Many cars and trucks of yesterday have been relegated to weekend-warrior status, as more modern modes of transportation are called in to put on those daily-driver miles. In most instances, we welcome this shift, allowing only the most fun miles to crawl around the odometers of our prized car or truck. And if we’re honest, we also enjoy the nice, tight steering and straight-line handling of our modern cars during each of those mediocre, daily miles. But, if there was a way to upgrade the steering of our vintage rides — would we drive them more? Could we better enjoy each mile put on those rotating odometers? The answer is yes on both counts, and we set out to do just that for our 1964 Chevelle with a steering upgrade featuring a Borgeson power steering box and an IDIDIT tilt steering column.
Being a floor-shifted drop-top, this car was built for chasing the sunset with our favorite tunes on the radio. We wanted to tighten up the steering, but also wanted to update the dash-side as well with a tilt column and a more modern steering wheel to allow for easier entry and egress.
Our '64 Chevelle has given us many miles of enjoyment but it was time to tighten the steering from top to bottom. Our IDIDIT column will mount to the new Borgeson steering box with a new pair of universal joints and intermediate shaft, removing the rag joint completely for super-precise steering.
Our Chevelle has been updated over the years and has given us many miles of smiles, but it was time to revisit its lane-guidance system with the intent of driving it more. It’s easy to get used to the nice, tight steering of a powered rack-and-pinion system, but our Chevelle’s chassis was never intended to compete with today’s automobiles.
We wanted to tighten the steering in our Chevelle but didn’t want to re-engineer its entire geometry. Thankfully, the folks at Borgeson have created a bolt-in upgrade with its Street & Performance Series of steering boxes to close the gap between today’s modern cars and our super-cool, vintage rides.
Removing the old steering box isn't complicated, you need to unbolt the rag joint, disconnect the hoses, and then use a puller to remove the Pitman arm. Once everything is disconnected, three bolts fasten the box to the frame. Just be ready to hold the box and lower it down out of the frame. Be warned, these power steering boxes are heavy.
This new quick-ratio power steering box is designed as a bolt-in replacement for the Saginaw-series steering boxes used in so many vintage GM muscle cars and trucks. It features a quick 12.7:1 steering ratio for a modern feel and also features power assist so your arms don’t get a workout during the process. Keep in mind, that if you are upgrading from a non-power-assisted steering box, you will need to source a power-steering Pitman arm to complete the upgrade.
The new Borgeson steering box (bottom left) is slightly smaller than the original "800-Series" box above it. Borgeson boxes are designed for the newer "metric" fittings, but there are adapters included for the older flare-style fittings (right).
A Bolt-In Steering Upgrade
If your car or truck is already power steering equipped, the Borgeson steering box is a direct, bolt-in upgrade. The company also has a new rag joint to tie the original intermediate shaft to the splines on the new Borgeson box.
With the new steering box bolted to the frame, we installed the Pitman arm and hoses. Then it was time to focus on the ididit column and new intermediate shaft.
Since we were swapping the steering box and the steering column, we opted for a new, double-D intermediate shaft with universal joints on each end. We rid ourselves of the unsightly rag joint at the steering box and used a vibration-reducing universal joint at the column. This gives us a precise, zero-play connection while still isolating us from any noise or vibration from under the hood.
After disconnecting the wiring, we loosened the lower bracket at the firewall and the upper column mount. At that point, our old column and 16-inch steering wheel were ready to come out. Had this been a column-shift model, the shifter mechanism would need to be disconnected as well.
Working our way into the cabin, the IDIDIT tilt steering column was also a welcome upgrade. As mentioned, our Chevelle is floor-shifted, so we didn’t need to mess with any of the shifter linkages, but IDIDIT also offers units for column-shifted cars and trucks. The main benefit of upgrading our steering column was to get the tilt mechanism, which makes getting in and out of our Chevelle much easier. We also installed IDIDIT’s flasher harness for 1964-’66 Chevelles and 1966 Novas. It connects between the OEM harness in the car and the new IDIDIT column and upgrades our Chevelle with four-way flashers! It also contains a pigtail to supply power for the new four-way flasher.
We transferred the rubber seal over to the new column (left) and carefully slid it into the upper mount (middle left). When installing the new column, be sure it is clocked properly so the turn signal and tilt levers are at the 9 o'clock position (middle right). With the column in position, we installed the levers and connected the wiring. IDIDIT has a four-way flasher harness that connects between the factory harness and the new column (right).
Since our car is a convertible, we also opted for IDIDIT’s nine-bolt Quick Release Steering Wheel Adapter to give our Chevelle another layer of security when parked and out on the town. With this quick disconnect, we can quickly pull the steering wheel and stuff it in the trunk. We all know it’s much harder to steal a car when you can’t steer the car!
The splines on the quick-release adapter are cut so that the steering wheel can only be installed one way so you must have the wheels pointed straight during the installation. Then, every time you install the steering wheel, it will be in alignment with the front wheels. The wheel can easily be installed by pressing the wheel and adapter over the splined shaft on the column. You will hear a solid click as the steering wheel locks into place. The wheel can be quickly removed by pulling on the ring on the back of the steering wheel and lifting the steering wheel off of the splines.
The new Lecarra steering wheel is 14 inches in diameter compared to the factory Chevelle's 16-inch wheel. It also isn't as deeply dished as the OEM wheel. This kept the rim of the wheel very close to the same distance from the driver. The smaller size, combined with the tilt column makes getting in and out of our vintage Chevelle much easier.
There are quick-release hubs for a variety of steering wheels and columns. We opted for the nine-bolt quick disconnect with the horn option so everything works as it should when installed. The quick-disconnect hub does take up 2-1/2 inches between the steering wheel and column, but our 14-inch Lecarra steering wheel isn’t as dished as the OEM wheel, so the additional thickness of the quick disconnect is a non-issue.
We ordered IDIDIT's nine-bolt quick disconnect with a horn so everything would still work as it should and we have the added security of removing our new Lecarra steering wheel. The quick disconnect assembly mounts firmly between the column and wheel and can be removed or installed in seconds when wanted.
Completing The Steering Upgrade
Swapping out the entire steering assembly of a vintage car such as our ’64 Chevelle might seem intimidating at first, but these cars are pretty simple compared to today’s component-cramped, computer-controlled rides. There were just a few bolts, one wire connection, and a couple of hoses holding the components in place. Systematically starting at the steering box and working our way up the steering column allowed us to upgrade our Chevelle’s steering without any drama.
There are a couple of things to do that will help make your new steering upgrade work great for years to come. Borgeson recommends flushing the system and filling the power steering reservoir with fresh fluid. You don’t want any contaminants from the old fluid getting into your new power steering box. Before firing up the engine, Borgeson also recommends turning the steering from lock to lock to bleed as much air out of the system as possible, check the fluid level, and fill as needed.
You will also need to make sure the turn signal canceling cam is aligned properly before putting the steering wheel or quick disconnect adapter onto the IDIDIT column. This will ensure that your turn signals will cancel properly in each direction as you straighten out the steering wheel again. You can check out the video above to see how that is done.
Getting in and out of our Chevelle is much easier now with the tilt column and smaller diameter steering wheel. The fact that we can remove it quickly will help if we ever need to do any work under the dash in the future.
Once complete, our Chevelle now handles the highway much better. The steering is precise when centered and the variable ratio, power-assisted box boosts our A-body’s turnability around parking lots with ease. We also really like the tilt option and now, our Chevelle has gotten so much more enjoyable so our daily driver isn’t seeing nearly as many miles!
