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Rag joint elimination

H

HeavyMetal72

1/2 ton status
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Mar 23, 2005
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Location
Las Cruces, NM
Wondering if anyone has eliminated their rag joint. I have a 72 K5 that I am installing cross over steering on, and would like to eliminate the rag joint while I am replacing the steering box. I've searched the forums and Googled it with nothing concrete. Got an email into Borgeson Universal, so I hope they can help!! Any info, on this would be appreciated.
 
For us later K5 guys a Jeep XJ shaft is the answer. There is a write up in the tech section here.
 
The xj shafts work if you get a later model steering box, but the borgeson is one of the only bolt on option. I used a borgeson collapsable shaft with the ends. Just measure the steering box spline size and the steering column spline size and get ends that match.
 
Thanks! I didn't search far enough, I guess. Well, this gives me a starting point. I think I will start looking for an XJ shaft and see what happens. Also found some interesting stuff on the Summit website.
 
I had a early box and didn't know it till I put it in, and its a quick steer not stock so I wanted to keep it, I ended up modding the end of the xj shaft with the end of the shaft that fit the box, works fine.
 
Flamming River shafts are a better unit then the Borgesons. My friend ran a street rod shop for years and used both when they first came out. Borgeson first then Flamming Rivers when they came out with their's. He said the River unit was a much nicer quality piece and it's stainless for rust prevention, said the bogesons would rust and were not rebuildable. The River unit is. That was quite a few years ago, don't know if Borgeson improoved thier design or not. My friends shop liked River products so much they became a dealer for flamming river products. If you interested I can get a phone number and you can call for a price.
 
Borgeson has stainless as well. I got their stainless, unpolished parts but they have polished as well. I've heard the flaming river stuff is good too.
 
bp71k5 said:
Borgeson has stainless as well. I got their stainless, unpolished parts but they have polished as well. I've heard the flaming river stuff is good too.
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Then they upgraded their's because they uned to not be stainless. I bet people were buying the River product more and more so they said we better match products. Is yours rebuildable too?
 
rdn2blazer said:
Then they upgraded their's because they uned to not be stainless. I bet people were buying the River product more and more so they said we better match products. Is yours rebuildable too?
Click to expand...

I bought mine a couple years ago so I don't know when they started offering them. They let you buy each part separately, but I don't know if the joints themselves are rebuildable. They are sealed though so they look like theyll last a long time. I got a collapsible stainless shaft assembly and a combo joint that had a built in vibration damper for the steering wheel side and then got a joint that fit the shaft and the steering box.

Probably any ujoint is better than the rag joint.
 
I used U joints from PSC. They were a great help because I am running an 80 and up box in my 73 which still has the same column. They knew the joint ends I needed. I got a telescopic shaft from Borgeson and TIG welded up my own shaft ends.
 
I think the Flaming River ones are very popular with street rods since they are high quality and they look great. I think the Borgeson ones are pretty good quality but the finish isn't nearly as nice. If I recall correctly, at the time they didn't have a Flaming River one for my application. That may have changed in the meantime.
 
What year is the steering box? Do you know where it came from or what it came off of? My friend said he needs to know the splined shaft diameter. He can probably figure out the spline count from the diameter but if you can count ther splines that would help, save him the trouble of figuring it out. Also, do you want a colapsable unit or just the regular D shaft with U joints at both ends? I asked if he needs a measurement from the end of the colume to the box. He said the D shafts are cut to fit. That do not make a spicific unit for your truck.

Here is FR site if you have not seen it.

http://www.flamingriver.com/
 
I bought my steering gear from PSC and since I went crossover it is a 2wd box. I bet PSC could provide some specific info on boxes.
 
The box is a 72 Chevy 2wd box that I am installing for my crossover steering. These are the specs on the steering box:

Steering Gear Box Input Shaft Diameter : 13/16"
Steering Gear Box Output Shaft Diameter : 1 1/4"
It has 32 splines on the Input Shaft......near as I can count anyway.

After looking at PSC and a couple other sites, it's gotta have 36 splines.....
 
Last edited:
HeavyMetal72 said:
The box is a 72 Chevy 2wd box that I am installing for my crossover steering. These are the specs on the steering box:

Steering Gear Box Input Shaft Diameter : 13/16"
Steering Gear Box Output Shaft Diameter : 1 1/4"
It has 32 splines on the Input Shaft......near as I can count anyway.

After looking at PSC and a couple other sites, it's gotta have 36 splines.....
Click to expand...


I just checked this thread. I will contact my bud with this info. Will get back to ya asap.
 
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