fbekholden.com

"Did up the Hr front calipers yesterday , don't those piston boots bring out some colourful language ."

Yes, indeed. Had to get a brake place to show me how:

Install inner and outer seals in their respective grooves.
Lubricate inner seal and the outside surface of the outer seal with brake fluid or rubber grease.
Place the caliper piston over the outer seal and gently work the piston into the bore. The outer seal will expand around the piston and then "pop" home in the groove of the piston.

Job done.

Rob

Errol62 wrote: Mon Feb 24, 2025 12:22 pm Low ratio, or close ratio? I was thinking M22, 173 one tonner box. Ok with a 2.78:1 maybe.


FB ute fixer upper, EK van on rotisserie

M22 had the low first gear , rev its tits off and you are doing 15km/h

I mean that first gear was like a normal second- whatever you call that in terms of low/high. Could do 70ks without even trying.

That sounds like an M21 = $$$$$$$

Thanks again for all the input , picked up a complete diff with 3.55 ratio today so will drop the centre in this week and get new bearings and all shimmed up.

Iv had a search but can't find anything is there a thread of someone fitting up a billet works collapsible column at all ? Or has anyone ? Wouldn't mind having a read before I get started on that

Sent from my SM-A546E using Tapatalk

I cant recall a dedicated thread for a steering column install, maybe check out the modified builds in the "my FB/EK" page

For the collapsible column, it may pay to have a quick call with the engineer. Their views vary, a lot.

Some engineers will allow the "two universal joints equals a collapsible column" rule.
Others want a setup where the column inside the cabin can concertina (i.e. even if everything is folding up around the unis, the stuff inside the cabin has to fold too).
Some also want the mount under the dash (below the gauge cluster) to have the aluminium breakaway keys (i.e. even if everything forward of the dash is folding, the stuff protruding from the dash has to be able to fold too).

I came close to coming unglued when I did the wagon. I used an LX Torana column and discarded the mounting plate for under the dash. I used the factory EK clamp under there, and it looked really neat. The engineer was not too impressed, and wanted the breakaway keys. Took me a long while to find someone who would sell that mounting plate, though finally found one from Alien Retro columns.

Cheers,
Harv

Not a billet type, but Project 2 goes into some detail (with pics) about what was required by my NSW engineer for a collapsable column and the fitting of an early 70s holden column. My engineer was absolutely catagorical that I could not modify the inner shaft in any way ( it slides into intself so that is no problem if you have to shorten the column), and he was ok with modifying the outer mesh tube to fit the space and firewall. The breakaway tabs on the dash mount have to be there, otherwise the column can't collapse towards the firewall when you smash into the steering wheel in a crash ( with mandatory seatbelts in mod car you wonder why this is a thing) and it wont collapse at all when the car crumples towards the driver. I have a plate with 2 aluminium breakaway slides for dash mount that I didnt use if you need it. My holden column came with a 3 point mount that easily fitted onto the pedal box with some minor mods. Mine was out of an LJ Torrie, but I have an H something one at home and it was pretty much the same unit.

I fitted a VT steering column to my Ute and have one for my wagon I’m building it’s collapsible and also has the aluminium tabs where it bolts under the dash.

Hi have a look at this, it goes over 2 pages , its what i did for the steering column to satisfy engineering.

https://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewto ... &start=300
https://www.fbekholden.com/forum/viewto ... &start=315

Greg