Corvette Power Steering Renew Kit
When the power steering system in your 1963-1982 C2 or C3 Corvette begins to leak it may seem as if you are constantly topping off the fluid level.
Our project 1974 Corvette had a power steering leak somewhere and after a quick degrease of the undercarriage, we discovered that the power steering control valve was the culprit. That’s not a great discovery because C3 Corvettes are known for leaking control valves. Since the control valve needed to be replaced, it provided the perfect opportunity to rebuild the entire power steering system with new hoses and a power steering cylinder.
To keep things simple Zip Corvette Parts offers Power Steering Renew Kits for 1963-1979 small-block Corvettes, 1965-1974 big-blocks, and 1980-1982 models. Available with new or rebuilt components, the renew kits include a steering ram and control valve (be sure to return your old ones for core refunds with the rebuilt kits), power cylinder, and hoses. When our box arrived with our new Corvette Power Steering Renew Kit, we headed to the garage…
Click here to learn How to rebuild the Power Steering System in a 1963-1982 Corvette.
C4 Corvette Steering Wheel
Don’t you hate it when you sit in a really nice 1984-1989 C4 Corvette and place your hands onto the steering wheel only to find that it is dirty or worn out? Or better yet it has one of those cheap steering wheel covers on it from one of those local “auto parts” stores. You know… the one we get our wax from! The fact is, your Corvette’s steering wheel suffers from the harsh effects of UV sunlight and while it may have been supple leather in its glory days, now it seems there is more black leather on the floor than the top of your wheel. This doesn’t have to be your C4! Zip Corvette has new reproduction C4 Corvette Steering Wheels that include leather wrapping, padding and stitching as original.
Installation of a new C4 steering wheel from Zip is easy, just slip off your Corvette’s horn button, horn contact and telescopic pawl and you will have direct access to the 13/16” nut holding the steering wheel in place. Use of a steering wheel puller will aid removal and keep you from damaging your Corvette’s steering shaft. Reassemble in reverse order; torquing the steering wheel nut to 45lbs. Once reinstalled your early C4 Corvette is like new again.
Oh, by the way if you own a 1984 or 1985 Corvette and have the “slim” design steering wheel, this is a perfect time to upgrade to the “fat” 1986-1989 design. When installing on a 1984-1985 Corvette, the Horn Button & Horn Contact must be updated as well. This will look great and be a nice addition to the interior of your Corvette. Let Zip Corvette “steer” you in the right direction when it comes to Corvette parts for your C4 Corvette.
By Andy Young – Zip Vice President
63-68 Vibration Dampener
AC-Delco discontinued the 1963-1968 Corvette Steering Dampener nearly a year ago and there hasn’t been a good resource since. Thankfully a new reproduction steering vibration dampener has become available. This item is quite often referred to as a steering absorber or shock, which mounts between the frame and the steering linkage. The new vibration dampener from Zip Corvette fits all non-power steering 1963-1968 Corvettes except 1963-1965 Special Hi-Performance and Fuel Injection models due to their deep oil pan. The new correct reproductions include the mounting pin attaching to the frame and hardware, plus they are Made in the USA.
Note: This steering dampener can be used on any 1963-1968 non-power steering Corvette if it is used with a base motor (shallow) oil pan.
C5 Corvette Column Lock Kit
If your C5 Corvette’s steering column has locked in the past or you never want to experience a locked steering column, install one of our Column Lock Simulator By-Pass Kits for 1997-2004 C5 Corvettes. The by-pass kit will eliminate the problem with your steering column locking up due to a faulty anti-theft system. Included with the column lock simulator are detailed installation instructions and a required hex wrench to help complete installation. Wondering how the column lock simulator works? The simulator disables the factory locking mechanism, while allowing the Corvette’s computer to still believe everything is working problem free. All C5 Corvettes with a 6-speed manual transmission, and pre-2001 C5 Corvettes with an automatic transmission can use this device. 2001 and later Corvettes with automatic transmissions do not have a column lock to override.
1997-2004 C5 Corvette Column Lock By-Pass Kit installation Instructions:
- Using a flat head screwdriver, pry in the center bottom of the fog lamp/trunk release panel and pry it out. Once it pops out, pull it out a couple of inches and disconnect the wiring harness going to it.
- Inside the hole, you’ll see a T-15 torx headed screw. Remove that.
- Next, pry off the panel on the other side of the steering wheel the exact same way. This houses the temperature sensor for some cars. Once it pops off, remove the T-15 torx screw from behind it. Continue reading the installation instructions here…
Corvette Steering Column Couplers
If you are restoring your 1963-1969 Corvette’s steering column then you will be happy to hear that our 1963-1969 Corvette Steering Column Couplers have had a decrease in price. The steering column couplers, which attach the steering column shaft to the steering box shaft are high quality reproductions of the originals and come with reinforced rag joints. Each steering column coupler also features part numbers in castings and correct hardware including the joint bumpers and ground straps. We have these new prices available for all 1963-1969 Corvette standard and telescopic steering column couplers.
A common failure on many C5 Corvettes with even slight modifications is the power steering pulley. The stock, plastic pulleys were not designed to withstand the added horsepower and rpms, which many Corvettes are exposed to after several modifications. This on top of the fact that some of the OEM plastic pulleys are now 12 years old could leave you with a weak point under your Corvette’s hood.
Corvette Power Steering Pulley
Zip Corvette’s very own Billet Power Steering Pulley replaces the stock pulley with a much more dependable, better looking part. Machined from 6061-T6 Billet Aluminum, this 10 spoke highly polished pulley will add brilliance to the front of your Corvette’s Engine. With the addition of this pulley you will be able to add the performance modifications of your choice, without the result of a broken power steering pulley. Exclusive to Zip Corvette, this pulley is manufactured in the United States and will install on C5 & C6 Corvettes.
Another excellent Corvette Part at a low price, exclusively from Zip Corvette.
As with any car, the 63-82 Corvette front suspension has many items that wear out over time. In this article, we cover almost every aspect of the front suspension as well as the steering system.
Front Suspension
This project is a major rebuild job and will take some time, but your Corvette will feel like new and you know you will not need to worry about anything in the front suspension for years to come. This is the perfect project for the winter months.
We replaced the springs, power steering pump, ram, valve, hoses, idler arm, drag link, tie rods, sleeves, control arm bushings, bumpers, stabilizer bar bushings, end kits and shocks on this 1978 Corvette. All 63-82 Corvettes have very similar front suspension and steering parts.
Click Here to read the entire Corvette Front Suspension Rebuild Article.
