Tilt column with manual steering?

[Bonnewagon]

If our cars came with manual steering standard, and power steering was an option, could you get a tilt column with the manual box? Or was power steering mandatory with a tilt column? When I had my tilt column apart I saw that the heart of the tilt mechanism is a plastic sphere that doesn't look like it could withstand the stress of a manual box. I know the steering effort goes down as long as the wheels are turning, but sometimes you need to crank the steering wheel while standing still. I don't think the tilt could stand that.

 

[pagrunt]

I don't recall ever coming across different p/n's for any columns being used with either manual or power steering. If there wound be a difference it would be with the lower shaft & my guess would be based on lenth but I don't know even if there is different p/n's for power/manual applications.

 

[Bonnewagon]

I don't think it would come up in a parts sense. What I mean is would the factory let a car with manual steering have a tilt column? This is the tilt part I am concerned with. It is a hard nylon but I don't think it would stand up to the force required to turn the steering wheel when the car is standing still. Right now I have a manual box w/non-tilt column in my 1968 Firebird project so I can move it around without running the engine. You really have to gorilla the wheel to get it to turn. I also had a manual box in my 1981 Malibu wagon but the column was non-tilt. I know the wheels need to be turning to take the load off the steering but sometimes you can't avoid it when standing still.

 

[Ribbedroof]

My 2 cents FWIW

The plastic would have had to be strong enough to handle steering with the loss of power assist to be certified

AND

Was probably stronger 45 years ago than today with exposure to atmosphere


Couldn't find any documentation that indicated power assist was a required option for tilt, but my GM info is on a hard drive somewhere in a box that has not yet been opened from our little flood a while back

 

[pagrunt]

I couldn't find anything myself on a quick search either but I'm thinking that there were Vettes (early C3) that had tilt/telescopic columns with out power steering.

 

[78Delta88]

I am kind of the opinion also, that manual steering would be not wise with tilt or telescoping/tilt columns. Every tilt or telescoping/tilt units I have repaired or rebuilt in the past were all powered steering units.

 

[78Delta88]

The last manual unit I had driven that came from factory as manual was the Dodge 880. This is the military version of the one ton single (non-dually) pickup and ambulance units. The PS delete was someone's idea of cost saving, when these were ordered. These were replaced by the Chevy 1025 series 1 ton pickup and (Blazer), ambulance, and HQ units. These were all power steering, but non tilt units. All of these were washed out and auctioned, donated to RVFD, or put in impact area for hard targets for gunnery. Replaced by the HMMV.

 

[78Delta88]

As an example, attached is link to 1981 Malibu original sales brochure.

It list power steering as "standard".

1981 Malibu Restoration Information - SS396.com

1981 Malibu Factory Specifications and Chevelle Malibu Parts

www.ss396.com

 

[69hurstolds]

The question's answer resides in the dealer ordering book information. The guide dictates what options were available separately or required with other options. For example, W40 Hurst/Olds option had A/C as just one of the required options. W42 442 did too. With a host of others, mainly deleting chrome bits off the body and such. FWIW, I don't recall seeing a manual steering box with tilt wheel for Cutlass because for most, Power steering was standard for notchback Cutlass by at least 1980. ( Oddly, Salon series [buttless Cutlass] still came with manual steering). Yet tilt wheel was listed as an option on all. I think Chevy started jamming PS in all their Malibus by 1981 as well. And Montes all had PS by 1980. The 79 Monte Landau was standard with PS, but everything else came with manual box standard.

If the fact that PS had to be ordered with tilt wheel, then there should be a blurb SOMEWHERE to this effect, yet I cannot find anything. PS and tilt wheels were seemingly all a la carte options on listings I can find.

Besides, what about everyone running around snatching up all the manual boxes they can and jamming them in their cars without regard to column type? I'm sure many of those had tilt wheels. Why haven't we heard about all those tilt-column-snapping horror stories? 🤷‍♂️

 

[Bonnewagon]

OK so power steering became standard by '81. That would explain my stripper '81 Malibu wagon that had manual trans, no AC, base 229 V-6, standard column, and yet had power steering. When I put a Pontiac 400 in it I threw PS belts a lot so that is why I put the manual box in. I had no trouble on the street because I knew to keep the wheels turning while turning the steering wheel. But at the boat ramp that manual box gave me fits trying to back down a ramp.

The plastic would have had to be strong enough to handle steering with the loss of power assist to be certified

That makes sense so maybe there was no requirement for PS when a tilt was ordered. Or maybe the kind of person that would not spring for PS would also never spring for a tilt column? I too have never seen a tilt column without PS.