Hi Wheel,
Congratulations on improving your consistency. That's an important thing to learn. (I know, because I'm still learning it.
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One thing to consider is that it's important to change strategy with the attrition on the final table. It's necessary to loosen up and play hands you might not necessarily play, and it's critical to play them confidently and take into account your opponents' playing styles. This is what your opponents are doing that's intimidating you, I'm guessing. They know you are playing tight and consistently, so when they have a decent hand, they are pushing hard, figuring you will fold. You may need to start learning to push back some, but only practice will help you determine what strategy ultimately works best for you.
Also, keep in mind that there are much better players than me in this forum; I'm okay, but my play level can't match some of these guys, like BBP Guru, elon, or dconnerii. Hopefully some of these other players will chime in and give different (and better) responses.