MTFCA Forum

I am using a 24 roadster running gear making a pie wagon replica. I am using a 3/4 inch plywood firewall and as a result the steering shaft is to short as the spark and throttle rods are short in the steering bracket on the frame.
My question is can I grind off the rivets on the column collar move it back the needed distance and reattach?

Many columns are brazed there in addition to the rivets.

You can accomplish the same results by shortening the top end and sliding the quadrant down. In either case, you will have redrill the control rods.

I should also mention your photo shows a 26-7 column if you’re trying to make your pie wagon look older.

I'd think it would be easier to cut a clean hole in the new firewall just slightly larger than the column flange, then make up a piece of 1/16" sheet metal larger than the hole and bolt it to the engine side of the firewall after making holes in it as needed to attach the column flange to it. If needed, a spacer made of hardboard or plywood could be used to get the column spaced properly in relation to the steering bracket. That would avoid altering the column and dealing with rivits, and it would permit easy adjustment of the spacing if needed.

When I restored the 09, the steering column appeared to be from a 1914 and was too long at 56”(??) whereas the 09 should be 50”(?). So I chopped six inches off the top and installed a new brass cover. Cutting the internal column looked difficult until I realized I could chop six inches off the bottom end. Shaping the taper was easy and cutting the keyway by hand was a slow process but who was checking my time card.

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 10:45 am

I'd think it would be easier to cut a clean hole in the new firewall just slightly larger than the column flange, then make up a piece of 1/16" sheet metal larger than the hole and bolt it to the engine side of the firewall after making holes in it as needed to attach the column flange to it. If needed, a spacer made of hardboard or plywood could be used to get the column spaced properly in relation to the steering bracket. That would avoid altering the column and dealing with rivits, and it would permit easy adjustment of the spacing if needed.

I would consider this idea. Look @ pix of 26-7 firewall steering column mounts. Make the mount in this fashion. 2 advantages I can think of are easy & complete removal, VS thru a hole that wont clear the mount and some easy versatility in getting the angle exact to your best fit.

Looks like a 26-7 column. The 26-7 lower bracket doesn’t fit the 24 frame

A couple of things here. As has been said the steering gear in your picture is from a 1926-27 T. You will need to get the correct lower bracket that mounts to the car frame at the lower end for a 1925 or earlier car if you don’t already have one with you 1924 roadster project. I think you can get new correct length spark and gas rods from Langs for a 24 car if you need them. The next problem is that you stock 1924 car uses a high steel firewall, to use a 3/4 inch wood firewall you will need the earlier wood firewall to frame brackets used up to early 1923 with the low firewall cars. Correcting these problems should bring you steering gear position closer to stock depending on how you built your new body.

Keith makes some sense. The very early columns and the 26-7 with the square mounting flanges will be different. Teens and twenties columns I believe are all the same length, regardless of a wood or metal firewall. The difference when using them is in the brackets which hold the firewall to the frame. These brackets have different offsets, which place the cabin side of the firewall in the same relative position, meaning the steering columns can remain the same length.

Hope this helps,
Allan from down under.

Would it make any difference if the lower bracket was moved? Just re-drill some holes in the frame to accommodate the new position.

I would NOT move the lower steering bracket on the frame that the pitman arm goes on.

When Duncan and Fraser built my 1925 wide body roadster, they shifted the steering column by shifting the mounting at the firewall. It was lowered 1.5" and shifted outwards 1". This necessitated a circular wooden spacer, custom made to fill the gap between the metal firewall and the new position of the column flange. The lower bracket remains in the usual place but a steel wedge is used between the bracket and the frame.
Allan from down under

TXGOAT2 wrote: ↑

Fri Feb 11, 2022 7:53 pm

I would NOT move the lower steering bracket on the frame that the pitman arm goes on.

I have done exactly that on my Speedster. It has worked fine. It did however create some clearance issues with the engine pan and the drag link.

Here is something to consider that would affect the choice of the steering bracket on the frame. Also be aware that the '26-27 column does not have a replaceable bushing on the end of the column tube.

By Jeff Humble on November 11, 2008 http://www.mtfca.com/discus/messages/50 ... 1226597205
For the improved 1926-27 T's, the vehicle and the seating was lowered. When the seats were lowered, the steering wheel was also lowered, this was accomplished by changing the angle of the steering column. Now if you had a pre-1926 steering column on your 26 roadster, they either changed the lower steering column bracket at the chassis frame to allow the steering column to follow the proper 26-27 angle, or they had to raise the steering column attachment points at the firewall and dashboard. Since you are having a problem raising the steering column high enough for the flange holes to line up with the firewall holes I would suspect the firewall has been modified. Check the dimension from the top of the chassis frame to the center of the bottom column flange hole and it should be 9 5/8", that is what I measured mine at. If your firewall measures right then there is something wrong with the lower bracket where the column attaches to the chassis frame.
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Also by kmatt2 » Fri Feb 11, 2022 11:44 am
A couple of things here. As has been said the steering gear in your picture is from a 1926-27 T. You will need to get the correct lower bracket that mounts to the car frame at the lower end for a 1925 or earlier car if you don’t already have one with you 1924 roadster project. I think you can get new correct length spark and gas rods from Langs for a 24 car if you need them. The next problem is that you stock 1924 car uses a high steel firewall, to use a 3/4 inch wood firewall you will need the earlier wood firewall to frame brackets used up to early 1923 with the low firewall cars. Correcting these problems should bring you steering gear position closer to stock depending on how you built your new body. --
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The suggestion that Pat made also follows how the '26 column was mounted to the firewall with the bracket below
by TXGOAT2 » Fri Feb 11, 2022 9:45 am
I'd think it would be easier to cut a clean hole in the new firewall just slightly larger than the column flange, then make up a piece of 1/16" sheet metal larger than the hole and bolt it to the engine side of the firewall after making holes in it as needed to attach the column flange to it

i would like to thank all the replys to my question on the length of my steering column. I tried txgoat2 suggestion on making the hole in the firewall slightly bigger than the flange and securing it to the engine side. It worked and now have the correct length on both rods.