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Having only replaced simple parts in a couple Saginaw (GM) columns I am by no means an expert in this area. I am wondering if I had an XJ tilt steering column and a Grand Wag tilt steering column side by side could I combine the two to make a tilt wheel manual (Floor shift) column? Will the parts bolt together? Will my stock steering shaft still work? I'm converting to a manual trans and am looking for a clean install. I'm very picky and don't want to mess with cutting off shift levers and trying to fiberglass over the holes or making adapters for steering shafts, ect.

What say you? Discuss.

Probably be easier to get a column out of a Chevy pickup with manual trans...

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not sure

but I do know that some XJ columns literally bolt right into an FSJ. I have one in my honcho. Even the wiring is the same.

As Blake said. It's bolt in. IIRC you need to cut a cable that goes to the shifter on an AW4.

Derf and JPswapmohn are both running XJ columns. Hopefully one of them will chime in. Bit if I remember correctly there is a slight gap in the trim on the shaft.

Yes, there is a gap in the trim where the column meets the dash.

There are also not bolt in. The fire wall flange in the XJ column needs to be cut off and the two piece flange from the FSJ column put on. The electrical is the same and the GW steering wheel will go right on the column. Mine didn't have a cable attached to it for the auto shifter.

Did any of the manual FSJs come with a saginaw tilt column stock? In the many FSJs that I've seen and owned over the years, I've only ever seen fixed columns in manual FSJ. Supers were the only floor shift model I am aware of and were tilt I think, but the key wasn't on the column.

This gap issue and my desire for a stock-like clean installation still has me searching the yard every weekend. Unfortunately The column shroud or base doesn't mount the same way on tilt v/s fixed. I know there has to be some model gm car or truck that came with a longer column base/shroud without all the column shift stuff. The muscle car columns have a little longer base/shroud, but those are hard to come by and are expensive.

CheapJeepBrad wrote:Did any of the manual FSJs come with a saginaw tilt column stock? In the many FSJs that I've seen and owned over the years, I've only ever seen fixed columns in manual FSJ. Supers were the only floor shift model I am aware of and were tilt I think, but the key wasn't on the column.

This gap issue and my desire for a stock-like clean installation still has me searching the yard every weekend. Unfortunately The column shroud or base doesn't mount the same way on tilt v/s fixed. I know there has to be some model gm car or truck that came with a longer column base/shroud without all the column shift stuff. The muscle car columns have a little longer base/shroud, but those are hard to come by and are expensive.

I'm with you on the stock-like clean look. Rumor has it that manual tilt columns did exist in the Laredo Cherokees but I have never seen one. My local JY has plenty of XJ's and I'm sure I could get my hands on a GW column pretty easily. I think I may try combining them when it comes to that point in my build.

HeavyMetalThunder_81 wrote: I'm with you on the stock-like clean look. Rumor has it that manual tilt columns did exist in the Laredo Cherokees but I have never seen one. My local JY has plenty of XJ's and I'm sure I could get my hands on a GW column pretty easily. I think I may try combining them when it comes to that point in my build.

If you intend to combine a GW auto column shift and a XJ auto/manual floor shift column, you will still run into the shroud/base being too short/gap if you use the XJ shroud/base or having unsightly column automatic shift remnants using the GW base.

The issue is that the column base/shroud mounts differently based on floor or column types.

The automatic column base/shroud holds the shift tube with shifter arm at the base of the column for its mount.
Conversely, the base/shroud for floor/manual shift slides over the steering column tube which is wider than the shift tube.

The shift tube doesn't exist in the floor/manual columns. It's not needed. Consequently, the column shift shroud/base slides over the shift tube and would have to be cut/widened/notched/centered/welded to fit the column tube. The opposite is true of the other. It doesn't work well. I have tried it.

So here's the trick... You have to find a floor or manual shift car/truck with either:

1. a tilt column floor/manual shift long enough with a shroud/base to cover the gap (muscle car type is close) I don't know if laredo type exists
or
2. a tilt column that utilizes the auto shift tube to mount a manual/floor type shroud/base. The key to finding this is to look under the hood at the column exit to see if an auto shifter arm exists (but the car/truck is still floor/manual inside interior)

for #2 you have to search GM vehicles and probably not later than 1991.

F'n bullpucky. seems like this stuff would be easy to bolt together. it's convoluted maybe someone out there knows the magic car/truck that has the crossover. It's likely a truck that came with either a floor or column shift as an option and the manufacturer ordered one type of column with two shroud/bases. I recently thought it was IH but the base/shroud is way too short.

http://www.binderplanet.com/forums/inde ... ge.135890/

Of course you could shorten the column tube, but unsure how that impacts the need to shorten/machine the steering shaft.

For reference, here's a pic of someone holding a shroud. The other half of the shroud is bolted to the column tube in this configuration. The innermost tube is the shift tube. This is specifically from a corvette. They have tilt and have the shift tube in the column despite being floor/manual shift.

Corvettes, muscle cars and camaro/firebirds are the only ones I have found that had this configuration. here are the drawbacks. The vette shroud is long enough but very costly. The muscle car stuff is never in the yard, also costly and too short.

I haven't tried the camaro firebird column yet, but that's what I'm looking for now. They are difficult to find in the yard too.

Here is a camaro firebird tilt column:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/80-Camaro-Z28-t ... 2630300796

Here is an ebay auctions for the part needed:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/69-70-71-72-Che ... BM&vxp=mtr

you'd be replacing this part:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Original-GM-Shi ... je&vxp=mtr

Do you have the original tilt shift column?
You can use the upper portion from a 88-94 chevy truck.
I used parts from my factory tilt, a Chevy Truck and a 94 Z28.
I think I understood from your other post that you were wanting to use column wiper and dimmer?
I'll dig through my pics and pm a few to you.
Dan

No good on my pics and I kept a part that you are replacing but, you should still be able to use the upper from the Chevy truck.
Take a look at the pics in this ad http://www.ebay.com/itm/88-89-90-91-92- ... he&vxp=mtr.
The collar should be long enough, and you may be able to trim it down.
Dan

Per cheapjeepbrad, I have a tilt column from a '77 Firebird in my truck. I did this many years ago when these models were probably more plentiful/had not been raided yet. As for the mount, I had to cut the base plate off and clamp mine on. The under dash mount was/is identical. I was able to transfer my lock cylinder, steering lock ring, steering wheel, and wiring connector directly with no alterations; the starter switch is different because of the automatic, but it was on the column and connected to my harness. The length and spine count were dead on. I made sure the safety switch arm was in the "parked" position, then hacked the arm off to eliminate the clutter.
Good luck finding one now.

Nikkormat wrote:As Blake said. It's bolt in. IIRC you need to cut a cable that goes to the shifter on an AW4.

Derf and JPswapmohn are both running XJ columns. Hopefully one of them will chime in. Bit if I remember correctly there is a slight gap in the trim on the shaft.

Late to the party but yes. I'm running parts of an XJ column.

I took the base of the column off the XJ up to the pivot pins. I cut the XJ firewall flange off the base and used the FSJ 2 piece firewall flange. I took the FSJ shaft because the XJ shaft was shorter and has a different configuration. All of the upper parts from the pins at the tilt joint up to the steering wheel are from my stock column.

Everything fits and works just fine.

Here it is partially installed. The black lower portion is XJ. The upper tilt part is SJ.

derf wrote:Here it is partially installed. The black lower portion is XJ. The upper tilt part is SJ.

I can't for the life of me remember, did you end up with a gap at the end? Every time I see that shifter I get serious drivetrain jealousy...

Mustang Shooter wrote:Do you have the original tilt shift column?
You can use the upper portion from a 88-94 chevy truck.
I used parts from my factory tilt, a Chevy Truck and a 94 Z28.
I think I understood from your other post that you were wanting to use column wiper and dimmer?
I'll dig through my pics and pm a few to you.
Dan

Mustang Shooter wrote:No good on my pics and I kept a part that you are replacing but, you should still be able to use the upper from the Chevy truck.
Take a look at the pics in this ad http://www.ebay.com/itm/88-89-90-91-92- ... he&vxp=mtr.
The collar should be long enough, and you may be able to trim it down.
Dan

That's exactly what I am trying to do. Awesome information, thanks!