I picked up a tilt column from an early 80s full-size Chevy truck from Pat at the challenge. Column shift automatic, tilt, Cruise, Etc. It has the ignition switch and lock cylinder built into the column as well as a steering wheel lock. I want to do a way with the steering wheel lock the ignition switch and the lock cylinder. Essentially shaved the column of that protrusion and all those parts.
Can i? How do i go about doing it correctly and safely?
Never messed with steering columns much.
Based on my experience with my 84 Chevy steering column, it should be easy. There is a metal ring behind the steering wheel with a bunch of teeth that a pin slides into to lock it. Pull the ring or cut the teeth off and no more lock.
The actual ignition switch is actuated by a rod that goes down the column so you can creatively actuate it some other way or just put in manual switches and buttons and remove the ignition cylinder.
I don't know about that particular age and brand, but some steering columns have weird things you have to do to disassemble them without breaking parts. I'd dig around online or at the local library for the pages from a factory shop manual that show how it comes apart.
The ignition switch for the elky that this column is going into is in the dash. So, no ignition at all needs to be in the column.
Ill look around for the fsm for column dissassemly.
Is there any potential problems to doing this? Any "that cant work and here's why" stuff?
I would have said just replace the Lower sleeve with a Manual car Sleeve but you are eliminating the Key so I would say use the Early car Sleeve But you want Tilt So You might check out ididit
The major reason for not going with an aftermarket column is price. The less-expensive Columns I am not convinced of safety. This column has hazards and it's collapsible in the event of an accident. Additionally GM lawyers made sure it was really safe
"Really safe" is a relative term when talking about an early 80s truck. Whatever it was designed to do was within the boundary conditions of the truck it was installed in - not a retrofit application.
This isn't to say that I haven't done similar things in my own vehicles - just putting it out there for consideration.
As for the steering lock, the more modern devices are a pin that is fired into a sleeve with several slots in it. The common method for defeat is to either remove the spring that pushes the pin into the sleeve, remove the pin from the module, or remove the module itself. This particular column has more of a plate (as referenced by jfryjfry) that may or may not be removable, but the portions that the pin slides into could be ground off.
You can eliminate the entirety of the ignition switch and lock cylinder. The locking mechanism is a pin that pops back when you turn the key off. This ring is easily defeated by taking a cutting wheel to it to turn it into a washer with no lock pin locations. I would shave down the protrusions in the column trims at that point and jb weld in some metal, then bodywork it and paint with a factory looking low gloss black.
Remove the entirety of the ignition stuff. Cover up hole with a piece of your favorite design on a beer or cola can and rivets. Maybe even find a coke can with the name of someone you like on it.
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Columns are pretty simple things, the majority of what you see is trim panels covering the bearing holders, various control bits and to provide some softer objects for your body to bounce off of in a crash.
As long as you don't impact the tilt mechanism, the bearings or the shaft itself, its fair game and just body work to plug left over holes.
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