Steering column not matching up

B

Bigsweet75

Junior Member
Good afternoon. I am working on restoring a 1931 Briggs fordoor and just mounted the body to the frame today. I had already mounted the steering box to the frame and put on the steering wheel before setting thebody to the frame. The problem I am having is the steering column does not sit up tight to the bracket attached to gas tank. As you can see in the pictures it is about two inches lower and a bit to the right. It does flex a little bit when I push on it, but seems to far from the bracket. Do I need to shim the steering box? Or do I use force? Any help would be much appreciated.
 

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Loosen the steering box to frame bolts. You may also need to turn the steering
wheel left or right after loosening the bolts.

Bob
 
Never tighten the bolts until the job is all loosely buttoned. This is good advice for any and all components that you work on.
 
You might have a bent frame member or the body isn't lined up with the frame, you can move the steering box a little to help the alignment by loosening up the mounting bolts as Bob C recomended.
 
I will loosen the steering box bolts as I snugged it up tight. I also was thinking about the body. I put one rubber spacer under each of the body bolts from the front to the back. I tightened down all the bolts except the very front one at the cowl. There is quite a gap there, maybe an inch or so.
I didn't tighten that one yet because I planned on starting there to work on the four dour alignment. I am just wondering if that will also bring the clamp down closer to column when I tighten that front body bolt down? Hmmm? I will start will loosening the steering box first. Unfortunately it's going to be a few days until I can work on it, but thank you all for the advice. I will get back to you with my progress.

Also I put a four or five foot straight edge on the frame rails starting toward the front of the engine mount a foot so . There did not seem to be any more than a 1/16" of sag anywhere.
 
don't force it by tightening the tank clamp . will cause gas leaks sooner or later .
 
"I tightened down all the bolts except the very front one at the cowl. There is quite a gap there, maybe an inch or so." Somehow this doesn't spell Mother!

Checking the frame rails for "straight."..as you mention, is a VERY good idea.
Getting it straight (no sag) will be a huge benefit when you align the doors and make the hood fit properly.
 
The fact you have the steering column mount to a bracket on the gas tank indicates 1930 thru May 1931. After May 1931 the steering column mount was not from the gas b ut a bracket from behind the dash rail. For the early 1931 with gas tank bracket a spacer was used between bracket and steering column for the Convertible Sedan, DeLuxe Phaeton and Victoria. Your photo looks as if you need the spacer although it was not originally used on a Fordor. Could your car be an assembled car not fully original. By the way the spacers are hard to come by and I do not believe they are reproduced. Snyders does sell the long bolts thru the spacer for the lower clamp.
 
You will be fine if you loosen up your steering box bolts slightly and push it up into the tank bracket. Be sure to fit your rubber steering column tube to the bracket and cut it right to fit tight. Be sure your screws hold the lower half well and you should be fine.
Looking at the angle of everything it looks like once it's brought up to the bracket with the rubber insulator you will be fine. I do them all the time and it's just part of the process.

Larry Shepard
 
Last edited:
My car could be an assembled car. The body was never restored, all original. Yet maybe the chassis is from a different car, I am not sure. The spacer bracket does look very necessary considering the gap between the column and gas tank bracket.


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Bigsweet75 said:
The spacer bracket does look very necessary considering the gap between the column and gas tank bracket.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

The fordors didn't have that spacer originally and I am afraid if you do install it you will find the steering wheel too close too your lap. Not sure. I do know that I sit lower in my friends Pheaton (which has the spacer) than I do in my Town Sedan.

I guess you'll find out when you install your seats... :p:p
 
Okay sounds like I shouldn't use spacer. I definitely don't want the steering wheel in my lap. Also I would like it to stay close to original. I am hopefull loosening the steering box bolts gets me up in the clamp!
 
Y-Blockhead said:
Larry, can you explain this? I'm not sure I understand?? Am I missing something? Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sorry! that's what auto correct does when you don't catch it! I fixed my original post. Sure you guys new what I mean and am glad you caught my mess up.

Hope to be back posting a little more. All the best to you guys!
larry
 
Bigsweet75 said:
Okay sounds like I shouldn't use spacer. I definitely don't want the steering wheel in my lap. Also I would like it to stay close to original. I am hopefull loosening the steering box bolts gets me up in the clamp!
Click to expand...


Bigsweet... I don't think you need a spacer. I just think you need to put it up to the bracket. Theres enough play in the bolts if loose that it should go up into place. Have the bracket, screws, and rubber ready to go to put in place.
Larry Shepard
 
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