collapsible steering column for rarcar?

Just bought this setup for my car. Its a chinese version of the usual setup for circle track cars at least. I have made the rounds of a few of my friends cars and none of them appear to use collapsable safety columns. Like this kit, the column itself usually consists of a length of 3/4 inch mild steel tubing with a u-joint on one end. I'm thinking I would like a little more Ralph Nader in my race car. What are youse guys using?

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/15-Aluminum-Steering-Wheel-Combo-Disconnect-Heims-Brk-/270662085604?pt=Race_Car_Parts&hash=item3f04b7abe4&vxp=mtr

No personal experience, and generally very much inclined to err on the side of safety. That said, assuming you're wearing a full harness, neck support, and so forth, does a collapsible column make sense?

I do recall a GRM article on safety from years ago discussing where padding should be added to the cage, and in pointing out that you should probably pad more than you think, the phrase was something like "You will be amazed at the places in the car you can reach while being thrown around in a crash..."

So there you go; point and counterpoint all in one uninformed post... Let's see what folks who know something say!

I don't see that kit is for a collapsible column. It looks to be just some sort of Steering wheel release.

If I ever get within a foot of the steering wheel in my race car it will require either total failure of a 6-point harness or the car crushing a foot in the middle.

In either case survival would be unlikely.

That said, the wheel and QR are the crazy-expensive OMP stuff.

Another thing to think of is not just you hitting the steering wheel but not having the steering shaft pushed into you (harpoon style) in a front end collision. A collapseable column is a good idea for many reasons.

Yes it is a quick release, and will not fit a factory column. Factory columns are designed to shorten and deflect in an impact rather than spear the driver. It's not about you going to the column and loose belts, it's about the column coming with great force to you and pinning you to the seat like a butterfly on a collection board. I think I am going to do some back engineering.

I remember back in the late 80s, early 90s Audi had a system that pulled the steering wheel and column AWAY from the driver in a head on collision. It was a neat system that used cables hooked to the drivetrain.

Alas, we never got it in the states because people here do not like to buckle up

Mine is "homebrew" collapsable. 3/4 tubing to a 30˚ u-joint using a plastic/alum socket with snap ring to keep it in fixed the firewall. A good two footed kick busts it right out so it can move about 4" before binding against itself. A good enough blow and it would buckle there too. Not scientifically tested on monkeys or anything but like someone else said... if my chest is near the wheel several other safety systems have already failed badly and being harpooned thru the heart might be the best way to end it all.

By race car I assume you mean modified sedan? If so I'd get this pinned and welded to the existing column keeping the standard collapse mechanism. Even with a 7 or other space frame car I'd definitely want a collapsible column. If was a long time ago, but I recall Riccardo Paletti was killed in when he slammed into the back of Pironi's car at the start of the 82 Canadian GP, although the car went up in flames, I believe he was actually killed by the steering column/wheel coming back and hitting him in the chest. I'd never get rid of the collapsible feature.

Every car sold from the factory over the last 50 years or so has a collapsible steering column in some fashion. Why not used the one that came with the car that you're using the steering gear from? Personally, I think collapsible columns are a must, like seat belts. Extremely simple to do and has a huge safety improvement in the case of a head-on collision.

Bryce

Most race cars that use that type of quick release kit use 3/4 od 0.95 tubing and most are smart enough to use several U-joints before the rack so in a big hit the smaller shaft go off center and bend plus the tubing will tweak too. However i don't care for that so i use the stock center of the donor car of the spindels. Normaly we use Chevete spindels thay have a double D section in the middel that gives you a full foot of collapse. One the plus side the hex adapater fit closely to the chevete spline so just mig it on and add a split ring colar on either side of the Heim joint holding the colum up this make it so you can pull or push on the wheel and it will not move but lets the forward half move up in a crash

oh both Sweet and speedway make them for race cars.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/search-Collapsible-Steering-Column.html

In reply to Nashco:

I just pulled the factory steering column out off my 1977 Capri. I'm building the car for vintage racing, and was considering an aftermarket collapsible steering column. Can anyone confirm if the stock steering column is collapsible?

I decided that my steering column actually wasn't collapsible. What they did instead was mount the column to the rack from above so that in collision the rack would tear away from the column. So there are other ways around the problem.

mightymike wrote: In reply to Nashco: I just pulled the factory steering column out off my 1977 Capri. I'm building the car for vintage racing, and was considering an aftermarket collapsible steering column. Can anyone confirm if the stock steering column is collapsible?

if it was sold in the USA after about 1967, then yes, something in the steering system was collapsible, and it was probably mounted to the dash with some sort of system that was designed to break away in a really hard hit. domestic cars generally used slotted aluminum bushings where the column bolted to the body, but i haven't played with enough imports to know what kinds of systems they used.