Swapping a tilt steering column into a 1970 Charger

[Kern Dog]

Ford used those?
I never paid much attention to Fords but I have owned several Chevrolets. Equipment that was on a Chevy was likely used on a Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, etc.

 

[YY1]

Trouble finding pics of the actual package but the last time I saw one at Advance, it said "ford style" right on the pack.

 

[Rockland71GTX]

View attachment 1819940

Trouble finding pics of the actual package but the last time I saw one at Advance, it said "ford style" right on the pack.

I think those are thinner than the Chrysler hockey puck and would need to be doubled or tripled up.

 

[YY1]

I think those are thinner than the Chrysler hockey puck and would need to be doubled or tripled up.

The "hockey puck" is one year only 1973.

 

[kreauto]

Ford used those?
I never paid much attention to Fords but I have owned several Chevrolets. Equipment that was on a Chevy was likely used on a Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, Cadillac, etc.

My 75 Dodge Ramcharger had the hockey puck. My 79 Ramcharger had a tilt wheel.

 

[DeltaV]

Chrysler used GMs Saginaw division for the tilt columns so they had a hybrid sort of harness as evident by the connectors not having matching color wires on each end.

Not that it matters for your use on a '70 Charger, but some 1970's Mopars equipped from the factory with the Saginaw tilt column had front cornering lights in addition to the standard front side marker lights. As such, the turn signal cancelation switch is different...two different part numbers. I only mention this difference in case you run across additional wires or see additional electrical contacts in the tilt column pigtail harness.

I don't know if the above nuance (with/without cornering lights) can be seen in the electrical schematics.

Note:
The turn signal cancelation feature broke on one side of my '79 Chrysler 300 which came equipped with the cornering lights. I was going to replace the switch assembly (the plastic cam arm broke), but found there were two different parts numbers...with cornering lights and without cornering lights. I couldn't find the correct part number for my car when I looked a couple of years ago. It's time for me to search again!

 

[Dennis H]

Put a Momo or cheap Grant on it. Less dish, smaller diameter took care of the gut intrusion and straight-arm German driving style I like. Nice easy friendly horn-tap too.

 

[Kern Dog]

I will be using the same wheel that I have had for years.

It looks nothing like stock but I’m okay with that. I like it.

 

[DeltaV]

I will be using the same wheel that I have had for years.

View attachment 1821125

It looks nothing like stock but I’m okay with that. I like it.

View attachment 1821126

Not criticizing, but what's up with the pedals?
Dress-up chrome on 2, one is plain rubber, and one has no rubber.

***
Looks nice and tidy otherwise.

 

[pnora]

I will be using the same wheel that I have had for years.

View attachment 1821125

It looks nothing like stock but I’m okay with that. I like it.

View attachment 1821126

Tilt takes a different wheel.

 

[Kern Dog]

Ha, Good eye.
When I had the automatic, I put the trim on both the gas pedal and brake.
When I swapped to the 5 speed, I didn’t bother to get the trim for the brake and clutch pedals. The brake pedal pad is a pisser. I’ve tried two on two different pedals and I can’t get them to stay on.
You’d think that would indicate that I am hard on my brakes but I’m not so sure.
I have thought of putting a pan head bolt through the pedal, the clutch too for continuity.

 

[Kern Dog]

Tilt takes a different wheel.

Again, I’m not one that aims for factory correct. The category Tilt did have different wheels with less dish to them. This wheel fits a variety of columns, it is the hub adapter that is specific to a car or brand.
We study history so that we can learn from it. I have notebooks here going back to the mid 90s covering a bunch of topics including the car stuff. If I wrote down how I wired a tilt column in that 74 Duster, I haven found that yet.
It may have been mentioned but sometimes my brain refuses to retain it…. Color coding does not have to match with this harness IF I use a hybrid harness connector and make notes of everything. These Cordoba columns had hybrid connectors. I want to make this a bolt in, plug in deal that is 100% reversible.
Using a stock early 70s ignition switch….

The colors and wire count are close. Using a wire diagram, it looks like I just need to map what the original wires do and then orient the layout in the hybrid harness to match up. I can turn the key and see if the car itself responds and make corrections as needed.

This is similar to the dash harness. Note the male bullet type terminals. They would stay. The ignition related wires coming off of the column could be integrated into a scrap coupler with female terminals.

The soldering would wait until the mock up is complete. I’d test each wire to make sure the car has power in RUN and ACCESSORY.

 

[Kern Dog]

The turn signal switch and wiring will be a similar situation.
Using a column I pulled from a 74 Duster I got a couple years ago…

8 wires in these, they are prettty simple.

The hybrid harness from the Cordoba used 10.

Of course, none of the wire colors matched up!

I could cut the wires on the turn signal switch harness end at the white connector…

Then merge the wires into a connector that fits the car/dash harness.

Again, I’d have to test each wire for function to map what they do and then solder and shrink wrap once it makes sense.

 

[GTXDAN]

If you test the car as it sets now you can record what wire does what so you know when you hook up the tilt column. I know the wiring harness tells you everything, but if you make a list it will be easier than looking at the wiring diagram.

 

[pnora]

Again, I’m not one that aims for factory correct. The category Tilt did have different wheels with less dish to them. This wheel fits a variety of columns, it is the hub adapter that is specific to a car or brand.
We study history so that we can learn from it. I have notebooks here going back to the mid 90s covering a bunch of topics including the car stuff. If I wrote down how I wired a tilt column in that 74 Duster, I haven found that yet.
It may have been mentioned but sometimes my brain refuses to retain it…. Color coding does not have to match with this harness IF I use a hybrid harness connector and make notes of everything. These Cordoba columns had hybrid connectors. I want to make this a bolt in, plug in deal that is 100% reversible.
Using a stock early 70s ignition switch….

View attachment 1821135

The colors and wire count are close. Using a wire diagram, it looks like I just need to map what the original wires do and then orient the layout in the hybrid harness to match up. I can turn the key and see if the car itself responds and make corrections as needed.

View attachment 1821136

View attachment 1821137

This is similar to the dash harness. Note the male bullet type terminals. They would stay. The ignition related wires coming off of the column could be integrated into a scrap coupler with female terminals.

View attachment 1821143

The soldering would wait until the mock up is complete. I’d test each wire to make sure the car has power in RUN and ACCESSORY.

View attachment 1821138

If the wheel and hub are two piece you should be able to get a hub. Non-Tilt wheel the horn contact disc is attached to the wheel and the disc contacts a brass wheel on the turn signal switch. On a Tilt wheel the brass part is an assembly of its own and it gets indexed through a hole in the wheel where a wire passes through to the horn switch. You could call it a clock spring of sort.

 

[Kern Dog]

If you test the car as it sets now you can record what wire does what so you know when you hook up the tilt column. I know the wiring harness tells you everything, but if you make a list it will be easier than looking at the wiring diagram.

Yeah, I am thinking the same thing. I want to use Jigsaw as my test mule.

I’m just trying to muster up the motivation. Cold, cloudy weather kicks me in the gut and we are in a dreary spell here.

 

[stillrunners]

I’ll start out by stating that this is part fact finding and part project.
The direction of this hinges on what information I can glean from others. In short, I need some help.
Our cars had some great features but one thing that the GM guys had that we didn’t was a tilt steering wheel. It seemed like they put those in all sorts of cars while we got nothing unless we drove an Imperial.
If another Mopar built before the 80s had a tilt wheel, I’d love to be corrected on that. (Oops, besides the Cordoba…more on that in a moment)
I had a 73 then later a 76 Camaro years ago. The 76 had tilt wheel and I loved it.
In 2008 or 2009 I put a tilt column in a Duster. The fitment was fine, I just had to shorten and weld the steering shaft to fit. That column came from a floor shift Chrysler Cordoba. I wish that I remember how I wired it up because that is my main obstacle here. I want to install a Cordoba steering column in my Charger. Years ago I pulled two from a self serve junkyard here in town.
Here is one of two that I have:

View attachment 1819101

View attachment 1819102

Unlike late model cars that only tilt from the firewall, old style tilt columns tilted above your thighs and are great for driving comfort as well as making it easier to enter and exit the car. This one would get cleaned and painted so don’t be bothered by the rough appearance.
When the key is turned, a steel rod moves forward.

View attachment 1819106
This moves a section in this unit on the left with the yellow, red, blue and other wires to it. Four of the wires are 12 gauge, the two others are 14.

View attachment 1819107

This has me thinking that they are for the ignition switch.

View attachment 1819118

The other wiring is smaller gauge.

View attachment 1819119

Chrysler used GMs Saginaw division for the tilt columns so they had a hybrid sort of harness as evident by the connectors not having matching color wires on each end. The smaller gauge harness is likely the turn signals, flasher, horn and cruise control!

View attachment 1819121

Oh yeah, it has one of those courtesy lights for the ignition key cylinder.

View attachment 1819122

I know that it is a long shot but has anyone else made this swap? I wish that I took better notes when I did this in the Duster 16+ years ago.
As a default, I guess I could look at a wire diagram for a Cordoba, huh ?

View attachment 1819108

I have a 1969 B-body column shift tilt with cruise control I took out of a 4 door waaaay back.

 

[stillrunners]

I've pulled tilt wheels further back to 1962 out of a Newport wagon......Imperial's had them as well as telescopic like GM had thru the 60's.....have some of those as well....

 

[kiwigtx]

The turn signal switch and wiring will be a similar situation.
Using a column I pulled from a 74 Duster I got a couple years ago…

View attachment 1821149

8 wires in these, they are prettty simple.

View attachment 1821147

The hybrid harness from the Cordoba used 10.

View attachment 1821152

Of course, none of the wire colors matched up!

View attachment 1821154

I could cut the wires on the turn signal switch harness end at the white connector…

View attachment 1821157

Then merge the wires into a connector that fits the car/dash harness.

View attachment 1821166

Again, I’d have to test each wire for function to map what they do and then solder and shrink wrap once it makes sense.

The last three wires - white, green & yellow on the Cordoba loom/plug are likely for exterior hood or fender mounted turn signal mimics. I have seen the same on 70 column wiring. Mopar tended to keep same-same for a while.

 

[Kern Dog]

I didn’t think of that about the hood turn signals. Great point.