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These 3 steering solutions will sweeten your swerve
The right steering mods can add excitement and convenience to your drive and help you solve age-old headaches.
When it comes to restoration and modification, builders know how important tires, engines and exhaust systems are to achieve the look, feel and performance they’re after. One thing they often overlook, however, is their steering setup—which is a shame, because a myriad of aftermarket options to upgrade the look, safety and convenience of OE steering are out there. What’s more, recent advances in steering technology give builders more ways than ever to customize and improve their rides.
If you’ve been ignoring this important aspect of your build, don’t fret. We’ve got you covered. These cutting-edge innovations can inject a new level of excitement into your drive, add convenience, and even solve age-old headaches you thought you were “just going to have to deal with.”
Retrofit steering columns can help you lighten up.
Builders have been installing aftermarket retrofit columns for decades – and generally found that the aftermarket column would shave about three pounds off the weight of the vehicle.
But with the new Pro-Lite, IDIDIT has found a way to cut the weight of the column IN HALF depending on the OE column being replaced. The average weight savings is between 7-10 pounds – making it a shockingly easy way to shave some weight off while upgrading a vital piece of equipment, the steering column.
At just over six pounds, the Pro-Lite has all the modern safety features you need to keep your ride street-legal (turn signals, four-way flashers, horn), and it’s built to collapse in case of an accident. In other words, if something goes wrong, you won’t be eating your wheel.
Builders who have installed the Pro-Lite all report a similar “Ah Ha” moment when they pick up the column and feel the big difference in weight over OE and even aftermarket columns they typically install.
For reference, it’s the weight difference between a gallon of paint and a Chihuahua.
The Pro-Lite is the first high-quality, lightweight, retrofit performance column built to meet the needs of the ever-growing street-to-strip world. The same research and development team that has made IDIDIT a mainstay in aftermarket steering for more than 30 years has successfully developed a retrofit column that didn’t sacrifice quality to save weight – and with more and more applications being added to the Pro-Lite line up all the time, we are confident the Pro-Lite series is one of the biggest innovations we have seen in performance steering.
Quick release steering hubs can help you loosen up.
Let’s face it: Many modern hotrods and racecars don’t have much room behind the wheel, which means getting in and out of the cockpit can present a challenge that is not only inconvenient, it can be downright dangerous.
If your car is too cramped to climb into and out of easily, removing the steering wheel by installing Quick Release Steering Hub can give you extra inches of clearance when and where it counts.
Quick-Release Steering Hubs are common in racing applications, but the universality of these products make them a great fit for street performance, hot rods, and even off-road applications.
The bottom line: You may not NEED your steering wheel to easily disconnect and reconnect, but you know there are situations where it would definitely be nice.
With the acquisition of QRSH manufacturer Schroeder Steering last year, IDIDIT found a natural fit (pun intended) by adding Quick Release Steering Hubs to their line-up of aftermarket steering accessories – especially its new Pro-Lite performance columns. In fact, when a Pro-Lite column and 5-bolt QRSH was installed on a ’69 Camaro recently, it STILL shaved seven pounds off the vehicle’s weight – even after adding the hardware of the QRSH. When you can add safety and convenience equipment while decreasing weight, that’s a win-win, right?
The right clearance solutions can help you level up your leg room.
For decades, no single issue has frustrated custom car designers, builders and owners like steering clearance. The challenge doesn’t just impact steering, but also limits your engine choice and your foot and leg room. Failing to find a good solution can ultimately lead to an awkward and uncomfortable car. (Looking at you, Street Rodders).
The SideStep, released by IDIDIT earlier this year, solves this age-old problem and can make your life a whole lot easier.
The SideStep provides almost unlimited options for steering-shaft clearance, allowing you to install high-performance headers and install any engine you choose. The extra clearance lets you safely reposition the steering column to increase legroom and improve comfort. Its high-quality construction makes it a durable and low-maintenance addition to your hotrod or street rod – and gives builders a whole new way to approach their modified steering set ups.
Custom builders don’t have to be limited by unadaptable steering locations and awkward U-joints any longer, unleashing a whole new world of opportunities to see a truly blank slate with each new build. What a time to be alive.
Steering is an important, yet often overlooked, aspect of hotrod builds and restorations. Make sure to put it on your list as you make progress on your projec -—and keep these solutions in mind while you’re at it.