frame; but I have long legs and average length arms. The quick release brought the wheel back far enough, but it was way too high to be comfortable or practical.

I can report that there were no ill-effects from the column height change; the big effect was that my race car was WAY more comfortable to drive.

If you take a look at this old thread: http://spece30.com/component/option,com_kunena/Itemid,94/func,view/id,29463/catid,16/ you can see how the spacers are installed on my car.

#11

Thank you for all of the input. I believe I’ll try the tack welded nut and then the air chisel if that doesn’t work. Just need to find the time to work on it.

Thanks again,
Jason

#12

I played around with rectangular tubing drilled both ways. I hoped at least one thickness would work, but no. So back to the drawing board.

Dave I know your spacer thickness is 16mm. What size steering wheel does that work with? What portion of your instrument cluster is obscured by the steering wheel?

Thanks

#13

I played around with rectangular tubing drilled both ways. I hoped at least one thickness would work, but no. So back to the drawing board.

Dave I know your spacer thickness is 16mm. What size steering wheel does that work with? What portion of your instrument cluster is obscured by the steering wheel?

Thanks

#14

The steering wheel size is irrelevant; the drop of any steering wheel whose centreline was approx 150mm from the column covers would have been 25mm.

But interest sake, I was using a round 350mm non-dished steering wheel. I was unable to see the top 25-40mm of the cluster, so I couldn’t see around 3000-4500rpm, or around 130kph/80mph. I did, however, have a clear view over the top of the dashboard, so I fitted a SHIFT-I sequential shift light from Ecliptec (www.ecliptec.com.au). Problem solved, and I only have to look at the dash to tell me what rpm to launch at (we do standing starts in Australia).