Steering Column Numbers

Guys;

Here's a good question (I think, anyway). The 1971 Buick Assembly Manual for Skylarks indicate that the steering columns used for a G.S. 455 is different than those used for other models. If this is the case, one could tell, assuming the column wasn't changed, if the car was equipt with a 455 engine.

Having said all that, where would you find the part number on the unit?

Len

 

455 steering column

len:
there was thread on this subject a few weeks ago . try a search .

 

This fact has been used by those "in the know" to identify big block cars for a while, particularly 71s
Don't need to find the part number; the big block steering column differs by having a bolt-on rag joint.
However, exceptions to the rule have been popping up lately...

 

Thanks. For those of us who are not "in the know" your input is greatly appreciated.

 

I just recently had a lesson in this (Thanks Scott and Ken). Here is a close up picture of a big block rag joint with the bolt in question prominently displayed.

Unfortunately Scott didn't have a bunch of small block ones laying around, only big blocks, so the small block picture in the next post isn't as good.

 

Now here is a not so good picture of the small block rag joint, which is pressed, and therefore does not have the big bolt (I believe the bolt would be on the side of the rag joint closest to the motor, near the fuel filter line in the picture, if this was a big block).

Wow, never thought I would be posting Technical info!!!

:grin:

 

Thanks for the photo. Mine is a big block, just wanted to find the numbers.

Len

 

Boy, it's nice to see that other peoples garages look like mine.

Len

 

And that was just the back half, the front half of his garage has three more cars in it!

 

I am only allowed to take one half of the garage. My wife will kill me if I put her truck out in the cold. It's bad enough my truck has been banished to the outdoors.

Len

 

The part that bolts on to the intermediate shaft, rag joint, is not part of the column. It is the intermediate shaft. You can use an A-body column from 69-72 A-body(Cutlass, Chevelle, Lemans, Skylark) and 70-2 Monte Carlo, Grand Prix.