Tech Tips

Have you ever wondered why there is no neutral safety switch on our Universal Series columns with a shifter? It’s simple really, we don’t know where to put it. Let’s say you want a 30” tilt column w/shift for your Model A sedan. You would want that switch located in one position whereas the guy with the 1948 Ford pickup will need it located in a different position. Not to worry, we have the solution! If you want a neutral safety switch on your column all you need to do is some simple measuring and tell us where it needs to be. We can then build your column with the switch mounted to your specs. A couple of things to keep in mind…it needs to be a minimum of 1” below the bottom of the wire slot and a minimum of 2” up from the bottom of the tube. We’ll also need to know where to clock it…12:00 is most common but it can be anywhere around the tube.

1- The two tabs on the right side of the Neutral Safety Switch (NSS) control the actual starting of the engine. Hook the solenoid wire from the ignition switch to the top tab on the right side of the NSS. Connect a wire from the bottom tab to the starter solenoid marked with the letter "S".

2- The other two tabs are for back-up lights. One tab goes to a fuse that is hot all the time. The other tab goes to the back-up lights. If no back-up lights are to be used, disregard these directions and do not hook any wires to either tab.

Please Note: The NSS has been pre-adjusted. If you remove the switch to paint the column, you may have to adjust it so it will only start in park and neutral again.

You will need either a continuity tester or ohm meter and a test light in order to test the Neutral Safety Switch. With the vehicle in neutral or park, there should be continuity from one terminal to the other. If you are not sure if there is, you can make a jumper wire. (BE CAREFUL! MAKE SURE VEHICLE IS IN PARK) If all seems right with the Neutral safety switch? Make sure there is power in the PURPLE wire at the starter or starter relay.

The clutch switch should be open until depressed.  Once depressed, it should carry PURPLE to the starter. If your switch is not this style they are available at an auto parts store. If none of this is working, have the two testers ready and stand near your vehicle and give us a call. One of our tech people will talk you through this and assist you in finding the issue. Please note: ididit's ignition switch is designed to drop out of the Acc feed during crank. Therefore, it is important that the fuel pump and engine management system are fed by the PINK ignition feed wires, not BROWN.

When repositioning the lower shift lever on your IDIDIT column shift column, make sure you re-install the supplied LOCK WASHERS and SCREWS. If they are not securely installed, the lower shift lever may vibrate loose, allowing it to fall off the column.

This quick and easy step of synchronizing your IDIDIT Steering Column is often times overlooked and should be done before placing your steering wheel and adaptor onto your column for final assembly. If you look at the top portion of your IDIDIT steering column you will see that the shaft extends further than the length of the column and protrudes through the center of the white Horn Cam, which sits above the top of the column sleeve. The Horn Cam not only acts as the mechanism for your horn, but it?s also ensures that your turn signals cancel. In order for your turn signals to cancel properly the Horn Cam needs to be in the correct position. To do this, check to verify that your driving wheels are pointed straight and your steering column is connected properly to your box or rack. With your thumb and index finger turn the horn cam until the horn tube (the white tube that sticks up) is at the 10:30 position. Now that the Horn Cam is properly aligned your turn signals will cancel like they should and you can now complete the installation of your steering wheel and adaptor. To watch the tech video of this process CLICK HERE.

Ok, you've run the wires for your turn signals and connected power to the fuse panel. You've plugged the column into your harness and then you turn on your left (or right) turn signal to find that all the turn signal lights light up at the same time. What's up with that??? More often than not the issue will be one of two things, we'll start with the easy one first. Check to make sure that your 4-way flasher knob is pulled all the way out. If it is even partially engaged you can get some weird things happening. If your 4-way flasher knob is not the issue we'll look at option 2. Most older cars have dual element bulbs at all four corners. Turn on the lights and they light up. Turn on the turn signals or step on the brake (rear lights only) and they light up brighter. This is assuming of course that your wiring is hooked up correctly. What happens if the wires running to those lights are crisscrossed? Power feeds back through the headlight switch and out to all four of those lights. The tricky part is that it could be any of the four, so you'll have some checking to do. Luckily, it is simple enough to check with a test light. Once you've found the offending wire socket you should be able to reverse the wires and your problem will be solved. If you have any questions feel free to give us a call or email us and we'll be happy to help.

       Click on diagram to enlarge

IDIDIT offers two different horn kits designed to adapt your older, stock GM steering wheels to the IDIDIT column. Part # 2612100040 will fit “MOST” 1955-68 GM steering wheels but we are finding a few exceptions. Our part # 2612100240 will work on the 1965 Impala and Chevelle (not the SuperSport) as well as the 1966 Nova wheel as these wheels have a different diameter. As we identify others we will be sure to keep you updated.

When installing your OEM steering wheel to your IDIDIT Ford Style Mustang Steering Column, the OEM steering wheel must be for the same year application as the column. Use of a different year wheel WILL result in damage to the turn signal switch!

Original Chevy Truck Steering Wheels Original 1960-66 steering wheels will NOT fit on top of any IDIDIT 1960-66 Chevy truck column. With the help of IDIDIT's 1955-68 horn kit w/ ring, a stock 1967-72 wheel will bolt to your 1967-72 ididit steering column. The 1973-78 stock steering wheel will bolt directly to the top of an ididit steering column with no additional accessories or modifications.

As most of you know, if you have an ididit Mustang Retrofit column with a Ford splined top shaft you can bolt your original Mustang steering wheel directly to the column as long as the wheel is for the same year application as the column. (i.e. your stock '65 wheel goes with the "65 ididit Mustang column). Use of a different year WILL result in damage to the turn signal switch. If you plan on using an aftermarket wheel you will need to use a steering wheel adaptor. Grant and Lecarra steering wheels are some of the most popular. Here are the part numbers for the correct adaptors to use if you have a Grant or Lecarra wheel. The Lecarra adaptors should work with any 9-bolt pattern steering wheel. Grant 1965-67 Mustang #3294 1968-69 Mustang #3249 Lecarra 1965-67 Mustang LECBA22404 or old #F-24D 1968-69 Mustang LECBA22400 or old #F-24

The black wire located on IDIDIT's GM Style wiring harness (that most of us may think is Ground) is actually for the Horn Wire. This wire, no matter what anyone says otherwise should NEVER be hooked to anything other than the negative side of the horn relay. If this wire gets any type of power, your column could potentially short out and cause major damage to your vehicle. This is so important that we affix a precautionary sticker on each of the Black Wires of the GM Wiring Harness. We urge you to read all instructions prior to installation.

Original 1969 Camaro floor shift columns came with a neutral safety switch. When installing your new IDIDIT 1969 Camaro tilt floor shift column, you will need to relocate the neutral safety switch to the transmission.

In our catalog you may have noticed that the 1969 Camaro tilt column with ignition cannot be substituted into the Firebird and the 1969-72 Chevelle/El Camino tilt column with ignition cannot be substituted into the GTO. This is due to Pontiac having a different ignition wiring system in the 1969 & 1970 models. If you have any questions regarding this please give us a call!

IDIDIT columns are designed to fit right up against the dash and on some 1964 Chevy Impala SS models there is a tachometer that sits right above the steering column. This poses a slight problem. If you are faced with this issue, when ordering your ididit column simply give us a call or let your dealer know that you will need a column that is 2 inches longer and the added length will give you all the room you need to clear the tachometer.

When installing the Classic Chevy Floor Mount you want to be sure that it is secured firmly to your column, but you don't want to tighten it too tightly. The mount has a strong clamp that secures the mount to the column and if you tighten it too much there is a good chance you could deform your column. It is especially important if you have a column shift column as it will affect the shifting mechanism inside the column. If you are having difficulty getting into any gear, your floor mount is too tight. Our advice is to make sure the clamp is snug, but not too tight.

Defining the type of golf cart you are working on is important when ordering your column. If you have a gas powered cart the horn can be used as it originally came, on the floor or connected to the steering column. If you have an electric cart there is a grounding issue that will need to be dealt with as an electric cart has no isolated ground. Your IDIDIT column needs an isolated ground for the horn button to work. We have a simple solution, however. IDIDIT offers a replacement turn signal lever and relay kit that is an isolated system and allows a functional horn on the end of the turn signal. It does require a special lever and relay pack. This can be purchased and installed right at our facility ($169.14 retail). Or you can install this kit yourself ($119.14 retail).

Here at IDIDIT, we try to get you the best information possible, and now we have a way to make choosing the right parts easier. Click here for a list of the most common steering boxes used on the market, along with their manufacturer and input shaft sizes to help you find what u-joint or rag joint to use.

If your Jeep has a Painless Wiring Harness installed, we recommend that you use Ignition Relay Pack #510297 in order for everything to work properly. Click here for more information.

You just received your new ididit steering column. You open the box, take it out and marvel at the beautiful brushed finish and think to yourself, this looks so good I am just going to install it as is!  WRONG! Unless you stepped up to the brushed aluminum  finish, what you've got there is bare steel. What happens to bare steel if it's not painted? It rusts... and believe us, unless you live in a dessert that column will rust. When we finish assembly of all of the bare steel columns they are rubbed down with rag that is saturated in WD-40. This keeps it looking  good in the short term, but for the long term it is highly recommended that you get some paint on it. Even if you're not sure of the color yet, you need to at least get a good primer down. We have tried various clears... powder coat, clear coat paint, etc. without any long term success. Before doing any painting however, you'll need to clean off that WD-40 and anything else that may have gotten on it. Even the oil from your fingers can ruin a paint job. Mineral spirits or denatured alcohol works great. So while we understand that the column does look nice right out of the box, it won't look good down the road unless you paint it.

These days many cars have LED lights in them, and some of the street rods out there are being retrofitted with LED's. Of course it's fine to use LED's, as they can help update the car's look and sets it off from the others. But if you do decide to go the LED route, one thing to keep in mind is your flasher can, as it will need to be changed over to a no-load flasher. LED lights use much less power than the older incandescent bulbs and will throw off the flasher can.  It will either blink really fast or really slow.  A no-load flasher will easily fix this.

If you use Halogen bulbs in your car then this simple but overlooked tech tip is for you! If one of your headlights burn out, you should replace both of them at the same time.  Replacing just one, will cause the new one to be brighter than the old one. Big deal you might say? But the difference in luminosity could cause a safety concern, particularly at night.  Also, when you do go to replace your bulbs do not touch the glass bulb with your fingers. The oil on your hands and fingertips will cause a hot spot on the glass and will shorten its lifespan greatly.

Here at ididit we offer options on our columns such as cruise control, hi/lo beam switch and wiper switch.  Today we're going to talk about the hi/lo beam switch.  We sell the Ron Francis Wire Works kit.  It consists of a momentary switch that is in the end of either the turn or tilt lever (whatever you prefer) and a relay box.  The installation and operation is very simple with one possible exception...halogen headlights.  If you have halogen headlights you will need the RP-4 relief relay from Wire Works.  This special relay is used in conjunction with the standard dimmer relay to help handle the additional amperage required to work with the halogen head lights.  We stock these kits and will be happy to help you in determining which kit will work for you.

Polished Aluminum steering columns over time can start to lose their shine.  A quick and easy way to restore that shine is to use some Mothers aluminum and mag polish (it's what we use). All you need to apply it is a micro-fiber cloth and some elbow grease while you work it gently into the metal.  Follow the instructions on the polish for the best outcome and your column will be looking like new in no time!

Some Corvette reproduction wheels are made using a late style Corvette bolt pattern.  Here at ididit, we offer two different adaptors for the Corvette. Please note however that the bolt patterns between the two are very similar to one another, but only one works with a reproduction wheel.  We have one adaptor that fits the early 1956-62 Vette, and the other adaptor we offer will fit 1963-66 and 68 Corvettes. The 1963-66 and 68 Corvette adaptor is the one that you will need to fit a reproduction wheel.  The early 1956-62 Vette version will simply not work.  Listed below is an example of the pattern wheel and the adaptors.

We offer black powder coating as an optional finish with our steering columns, however if you plan on powder coating your column with a different color please follow this important tip. Failing to do so could permanently damage your steering column. If you will be powder coating your column at your own powder coater, you can pay for the column and/or accessory from IDIDIT, and we will send you just the parts that will be finished at your powder coater. Once those pieces are powder coated and sent back to IDIDIT, they will then be assembled to your column and the finished product will be sent back to you. By having us do the final assembly, your warranty will be fully intact. This column will be considered "custom" so additional charges may apply, please call us for details.

Rostra Hot Rod cruise control kits for your "throttle by wire" LS engines are now available directly from IDIDIT!  When you're set to order your new IDIDIT column say you have a throttle by wire and we'll install the cruise lever and run the wiring when we build your column. It's as simple as that! Already have your IDIDIT column? This new "throttle by wire" kit comes complete with everything you'll need to install including instructions.

If for any reason you need to take apart the top of your IDIDIT tilt steering column, please use this diagram for the correct re-stacking order.
Click on the link to download the instructions for the re-seating kit. Repair of an Unseated ididit Steering Column  

We never want to be negative, but we also want to be truthful and let you know what our columns won't fit before you buy as opposed to after the sale. Luckily, it is a very short list. Do you have a 1963-64 Impala with the factory tach in the dash? Unfortunately our 1963-64 Impala Retrofit steering column is not compatible with the factory tach; Our column is fatter that the original and the two just don't play well together.

How about an early Mustang with the Rally Pac gauge cluster? Same problem, the bigger dimensions of our 1965-66 Retrofit column just won't work with them.
  

One of the easiest ways to identify an ididit steering column is to find the serial number. This number is so important, in fact, it can even be considered the column's birth certificate! The 6-digit number can be found in the upper sleeve on the inner plate, as show in the photo above. It's very helpful when we're troubleshooting any issues you may have. The serial number tells us when the column was built, who built it, what type it is, what dealer bought it, whether it's a floor shift or column shift, and more. Once we know this number we'll be able to give you tech advice and any information you might need!

Want to figure out if you have an ididit column or not? Here are a few simple features to look for to help you determine if you have an ididit steering column.
1. The ididit column sleeve will have a round cut hole for the 4-way flasher.
2. The ididit column sleeve will also have an oval cut holes for the tilt and turn signal levers.
3. All ididit columns have an ididit foil, mechanically stamped serial number tag located inside the top of the column.
4. ididit columns include a white plastic horn cam.
For an in-depth description of our column features and what to look for, watch this video! HOW TO IDENTIFY AN IDIDIT STEERING COLUMN

We get a lot of calls about how to replace a wire harness on our tilt columns. This can seem like an overwhelming project if you don't have the proper guidance. Luckily, you can just let Jon walk you through it in the video below!

The slit, or cut down the side of the ididit race retainer is normal and is not a break or stress fracture in the piece itself. The slit is made as part of the manufacturing process for the piece. If the race retainer is removed from the column, it should be replaced with the sharp side down. The load spring will rest on the backside (flat back) of the race retainer, and not on the inside of the retainer.

You will need either a continuity tester or ohm meter and a test light in order to test the relay pack.

1. Locate the small BLACK ground wire on the relay pack and with continuity tester check to see if it is grounded to a chassis ground.
2. For the next test you will need to switch your testing tool to a test light.
3. Start this test with the battery still connected and any battery disconnect in an on/run position. Make sure the vehicle is in park or out of gear to ensure it will not move.
4. Using the test light, check for incoming power from the back of the starter or starter solenoid to the relay pack.  This would be the big RED wire on our relay pack.
5. With the key in the ACC Back ignition position the large BROWN wire should have power. Not PINK or PURPLE.
6. Now turn the key past off into the run position. The BROWN and PINK should have power. The PURPLE should not.
7. Turn the key to crank and hold. The PINK and PURPLE should have power. The BROWN should not.
8. If any of the circuits do not cycle as described, the relay could be bad or the terminals may not be seated properly. You should be able to hear and feel these relays click.
9. If nothing is happening the ground has to be bad or the power supply is not there.

You've got the ididit column, and now your looking at steering wheels. You know in most cases that you'll need an adaptor to attach the wheel to the column, but which one do you need? First, to fit an ididit column you'll need one that is designed to fit a 1969-94 GM passenger car column. Second is the bolt pattern.  Aftermarket wheels come in a variety of styles and finishes as well as bolt patterns. Grant and GT Performance wheels use either a 3-bolt or 5-bolt pattern depending on the wheel. There are 6-bolt patterns used by Momo, Nardi, Motolita, Cobra and many more. To make this even more fun, most of them have different bolt spacing! Then there are the 9-bolt pattern wheels from Billet Specialties, Budnik, Lecarra and others. If you don't know what brand of wheel you have, we can usually match it up with the bolt count and spacing between the bolts. Call us, e-mail us, send us pictures...we'll be happy to help you figure it out.

Here's what you need to know when fitting your original GM steering wheel to an IDIDIT steering column.

• Because IDIDIT Universal and most Retrofit steering columns are GM based most GM passenger car steering wheels will fit our columns.
• Any 1969-94 GM passenger car steering wheels will bolt directly onto our columns.
• You will need to use one of our Horn Kits w/Ring in order to fit 1955 to 1968 stock wheels to an IDIDIT column. We have 2 different kits available: 1955-68 Horn Kit (part # 2612100040) is used to adapt most 55-68 GM stock steering wheels Click to watch the video 1965 Impala/Chevelle 1966 Nova Horn Kit (part # 2612100240) is used to adapt a stock 65 Impala & Chevelle wheel as well as a stock 66 Nova wheel. Click Here to go to the Horn Kit product page

• What if it's not a wheel from a car? We haven't tried all the different stock GM wheels that are out there and it can be spotty as to which years fit but here's what we do know; some early 50's GM Chevy Truck wheels fit great where some from the 60's just won't work at all. 1973 and newer pick-up wheels should be a direct fit on our columns.

Not sure what you have? Email us a few pictures and we'll be happy to help! tech@ididitinc.com

Nearly every aftermarket steering wheel out there requires a separate hub adaptor to mount the wheel to the column.  The wheels themselves have a variety of bolt hole patterns with 3, 5, 6 and 9 making up virtually all of them.  ididit makes adaptors for pretty much all of the wheels on the market today.  They are machined out of a solid "billet" of aluminum and are available in a brushed or polished finish as well as chrome plated or black powder coated.  Check out our video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dj-KmXjoISY for a look at the many styles and finishes we have to offer. Here are some of the most frequently asked questions about our adaptors

1. What adaptor do I need to get to fit your columns? Most ididit steering columns are designed to accept an adaptor that fits 1969-94 GM passenger car columns.  Keep in mind that we also offer columns with a Ford top shaft such as our Mustang, Falcon, Ford truck and Bronco columns.  The adaptors used for our Ford style columns are year and model specific.  Please contact us with any questions regarding Ford applications.

2. How much do I tighten the nut that holds the adaptor on? We recommend using no more than 35 ft. lbs. of torque.

3. How much of a gap should be between the back of the adaptor and the top of the column? When you set the steering wheel onto the splined shaft of the column you will see a 1/4 inch gap (approximately.)  The shaft is tapered, so when you tighten the nut the gap should end up between 1/16th and 1/8th of an inch.

4. Can I put my stock wheel on an ididit column? Most 1969-94 GM passenger car steering wheels will fit most of our columns.  Often times we can adapt pre-69 GM wheels as well, just call us for details.  Remember those Ford columns?  Again, they are very year and model specific.  If you have a 1965 Mustang and want to put a 1969 wheel on it, more than likely you're going to damage to both the wheel and the column.  So stick with the one that?s meant to be there! We hope this helps answer a question or two for you.  We're always as close as your phone or computer, so don't hesitate to contact us with questions about any ididit, inc. products.

You will need either a continuity tester or ohm meter and a test light in order to test the ignition switch.

1. Unplug the 4 terminal connector on the column. (RED, BROWN, PINK and PURPLE wires)
2. Connect one end of the tester to the Red wire.
3. Accessory:  Roll the ignition back to ACC the BROWN wire should have continuity, no others.
4. Off: turn forward (clockwise) 1 position from ACC. NO wires should have continuity.
5. Run: turn forward (clockwise) 1 more position. The BROWN and PINK should have continuity, Not PURPLE.
6. Crank: turn forward and hold (spring loaded) The PINK and PURPLE wire should have continuity, not BROWN.

If all was good, plug the column back into relay pack. The column switch is good!

First, measure the diameter of your steering box shaft or rack with a set of calipers or using a tape measure. You are measuring across the shaft; not around it!  Typical sizes are 9/16", 5/8", 11/16", 3/4", 13/16". Next, you will count the number of splines. Sounds easy but often times there will be a flat spot machined on one side. Now what? The best way to do this is to cover up half of the end of the shaft making sure you cover the side of the shaft with the flat spot. Count the splines and then multiply x2. Typical spline counts are 26, 30, or 36.  There are others however,  but these 3 counts cover the vast majority of what's out there. CLICK HERE to see the Borgeson Universal diagram of various steering box, rack and pinion and column shaft sizes and diameters.

ididit GM shaft steering columns use a standard 3 7/8-inch male connect. However, some GM columns use a 4 ¼-inch male connector. Connectors do not interchange and must be used in pairs. A mate to the 3 7/8 inch plug is available through ididit. If you need to change this connector for any reason the following schematic will be helpful. For further explanation CLICK HERE to watch our informative tech video!

When mounting a column, be sure to keep as much clearance as possible between the headers/exhaust manifold and the column tube.  Ideally you should be at least 6 to 7 inches away from headers or heat sources, but we know that may be impossible in some instances. Also note that you should never use heat wrap on the column. Heat wrap should be used on the headers only.  Another option is to fabricate a heat shield to go between the column and headers.

First let's get the obvious stuff out of the way.  We're talking about a bare steel column here.  Not chrome, not black powder coated, not aluminum.  Could you?  Sure, if you're talented enough but you're going to ruin the finish so let's not go there.  We have taken many calls over the years about this and here are a few tips to help you. The #1 most important thing to know is to never, never, never ground to the center shaft of the column.  Those of you that are experienced welders no doubt do not need to be told this but, we have repaired many columns over the years with melted pivot balls and wiring harnesses from people doing just that. #2 is to stay away from the very bottom of the tube.  There is a bushing down there that is made out of delrin and it will melt!  We have replaced many of those as well from people doing this. #3, the wiring harness on most of our columns exits the head of the column at 6:00 o'clock. It then arcs up and around where it exits the tube at 12:00 o'clock. So, do your best to avoid the underside of the top of the tube as well as the wire slot area. #4, try not to heat things up until it's cherry red.  We suggest a series of spot welds.  Hit it, let it cool and repeat.  You can work your way around the tube and achieve a good solid weld.  Another way to prevent excess heat is to use a wet rag.  It will keep the heat localized to the area you?re welding on. Last...we can send you just the part of the column you want to weld onto.  Get it done with none of the above issues to worry about and send it back to us to be assembled.  This is perfect if you're looking at having a chrome or black column.  We'll ship you a completed column with brackets attached.

Attention Ford Mustang owners.  We offer two versions of our Mustang Ford style steering column. Our standard version is used for a traditional setup (a stock box) and our rack version is design to be used with a rack and pinion system. Our "rack" column is made 1 inch shorter in order to lessen the angle of the u-joint when bolted to your rack & pinion system.  For those of you that are thinking about using a Borgeson power assisted box, we recommend using our rack steering column due to it being a bit shorter.  With the 1965-68 Mustang, use of the standard column with the Borgeson box will move the steering wheel nearly 2" closer to the driver. Additionally, please note that we DO NOT have a column that with will work with a 1969 Mustang using the Borgeson box due to the length of the column on the '69 Mustang and the location of the steering box. The added length of the Borgeson steering box makes it a bad fit.

When re-positioning the lower shift lever on your ididit column shift steering column, make sure you re-install the supplied LOCK WASHERS and SCREWS. If they are not securely installed, the lower shift lever may vibrate loose, allowing it to fall off the column.

One of the most important aspects of any steering column installation is making sure that the column is firmly secured. Having a proper floor mount is essential for column function. The ididit swivel ball floor mount is a great looking and safe way to secure your column where it goes through the firewall. Here are some helpful dimensions to ensure a good installation. Degrees the ball will swivel when using a 3/8" thick firewall (fiberglass typically)

• 1 3/4" - maximum 30 degrees from center
• 2" - maximum 25 degrees from center
• 2 1/4" - maximum 17 degrees from center

Degrees the ball will swivel when using 22 gauge sheet metal

• 1 3/4" - maximum 32 degrees from center
• 2" - maximum 27 degrees from center
• 2 1/4" - maximum 19 degrees from center

You will need approx. 4" of flat surface to properly mount the ball floor mount. The O.D. of the rings is 3 7/8". The hole size cut into the firewall for the ball to clear will need to be 2 7/8".

Sometimes we get people who call and tell us that the female end plug doesn't fit and that it's too short for the standard 3 7/8" wiring plug that came with the ididit steering column. Yes it is shorter than the male plug, but rest assured, it does fit. You are only connecting to the end of the plug that has wires attached to it and not the whole plug itself. For aesthetic purposes, you can cut off the end of the male plug that is not used or you can just leave it as it is. Either way you choose, the female end plug will still attach the steering column wiring harness to your vehicles electrical system. For a visual watch our video. 

Have you ever had a shiny, brand new U-joint rust on you? That's because it's not made from real stainless steel. As the name implies, stainless steel will not tarnish. When you purchase U-Joints and wanna keep the rust off, make sure it's stainless steel. ididit carries Borgeson Universal u-joints available in plain steel, stainless steel or polished stainless steel.

As the days keep getting warmer and warmer (finally) we thought we would bring up a topic that we tend to get more calls about in the summer months. Why did I get a shock from my?

• Horn button
• Steering wheel
• and/or Turn signal lever with option

These not so friendly shocks tend to show up (and hurt) more when it's hot out. (It feels like being hit by a lightning bolt!) So when we answer these frantic calls we know what the #1 issue is the column is not grounded well OR the column is grounded well but something else is not. As a rule, all cars with gas or diesel engines should have a ground wire from the battery to the frame, the frame to the engine and the engine to firewall. Thus all systems have ground available. To keep those jolts at bay, ALL electrical components need to have a ground. And trust me if there are none, it will find one. If there is no ground wire in place from the body to the frame, the steering column can become one. By design, the column attaches to the body and then by way of the steering box or rack, it attaches to the frame. A U-Joint or a Coupler makes this ground work but a rag joint does not. A way to test for a proper ground is to use a continuity tester and test from the center shaft of the steering column to the frame. If you have continuity everything is good and you'll be safe from shock. But if you do not have continuity, you need to add a ground somehow. We normally get ground during column installation. It seems inevitable that the column gets scratched where the mounts hold it in place and this is normally enough. Another option you can choose is to drill and install a short screw and wire below the wire outlet on the column. Then run that wire to a known ground source. What else needs a ground? An optional turn signal lever with button, or tilt lever with button will also need a ground due to the electrical components needed to run your dimmer or wiper kit as well as some horn buttons. The most common steering column piece that gets overlooked is the horn button. Especially the billet horn buttons that use a rubber O- ring to hold it in place. For obvious reasons, this O- ring prevents ground. The ground for the button is intermittent at best. To attach a ground, look at the back of the button and located off center you should find a threaded hole or a male spade connector. Using a piece of wire 4-6 inches long, attach one end to the threaded hole or spade connector then attach the other end of the wire to one of the puller holes with a bolt. Doing this will normally fix the grounding issue. Why do these shocks get worse when it's hot out you ask? Sweat! Sweat is water and as we all know water and electricity don't mix. It's not the volts you have to worry about, it's the AMPS! But my steering column is well grounded, could it be something else? Yes, it could be. Just think of this, on a nice hot day the driver's side window is down and your arm maybe resting on the door. If your door has power windows, and has a bad ground, your arm will act as the perfect ground. You touch your turn signal lever to turn and WHAMO! I guess your column did have a good ground! So while getting your car ready to go to your favorite car show this summer, do yourself (and your body) a favor and check those grounds!