Rag Joint tech

[86Cucvbeater]

Hey ive got an 86 chevy.. i put a 2wd box on it for crossover about a year ago..now im putting a box i got that's already tapped for hydro assist and the rag joint from the old box wont fit on.. this box has a bigger input shaft. do i need to go to a junkyeard to get a diff rag joint? what should i look for? im not sure what year my new box is but the fittings seemed like the same. in what years did the input shaft get bigger?

 

[pauly383]

Don't remember the exact cut off point , but it was late 70's when the input shaft got bigger .

I got my trail rigs joint from larescorp . It has steel in it like a tire .

As for what you have now , it doesn't sound original to begin with , my 83 has the large size already .

 

[4X4HIGH]

1980 1st design and earlier had the large input and also was flare fitting, 1980 2nd design and later had the smaller input and has O-ring lines.

 

[86Cucvbeater]

Ok, which one of you is correct? Anyone have a rag joint for the bigger of the two gearbox input shafts they want to sell? The yards here dont have many old chevys but I'll check if no one here has it.

 

[4X4HIGH]

Well, i've just recently rebuilt a couple steering boxes and can confirm that all 1980 1st design and earlier are flare fitting with large input shaft.

 

[pauly383]

Just rechecked my catalogue . Apparently there are 3 different boxes , 1970-76 flare small , 1977-79 flare large , and 1980-87(88-91SFA's) o-ring large . So I was only going off what I own , 1st and 3rd boxes .

Borgeson lists u-joint shafts in 73-78 , and 79-91 only ( and rag joint shafts the same year breaks ) , so it would be 2 shaft sizes among those 3 different year break of power steering gearboxes .

 

[86Cucvbeater]

Just rechecked my catalogue . Apparently there are 3 different boxes , 1970-76 flare small , 1977-79 flare large , and 1980-87(88-91SFA's) o-ring large . So I was only going off what I own , 1st and 3rd boxes . .

Here you say boxes got big inputs in 77..

Borgeson lists u-joint shafts in 73-78 , and 79-91 only ( and rag joint shafts the same year breaks ) , so it would be 2 shaft sizes among those 3 different year break of power steering gearboxes .

Here says they got big inputs in 79 i guess?

4x4HIGH says he can confirm that all 1980 1st design and earlier are flare fitting with large input shaft but you say that 70-76 are small.

 

[pauly383]

I have a 75 box sitting on the shelf in the garage with a small input . But anyway , they way the shaft maker put it , there must of been some overlap on the production lines . I doubt it is set in stone , they would of used whatever they had left first on the production lines rather than stop production to wait for the new stuff .

I just made sure I had some of each size rag joint in the garage if I need it .


And for that matter , a big fits a small if you crank the nut down enough to close it over it . I watched someone do it in a pinch

 

[86Cucvbeater]

I have a 75 box sitting on the shelf in the garage with a small input . But anyway , they way the shaft maker put it , there must of been some overlap on the production lines . I doubt it is set in stone , they would of used whatever they had left first on the production lines rather than stop production to wait for the new stuff .

I just made sure I had some of each size rag joint in the garage if I need it .


And for that matter , a big fits a small if you crank the nut down enough to close it over it . I watched someone do it in a pinch

thats cool but small wont fit over big. i'll go to the pnp today

 

[marv_springer]

You'll never find a "rule" or "book" that covers all the Saginaw box possibilities.... Just when you think you got it figgr'd out - one will come along and be different.

But more to the point, I hate rag joints and recommend a U-joint. If you know your spline count and diameter, you can get the joints @ stockcarproducts.com

Marv