Well I have finally had time to get back into this project. (Seeing I have sold the house and have to get it out of the garage pretty fast.) Now it is time to disassemble and modify the steering column.
When you lack the proper GM compressor tool, compromise to get the locking ring off.
I will skip the rest of the steering column disassembly as I am sure there are threads about that.
Once the column is disassembled It is time to shorten the main steering shaft. Here is a pic of the shaft and the steering conversion unit to show how they match up, shape wise.
Here is the shaft masked and ready to cut to length.
The shaft cut to length.
Next we cut the steering column housing. It is double walled near the collapse point so it takes a little to get through. I have also ground off the mounting lug on the column.
This shot shows the column housing ready to weld to the bracket on the chain drive steering unit.
Here is the housing now welded to the bracket, ready for reassembly of the column.
Next I used part of the old steering column collapsible section to make the joiner for the column to chain drive unit. I have bolted this with low tensile bolts so in an extreme case of frontal collision they can still snap. These bolts replace the original plastic ones on the now discarded column section.
And here is the finished column. Note the inspection hatch. That is where the column shaft will be bolted to the chain drive shaft. Through the mounting sleeve for strength.
Next thing to do is to mount the column in the car to work out new mounting points for the headlight dipper unit and the neutral safety lock mechanism.
[This message has been edited by AusFiero (edited 04-25-2006).]
Wonderful work. I really enjoy watching you make this conversion. Will you be changing the shifting pattern also? So that 1st gear is up-right instead of up-left?
[This message has been edited by Fiero1Fan (edited 04-25-2006).]
Wonderful work. I really enjoy watching you make this conversion. Will you be changing the shifting pattern also? So that 1st gear is up-right instead of up-left?
This Fiero is an automatic, which is actually harder to convert thanks to the neutral safety switch. But on manuals we have the same shift pattern as the rest of the world. Up left for first.
Where did you get the knowledge to do this? Have you done this before or is it best educated quess?
I would never be brave enough to even attempt somthing like this (or a home chop top).
Great work.
I am basically winging it and solving each problem as it arises. The current problem is where to mount the headlight dimmer switch and the neutrral safety switch as they no longer fit in the standard location. I may take a trip to the wrecking yard yet to see if I can find some smaller units out of another car to adapt them instead. That or mount them on the underside of the column. It will mean modding the cover over the bottom of the steering column if I do that though.
Mine wasn't done this way This would make life alot easier
I too have had the ones with full conversions using the Volvo or Gemini rack but found they never drive just like a factory car. With this method they feel so much better on the road. One to consider in the future if you ever get another Fiero and it is LHD.
Now it is time to bolt the chain drive unit and the modified column together, permanently.
Here is a picture of my inspection hatch that I need to make a cover for yet. The sleeve inside connects the steering column with the chain drive unit conector shaft.
The next 2 pictures shwo the completed unit ready to fit to the car. All painted up and ready to make mounting brackets for. As much as possible I am making this a reversable conversion too so if LHD t-top 88s actually get worth lots of money some day it could be easily converted back.
Aus, I have a question about this conversion. How are you going to relocate the parking brake or are you?
It has to be relocated. The plan is to move the handle to the right hand side and then basically flip the whole assemble over to mirror it. Oh, and solve any problems that may cause along the way. The interior trim has to be cut and plastic welded, and painted. A hole needs to be drilled for the cable to run through. The handle has to be bent to face away from the seat. A new boot has to be made. Probably some new bracketry along the way as well.
Next is a trial fit of the dash after the left hand side mounts for the column have been removed. A perfect fit.
After liberating the steering column mount from the car I bolted up the mount and gauge pod to it, set the right height off the floor.
Slightly off track but even the gauge pod back is designed for the slope of the LHD dash. This has to change.
So here it is trimmed to suit a RHD application.
Here is the pod, steering colum mount and dash all roughed into the car. This is so I can locate the correct spot to mount the steering column mount and keep everything in line.
Here is the mount all lined up read to make barwork to locate it permanently.
Now I have made up most of the barwork to hold the mount in place and to also hold the chain drive unit in place. I still have 2 bars to run from the cross bars up to the file wall to make it all more rigid.
Trial fitting the dash again. At this point I discovered the left side of the dash is hitting some of the brackets on the chain drive mounts. The guy that makes these should have made it 1.5" shorter on the left and 1.5" longer on the right and it would have been a beautifull fit. I will be telling him this as he has sold quite a few to a guy doing Fiero conversions. I am assuming the guy isnt using Fiero dashes. So it isn't a big problem, but just inconvenient. I also had to trim the bottom of the dash to fit.
More to come very soon.
Oh and WOOHOOO, the car now steers from the right hand side.
Looking at the parts used in the chain drive assembly, you could build this thing for less than $200. Something to look into for people on a budget. it's very simple really, and it seems to be all off the shelf components. Stuff you could get done with tractor parts.
I've never seen anything like that before in life. There isn't much demand for converting RHD cars to LHD in this country. The handfull of RHD cars that exist, (mostly JDM imports) just drive along with the RHD.
I'm really interested to see how you change the structure under the dash and mount up that chain drive. Are you working from an example or making this up as you go along?
Actually, those are really common in the US.
A large portion of Driver's Ed vehicles have these installed. That way, the teacher in the passenger seat can get the student out of danger if he / she needs to.
------------------ Todd, 2006 Pontiac Solstice 2004 Volkswagen Beetle Convertible (Wife's Car) 2002 Ford Crown Victoria LX 1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 5-Speed 1987 Pontiac Fiero SE / V6 (3.2L) Auto 1984 Pontiac Fiero 2m4 SE 1981 Pontiac TransAm (Olds 455BB) 1973 Volkswagen Type-2 Transporter
The reason they collapse is when in a collision the front of the car crushes then pushes on the steering column. When the column crushes it does so at the bottom to keep this force from shoving it into you. It has nothing to do with your body hitting it. If the crush zone of the column has been effected then it will be pushed towards the passenger but it apears over a foot of column has been removed so this shouldn't be a problem. Great work AUZ. $1100 is quite steep after working with the chain drive how difficult would it be to duplicate?
It would not take much to make one if you had the right machinery. It isn't something I could make at home. You would need a lathe for a start. Although even farming out the machine work it could probably be made cheaper. At this point I wasn't after cheaper though. Part of the $1100 price is these units are already engineer inspected and passed. That costs $$$.
Well I put the last of the barwork in today to strengthen the steering mounts. It is totally rigid now.
After I finished that and painted the barwork it was off to the motorwreckers to find some pedals to use in the next stage of the conversion. I got these out of a 1985 Holden Gemini. $30 is probably a bit steep but this yard is the only one you can just wander around in these days.
Next I get to work on the wiring (ugh) and the pedals. The pedals will be a crosstubed setup operating the master cylinder and accellerator on the left side of the car. Of course the passenger wont be able to operate them as well as the pedals will be cut off on the left side.
Here is the pedals welded to the cross tunbe setups. This is the early stage of making the assemblies. I had a local machine shop make some ends for the tubes with brass bushings in them for the pedals to rotate freely on the shafts. The brake pedal has to be tig welded and x-rayed for integrity to pass the engineering requirements. Probably a good move being the brakes.
Tonight I decided to get back to the dash so I cut up the ducting system to what is needed to be used in the RHD conversion. The rest has been discarded as it will be in the way.
Here is a back view of the dash with the ducts sitting in place. I will make up new ducting to join everything together while avoiding items in the way. I will probably make enclosed boxes as well to use 6X9" speakers in the dash instead of the factory 4X10"s. A lot will depend on available space.
The pedals will be a crosstubed setup operating the master cylinder and accellerator on the left side of the car. Of course the passenger wont be able to operate them as well as the pedals will be cut off on the left side.
Spoilsport.
Enjoying the write-up over here, Aus. Looking forward to future installments!
Wouldn't it be simpler (and cheaper probably) to move to a country were they drive on the wrong side of the road (I did). good stuff though, keep it up.
Well I found out of my mechanical engineer I am dealign with the shaft I used for the brake is too thin. So back to the metal store today and back to the machine shop. Getting a whole new shaft and tube made up. D'oh.
This is FREAKIN COOL. I'm definately adding a sticky to this one. Very interesting. I just read the whole thing for the first time. This is good to see for doing custom dash work, not just flipping the controls.
------------------ Dana Mitchell Member of the Gateway Fiero Club 95 Impala SS 95 Roadmaster Estate Wagon 87 GT Maroon w/ Silver Auto 86 SE Red w/ Black 3.2L w/ T-440
Personally, I could have just moved all the brake, clutch, gas pedal setup to the right side. You would just have to take he a/c setup out and make firewall. Then get a RHD corvette rack. I am not sure which was is cheaper.
Originally posted by 82-T/A [At Work]: Actually, those are really common in the US.
A large portion of Driver's Ed vehicles have these installed. That way, the teacher in the passenger seat can get the student out of danger if he / she needs to.
This is FREAKIN COOL. I'm definately adding a sticky to this one. Very interesting. I just read the whole thing for the first time. This is good to see for doing custom dash work, not just flipping the controls.
I have owned 2 Fieros with (proper) RHD conversions and I was never impressed with how they drove. My last one was a chain drive also and I was sold on it from then. This way i salso cheaper to convert. And easier. The last thing I want to do is fabricate a new firewall.
I will be back on the job soon. Just spent a week moving house Amazing how much crap you accumulate over the years.
