1970 Plymouth Super Bee - Bars and Springs

The Flaming River bracket held the column too low under the dash.

Some simple cutting with a bandsaw fixed the problem.

Now we just turn the bracket upside down and remount it.

Before you finish mounting the steering column, have a buddy help you make sure that it's neither too far into the dash or too far out. One thing you can't see in any of these pictures is the absence of an ignition switch on the column, where it should be for a '70. we plan on installing a kill switch with a pushbutton to start the car. No key required.

The engine needs to be mounted in the car before we begin to connect the column to the rack-and-pinion. Reilly Motorsports has dedicated engine mounts for their k-frame, and on some big-blocks, the boss near the mount may need a little modifying in order for the mount to fit.

Once the mounts are installed, just drop the engine in place. Make sure the car is level before you begin. Once the car is level (as checked on the door sill), you can then level the engine.

Talk about room, the headers literally fell into place. Now, you can mock the steering up around the engine and header.

Once you find out how long a piece of steering shaft you need, start putting it all together. Remember, the shaft must not protrude into the universal joint. Keep it flush on the inside. Also, it's a good idea to dimple the shaft at each spot where the universal's set screws make contact.

Here you can see the finished shaft. Do not have any universal joint working at more than a 35-degree angle, and if you have two universal joints, ALWAYS put a steering shaft support bearing in between them.

There you have it-a complete modernized Mopar front end. Stay tuned as we work on the rear and get this thing rolling.