Jazz
01-15-2010, 08:17 AM
I am in the middle of an install for an LS1 steering column and LS1 steering shaft into an 1994 Formula. Before beginning the install it was believed that there wouldn’t be any problems and this was essentially a bolt in. Well, that’s actually not the case. The column does physically bolt into the car without any problems but the shaft on the later column is about 2 inches shorter than the shaft on the early one. I can only imagine this is because the steering rack on the later cars has a longer shaft since that’s the only place the room could be made up.
All the electricals work okay, though my security light now flashes and the car won’t start. I’ve decided to have a new key made with the key being the same as the cylinder in the new shaft and the pill in the key being the same as the old. That should solve the security issue. I thought this feature had been programmed out of the PCM but I am apparently wrong about that.
To correct the length issue I intend to cut the factory shaft and add a 2” section of tube to lengthen it. That seems the simplest fix unless someone has a better one besides changing the steering rack which is less than a year old.
All the electricals work okay, though my security light now flashes and the car won’t start. I’ve decided to have a new key made with the key being the same as the cylinder in the new shaft and the pill in the key being the same as the old. That should solve the security issue. I thought this feature had been programmed out of the PCM but I am apparently wrong about that.
To correct the length issue I intend to cut the factory shaft and add a 2” section of tube to lengthen it. That seems the simplest fix unless someone has a better one besides changing the steering rack which is less than a year old.