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Jeep XJ Steering Shaft - Sweet upgrade!
- Thread starter jeff in co
- Start date
MCrewsZ71
Newbie
Has anyone tried this conversion on a Suburban? I'm wanting to give it a shot on my 91 V1500.
454Sub
5/8 ton status
They are all the same, so technically the improvement should be the same. Taking into consideration the shape the XJ shaft was in, how bad your factory one was and so on. That being said I have one on my Suburban and it did help, but it also has crossover, 40s and so on. So its not really street able in a normal every day work car kind of way.
mwood1985
1/2 ton status
yeah it fits a Burb too should fit anything with a 73-87 truck and a 73-91 blazer burb. just make sure you get one from a 96 and down XJ. gotta be the little Cherokees. I just walked the junkyard found a jeep with the motor out and got the shaft in a snap. if the motors in the truck still its a PAIN to get it haha
MCrewsZ71
Newbie
Sweet, I'll be hitting the junkyard this weekend!
mwood1985
1/2 ton status
dont forget you gotta weld the ears.
454Sub
5/8 ton status
On a 91 you wont have to weld anything. All you will have to do is grind a trough in the steering wheel stub so the XJ's shaft pinch bolt can go in. Simple.
MCrewsZ71
Newbie
Yea this is gonna be my toy, not a daily driver, so I'm just trying to get some slop out of the steering and I hate the rag joint anyways. Eventually I'm probably gonna go to hydraulic but this seems like a quick solution for now.
mwood1985
1/2 ton status
welding the ears is on the XJ shaft itself. not on anything original to the Chevy
just to add
you don't even need a grinder, I've done 3 installs and only used a V shaped file for each. More or less cause I was too lazy to pull an extension cord out or deal with holding a grinder funny.
If I recall right--wasn't there a few years in the 70's GM 4x4s had a "large spline" steering colum at the firewall side ,and those Jeep steering shafts wont work on those,they only dit the "squared D" type steering colums ?..and a recent thread claimed a shaft from a newer GM full sized van will work on those ?..
I kept the steering colum out of my '74 GMC K2500 when I parted it out and it has that big spline at the firewall side...I think my '82 K2500 had the squared D type..
I have been tempted to grab a Jeep shaft and upgrade my '82,get rid of the rubber disc rag joint--a local junkyard has several of the correct years sitting there with no engines--but I'm thinking what happens once the u-joints in the Jeep shaft crap out or rust up?...can those be replaced ,or are they a one shot deal ?...
I kept the steering colum out of my '74 GMC K2500 when I parted it out and it has that big spline at the firewall side...I think my '82 K2500 had the squared D type..
I have been tempted to grab a Jeep shaft and upgrade my '82,get rid of the rubber disc rag joint--a local junkyard has several of the correct years sitting there with no engines--but I'm thinking what happens once the u-joints in the Jeep shaft crap out or rust up?...can those be replaced ,or are they a one shot deal ?...
Ned Kelly
1/2 ton status
Just in case you haven't seen this option..Chevy van steering shaft posted by CK5'r 1-ton:
https://ck5.com/forums/threads/large-tires-causing-excessive-steering-play-problem-fixed.331176/
I'll be doing the Chev van shaft on mine, easier to find in my area.
https://ck5.com/forums/threads/large-tires-causing-excessive-steering-play-problem-fixed.331176/
I'll be doing the Chev van shaft on mine, easier to find in my area.
I have a 2002 express van shaft in my blazer. I just got an xj shaft for my crew cab. Both seem to be a good solution.
just to add
you don't even need a grinder, I've done 3 installs and only used a V shaped file for each. More or less cause I was too lazy to pull an extension cord out or deal with holding a grinder funny.
In order to cut out the small channel notch for the steering column shaft, I started with a V-file as well to get the first cut going. Then went to a round rat tail file, in order to widen out the channel a little more. After that I went to a drill that had a round rasp file bit attached to it. I hit it with the rasp bit for only 10-seconds, and that was all it took.
I've used a broken off chain saw file ,ground down to fit in my sabre saw or sawsall chuck,to make bolt grooves in shafts before,it fits in tight spots and works fast..
So I'm in the process of installing the xj shaft in my 87 blazer. Did the notch on the column side and heated the shaft to shorten and lengthen to fit on gear box but it hasn't gone all the way in yet. I placed anti seize on the splines but still having a hard time. I pried the shaft a little but maybe not enough. What am I doing wrong? It supposed to just slip in right?
if I recall the shaft that goes inside has to be cut down a hair or it bottoms out .
read post #85 please . we have cleared up a few points on this .
also since you melted the fixed plastic bushings to make it move its best to drill 2 holes and weld a nut on each to make a pinch point from the outer to inner so once its set and installed tighten them . or the shaft can wobble over time and give a little play .
read post #85 please . we have cleared up a few points on this .
also since you melted the fixed plastic bushings to make it move its best to drill 2 holes and weld a nut on each to make a pinch point from the outer to inner so once its set and installed tighten them . or the shaft can wobble over time and give a little play .
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