Steering column safety PSA

[Basilbomb]

Maybe most folks on here already know this, but I just read a thread where a guy replaced his steering column support bolts with hardware store bolts.
We all know those stupid conical bolts can be a PITA to get off and on, but it's dangerous to replace them, as they are quite soft and designed to sheer off in case of a bad accident, allowing the steering column to collapse.
If you replace them with regular bolts and get in an accident (or the next person who owns the van), the column won't collapse and could crush your chest or even go right through you, just like in the bad old days.
These vans have minimal safety features as it is, we don't want to go canceling the few they do.

[danfromsyr]

these vans do not have minimal safety features and in fact instill the thrill of driving into the driver so that a vanagon driver is more apt to actually pay attention to the road.. well that's an opinion I guess.

as for the steering column it's designed to stay fixed to the dash. the lower coupling will uncouple with any deformation impact and the steering wheel will deflect or pivot forward towards the windshield.
you'r chest should not be so close to impact the steering wheel and the safety cage as designed should not crush the dash & wheel towards you. there are always the exceptions in the chaotic forces of a head on impact though.
it is safest to have yourself seated as far back from the dash & wheel as you can comfortably and confidently control the wheel. your seat belt restraint should keep you in that fixed distance.. many many people sit far to close to the steering wheel when driving.. most often an issue with women, but it's a height thing.. so both genders can be victim..

an area of more concern is that the seat belt mounting bolts in the front 'fender' are prone to corrosion that will weaken and negate the benefits of wearing a shoulder belt. this area should be inspected regularly for corrosion and proactive or counter measures employed to assure safety of your restraint harness.

[Wildthings]

Not sure this is true. The shear bolts are designed to shear the head off in installation,leaving the cones as an anti-theft device. Have no idea what strength bolt should be used when the shear bolts are replace.

[Basilbomb]

I agree with you re seatbelts, but you are compromising the column release mechanism if you replace the conical bolts. if you mount the column with regular bolts, it can't pop down and disengage as it is intended if you strike the wheel with enough force. That's why they are those specialty bolts instead of just regular hardware.

[?Waldo?]

Basilbomb, what supporting source documentation do you have that the bolt design is for the reason you state? Please post it. I do not believe that to be true although I have seen is stated before. I have never seen any supporting documentation and would be inclined to change my view if given some.

[bobbyblack]

So, what are the options?

Dremel a straight line across and try a screwdriver to remove and reinstall after work? Would that also change the intended safety properties?

Weld a nut on? Again, strength change? My welds seem really hard, lots harder than the steel I had previously ground down to prep for welding..

Or, at they available on the market somewhere?

-bobby
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'87 Westy 'Flossie','86 Westy 'R1','86 tintop GL - Subi2.2 'J2','83.5 stock tintop L 'ZoomBus','74 Karmann Ghia, '63 Notch

[Basilbomb]

[T3 Pilot]

https://www.vancafe.com/211415549B-p/211415549b.htm
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1988 Vanagon

The most important part in every vehicle is the nut behind the wheel......

[kamzcab86]

[Basilbomb]

[vwwestyman]

Interesting, I've encountered these type bolts in other 80s VWs.

Seems like this could be fairly easily resolved (or at least we'd get some clues) by observing some pics of crashed Vanagons and attempting to determine how many times the bolts broke by the position of the column.
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Dave Cook

President, Wild Westerner Club

1978 Champagne Edition Westy, repowered to '97 Jetta TDI
1973 Wild Westerner
My Thing

[syncrodoka]

The rag joints will fail, that is the breakaway you are thinking of.
The shear bolt snaps off the allen head when it is torqued to spec. If this bolt was designed to fail once it is installed it would be undercut giving it a place to fail, it does not have this. It isn't a "cone bolt", you are looking at the remnants of where the allen head sheared off.
PSA crisis averted

[Zeitgeist 13]

I've pulled quite a few of these cone-bolts, and they all appear to be a regular grade 8.8 bolt with a funny head.

If you want a mushy bolt to replace them with, late model BMWs use aluminum hardware on their engines. They feel like they're gonna shear every time you put a socket to em.
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Casey--

'89 Bluestar ALH w/12mm Waldo pump, PP764 and GT2052
'01 Weekender --> full camper
y u rune klassik?

[newerwesty1987]

To reinforce Doka's post, a "Shear Bolt" of this type is called that because, like he basically said, it's designed to shear off at a given torque spec. In this case, it is for theft prevention. It has nothing to do with the bolt's grade rating or safety.

[danfromsyr]

they pivot forward like this by design
one of our own here survived this with minor injury.
the nice thing of a vanagon is the floor height and that the occupant isn't sitting down underneath the dashboard. where you'd get trapped in a conventional vehicle.

[danfromsyr]

ok heres better pics and direct experience dialogue

[IdahoDoug]

This has been a part of mistaken Vanagon lore for as long as I've owned one. The word "shear" implies the bolts are designed to shear off in a crash to many people. They are not. It's just a security device to prevent vehicle theft. I was a part of vehicle design for many years. I have also taken a few of these off over the years and they are just a plain threaded bolt with a funny head as stated above. Ironically, I have never had trouble getting them loose in mere seconds using what everyone else does - vice grips.

Thanks for bringing it up, however. it is always good to clarify things that need it and this was one. Nobody should get their nose out of joint - it's been repeated a lot.

Witness the incorrect theory that old rubber brake lines can cause a brake piston to stick by holding pressure on the caliper. Not happening, yet it gets repeated here and all over the internet on car forums.
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1987 2WD Wolfsburg Vanagon Weekender "Mango", two fully locked 80 Series LandCruisers. 2017 Subaru Outback boxer. 1990 Audi 90 Quattro 20V with rear locking differential, 1990 burgundy parts Vanagon. 1984 Porsche 944, 1993 Toyota LandCruiser, 2002 BMW 325iX, 1982 Toyota Sunrader

[vanagonjr]

[danfromsyr]

Ooooohh boy, now yer wrong
have had the behavior even after replacing the caliper with a new one.

I've had that happen to 2 vehicles. in fact it;s SOP now to just replace the inexpensive rubber lines when replacing/rebuilding calipers.

a caliper piston returns only from the twisted force of the square O-ring.. it doesn't take much to interfere with that action and limit it's rebounding motion

[hdenter]

I have seen 30+ vanagon wrecks with front end damage. Not one of them had those bolts sheared off. Those bolts provide the pivot point that rotates the steering wheel away from the driver. The column is disconnected when a strong enough force applied to the bumper area forces the lower portion of the column up and disconnects it from the upper section. The previous pictures are text book examples of how the steering column works.

Hans
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'79 triple white convertible bug
'84 sunroof vanagon
'85 weekender