Stock vs. Aftermarket Tilt Steering Column

[alext14]

I have a 1965, V8, Automatic mustang with manual steering and I'm looking into buying a rack and pinion power steering conversion kit. I did some searches on steering kits and noticed that some of them encourage you to get their aftermarket GM Spline steering columns:

https://cmc.speeddirect.com/amazing/customkititems.asp?CartId={ED8B9997-E80D-40DEVEREST2-9BAC-E0C7C3E8DAC2}&kc=84516%2D250&eq=

and others seem to work just fine with your stock existing steering column, such as Randalls kit.

http://www.randallsrack.com/

My question is what are the tradeoffs (aside from paying for an aftermarket steering column) between me keeping my stock steering column or getting an after market one. Is the aftermarket column shorter then the stock one? Is it easier to mount an after market steering wheel on the after market steering column then on the stock one?

What do you guys recommend.

 

[truck90278]

The aftermarket tilt is ready to go in. Your stock column has to be shortened. Either will work. The tilt columne wiring takes some time to figure out as it is not directly plug in, uses a GM swithch and wiring. It really comes down to do you want a tilt column

 

[alext14]

For those of you with the after market tilt columns. Are they significantly shortler then the stock mustang ones? I mean is the steering wheel a lot closer to the gauge panel then with the stock set up?

I also read somewhere in the forum that people recommend keeping the stock steering wheel (or at least one with the same diameter) with Randalls power steering setup. Is this really neccessary, because I am not really fond of the large original steering wheel in the mustang as it is hard for me to slide my legs under neath it and am planning on getting a smaller after market steering wheel like Grants or something.

 

[mustangchris]

I'd be wary of the randal's set up. After market columns have the center shaft built in, with runners on the top and bottom, which eliminates any in and out movement on the steering wheels, plus the tilt feature is nice. On our original 64-66 set ups the shaft goes all the way from the gear box to the steering wheel. I'm asuming they have you cut that shaft down and fabricate a bottom runner in the column. Without a nut on the bottom to snug this up I see no way to take out all the slack, and with no thread in the middle of this shaft I see no way to mount a nut without some serious modification.
Bigger steering wheels make it easier to turn, but being power steering shouldnt really matter. As for the length of the after market column they have many many different lengths, and diameters available to suit your needs. Flaming river even offers on that colapsesin the event of an accident to cusion your impact.