67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

[Dereck S.]

Removed my steering box to get it rebuilt and noticed shims under the three fasteners between the box and the frame. The three shims have USA 18 stamped on them. They appear to be the same thickness. Box appears to align with the column. Always thought the box was original. Is it possible the factory added shims when needed? It's an early Sept 66 built car with carry-over 66 parts. The column is the early snap-ring type that must have got missed during the recall.
Dereck

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

Removed my steering box to get it rebuilt and noticed shims under the three fasteners between the box and the frame. The three shims have USA 18 stamped on them. They appear to be the same thickness. Box appears to align with the column. Always thought the box was original. Is it possible the factory added shims when needed? It's an early Sept 66 built car with carry-over 66 parts. The column is the early snap-ring type that must have got missed during the recall.
Dereck

Dereck------

I am not familiar with any shims originally installed between the steering gear assembly and frame. Of course, it's possible they were used on an "as-required" basis. However, it's also possible they were installed at some later time, possibly to compensate for some uncorrected frame damage.

[Michael F.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

my car did not have any when I did the body off resto in early 90s.

[Gene M.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

Dereck,
All I tell you is I've done plenty of cars over the years and never observed any shims at the steering box mounting.

My suggestion is to check the positioning of the body relative to the frame for any gross misalignment. The measurement between frame and rocker bird cage should be equal side to side.

[Dereck S.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

All
Thanks for the responses. I have some work to do to understand this. Some things I'm sure of is the body has no signs of ever being hit or off the frame. It's a Texas car with remnants of original tape still on the body mounts. Hard for me to believe the frame is bent. When I bought it there was a modified column in it. He gave me the one he removed which I reinstalled. Any adjustment for alignment under the dash and/or at the clamp? If I remove the shims I don't want to put a bending moment in the column shaft at the snap ring groove. I'm on a mission to figure out why the shims are there and how to remove them.
Dereck

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

All
Thanks for the responses. I have some work to do to understand this. Some things I'm sure of is the body has no signs of ever being hit or off the frame. It's a Texas car with remnants of original tape still on the body mounts. Hard for me to believe the frame is bent. When I bought it there was a modified column in it. He gave me the one he removed which I reinstalled. Any adjustment for alignment under the dash and/or at the clamp? If I remove the shims I don't want to put a bending moment in the column shaft at the snap ring groove. I'm on a mission to figure out why the shims are there and how to remove them.
Dereck

Dereck------

The modified column that was in the car might very well be the answer as to why the shims were installed. If you install the stock column and remove the shims and everything turns out to be normal, that will be more evidence that the modified column was the culprit. However, if there are problems, then I'd go right back to thinking that the shims were installed to compensate for a frame problem because I really don't think they would ever have been factory installed.

[John H.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

Any adjustment for alignment under the dash and/or at the clamp? If I remove the shims I don't want to put a bending moment in the column shaft at the snap ring groove. I'm on a mission to figure out why the shims are there and how to remove them.
Dereck

Dereck -

The multi-layered carcass disc in the coupler ("rag joint") absorbs any minor angular misalignment, and the 2-bolt plate where the column penetrates the firewall is also adjustable up-down and cross-car. I've never seen any steering gear shims on any midyear, nor is there any need for one. They WERE used on C1's, due to the solid one-piece steering gear/shaft/mast jacket design.

[John D.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

dereck

Can you elaborate in the snap ring recall issue ?. I also have a September built 67.

[Joe R.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

dereck

Can you elaborate in the snap ring recall issue ?. I also have a September built 67.

John,

Brought up the 67 steering thread from February. Interesting reading and a LOT of information for you.

JR

[Dereck S.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

Spent the better part of yesterday working on this. I confirmed that the shims are modern front upper A-arm shims 1/8" thick. They have the hole at the top. I loosened the under dash fasteners along with the fasteners on the front clamp. With the box bolted directly to the frame and all the column fasteners loose I was able to visibly align the box and original column I rebuilt. Rag joint misalignment visually appears minimal. When the modified column was previously installed they must have added box shims and readjusted the column mount points. Thanks for all the responses.
Dereck

[Jim S.]

Re: 67 Steering Box To Frame Shims?

1. If shims were optional (if needed) they would still be called out in the AIM. For the most part, if it isn't in the AIM it wasn't a factory operation.

2. I can recall the activities at Saginaw Steering Gear Division, GMC concerning the early 1967 energy absorbing columns and the lower bearing and steering shaft issues. Half of the floor hoists in the engineering garage were in use for full vehicle tests (24/7). Steering columns and steering gears were "spin" tested with various custom set offsets until something broke.

Part of the problem was that vehicle builds at the assembly plants had more offset than predicted. This caused very high stress on the new design, hollow, collapsible steering shafts and on the lower column bearing(s).

I worked in steering systems product engineering at that time but not directly in the steering column area. I have since searched the NHTSA campaign files and cannot find where 1967 Corvettes were campaigned for steering shaft, lower bearing issues. Corvairs, GM A-cars (Chevelles, LeMans, Skylarks, and Cutlasses) were campaigned. Steering columns were removed at the dealerships. New steering shafts, lower bearings, and a clamp with a nut were added to the rebuilt steering column. I also have seen a number of early 1967 Corvettes with the original round wire ring retained lower bearing. So I have concluded that Corvettes were not included in the campaign. Possibly, St. Louis did a better job is installing the steering column than other GM car assembly plants.

Jim