When renovating your early-model truck interior, it is the ideal time to remove and replace the original worn-out steering column and weathered large-diameter steering wheel. Time, miles, and abuse will take its toll on the column's bushings, bearings, contacts, levers, and switches. As long as you're changing out the whole interior, it just makes sense to upgrade the steering column and steering wheel.
We contacted the folks at Ididit Inc., in Tecumseh, Michigan, known as one of the leading aftermarket manufacturers of straight, tilt, and telescoping steering columns. Ididit steering columns are available in paintable steel, chrome plated steel, polished, or brushed aluminum, with column shift with or without ignition, self-canceling turn signals, four-way flashers, and standard dress-up kit. To satisfy our steering column need in our '60 Chevy El Camino project truck, a paintable steel, five-position column with shift, turn signal, flasher levers was ordered. Completing the steering package, a call was made to Intro Wheels in Anaheim, California, where a Rally billet steering wheel was ordered.
We delivered the '60 Chevy El Camino to Radi's Customs, in Garden Grove, California, and began to break out tools for the easy install. Follow along as we photographed Andy Radi installing the Ididit steering column and Intro steering wheel.
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The Ididit paintable mild steel steering column kit came complete with five-position tilt
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The Ididit column was aligned and inserted through the El Camino's firewall, then lifted i
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A 1/2-inch wrench was used to secure the Ididit steering column support collar bracket bol
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We already installed a Classic Performance Products (CPP) steering box in the ElCo and to
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After the Ididit DD link shaft and DD U-joint were inserted onto the CPP steering box spli
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The Ididit 3/4-inch DD link shaft was then aligned next to the Ididit female U-joint and s
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A Sharpie was used to mark the excess length to be cut using a cut-off saw.
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After the Ididit link shaft was cut to length, it was inserted into the Ididit U-joint and
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The straight Ididit steering column/link shaft, U-joint, and CPP steering box installation
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The Ididit five-position tilt column made for easy seating access and driver steering comf
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After installing the shift lever/knob, turn signal lever/knob, and tilt lever/knob, all th
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A stylish Intro "Rally" billet aluminum steering wheel was slid onto the Ididit splined st
Connecting the Ididit horn wire to the Intro horn cap finished off the steering wheel and
FROM THE DRIVER SEAT
The self-explanatory instructions made for a quick and easy installation of the Ididit steering column. Just as easy was the Intro Rally billet aluminum steering wheel installation. This steering combo will make for a comfortable, reliable, and stylish addition to the '60 Chevy El Camino's interior décor.
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Time Spent Working: 3 Hours
Degree Of Difficulty: Beginner
Tools Needed:
1/2-inch socket and 7/8-inch with 3/8-inch drive, 1/4-inch Allen wrench, cut-off saw, small flat screwdriver
Parts Used:
Ididit '60 El Camino steel, steering column kit PN1140600020 $769.95
Intro "Rally" billet aluminum steering wheel PNRALLY $470.00
Total: $1,239.95
(prices from summitracing.com and introwheel.com and does not include tax, shipping, or installation)