Steering column bracket commonality?

[69427]

I was wandering the swap meet area today while the guys were setting up their spaces. I saw one of the stamped steel bracket setups. I'm under the impression that they are retrofittable to early C3s. Is that correct? I'm still not thrilled about disassembling the cluster area on my '69 to get to the present brackets, but if I can pick up some stamped ones cheap enough maybe I'll buy them for installation down the road. BTW, has anyone bought these before? I'm just curious about what they're going for. Given the PITA that they appear to be regarding installation, I'm not inclined to spend too much for something that's just going to "obligate" me to tear the interior up.

Thanks!

Edit: According to the Tech section, the weight difference between the two setups is 4.5#.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

Yes but you will need both pieces,

They should be dirt cheap, it's not like these would be in high demand because someone "lost" theirs from their car LOL

 

[69427]

Yes but you will need both pieces, Yeah, I saw two pieces bundled together.They should be dirt cheap, it's not like these would be in high demand because someone "lost" theirs from their car LOL

Makes sense. These things don't generally wear out (or get lost). :amused:

Thanks for the quick reply.

 

[Twin_Turbo]

both pieces visible here, top and bottom plate:

 

[69427]

both pieces visible here, top and bottom plate:

I have zero experience tearing the dash open on my car. Do the (brake and clutch) pedals and their bracket in any way connect with the column bracket, or are they two separately affixed items? (I'm still trying to find my service manual.)

Thanks again.

 

[Corvettes White]

Mr. Guns & Religion

I have been following your gospel of weight reduction and must say I admire your fanatical efforts.

I have though the same thing about the part in question and the worry I have is that to some degree the cast iron mass up there is acting as some type of vibration damping mass and that the steering column may shake more with a lighter element. The later cars had rubber body mounts but your 69 originally had solid aluminum mounts.

It has been several years since I was under my dash last but if I recall correctily the column mount also carries the brake booster and peddles.

And since you are down there, those peddles are very heavy. How about refabing them out of titanium?

I am also driving a 69

What I have on the car:
Headers
Aluminum Heads
Aluminum Intake
Aluminum Bowtie Small Block
Aluminum Front Brake Hubs
Aluminum SSBC Brakes
Aluminum Water Pump
Carbon Fiber Drive and Half Shafts.
Aluminum Wheels

George:thumbs:

 

[68/70Vette]

I've installed the stamped steel bracket, in lieu of the gross cast iron piece, in my 1970. Installation was a piece of cake since the front instrument panel and dash and steering column had been removed. I think I paid something like $65 to $85 dollars for it. Called up salvage yards advertised in the NCRS Restorer. These brackets were installed on the 82's and I think the 81's.

The side of it facing the firewall does bolt up to the brake/clutch pedal assembly. To install the stamped steel version, you will have to remove the steering column and the driver's seat. The steering column and seat are pretty easy to remove. I think the bolts to the brake/clutch pedal can be accessed after removing the column. The bracket also bolts to the bottom of the windshield frame. I'm not sure how accessbile that'll be for you. But with the column down, you can partially remove and drop down the speedo/tach panel and you should be able to get to them. If the speedo/tach panel is completely removed, it's easy to get to them. So...somewhere along the line of lossening the panel a little to completely removing it, you should be access.

BTY. I installed a hydrobeast. Removing the factory vacuum canister was a terrible job with the steering column in the way. To reinstall the hydrobeast, it was easy to install this with the column out. bottom line .. to remove the vacuum canister, just take the steering column out and make life easy. The hydrobeast is pretty heavy, so to reduce total weight, I installed an aluminum Stainless Steel Brake Corporation aluminum MC.

 

[69427]

I picked up the steering column brackets at the swap meet today. Ten bucks, can't complain. Some surface rust, but no damage or stripped threads. While wandering around I noticed some C4 pedal brackets, made of stamped aluminum. I realize there's about a 99% chance they wouldn't interchange with a C3 stamping, but I'd sure like to see a C3 and C4 pedal bracket side by side.

 

[Corvettes White]

They might - let us know. To tell the truth I can not tell the difference between a '69 gas peddle and a '99 gas peddle other than the chrome detachable trim ring.

George