Steering shaft woes

[schendel]

I have a 72 GMC half ton pickup with a bit of steering wandering. I have replaced the ball joints and tie-rod ends and even had it aligned. Then I found a great deal on 33x12x16's I couldn't pass up. Now the steering box is leaking. I believe it's the original box so I just bought a new one. The question I have is how to replace the steering shaft. I have some play in mine and Flaming River and Borgeson only go back to '73. Is there a way to adapt a shaft for a newer model to the 72 and get rid of the rag joint? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[Ryan B.]

Hm, sounds like you need to replace your steering box. What i did is grab an extra rag joint at the junkyard and keep it in my toolbox just in case.. The bearing in my steering shaft broke and i tried to rebuild it but it just isn't the same, theres a little slop in the steering wheel in and out..but its fine for steering when turning almost no slop... I'm gonna have to swap in another steering column that i got for free... /forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif
If that bearing at the end of the steering column breaks, you're pretty hosed. I think triaged found a metric bearing with a close ID and OD to the original bearing.. he had to hone out the shaft the bearing gets pressed into, and turn down the shaft just a bit so the new bearing would press in and fit like the original... /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif

 

[Greg72]

[ QUOTE ]
I have a 72 GMC half ton pickup with a bit of steering wandering. I have replaced the ball joints and tie-rod ends and even had it aligned. Then I found a great deal on 33x12x16's I couldn't pass up. Now the steering box is leaking. I believe it's the original box so I just bought a new one. The question I have is how to replace the steering shaft. I have some play in mine and Flaming River and Borgeson only go back to '73. Is there a way to adapt a shaft for a newer model to the 72 and get rid of the rag joint? Any help would be appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

I've got a Borgeson (sp?) on my '72. The only problem is that they don't know the correct length for your application.....they DO have something that fits. Take a measurement between the steering box splines and the output side of the steering column and call them up with that measurement.

The one they sent me was actually a couple inches too long, but that's fine because their design is basically a shaft with two bolt-on ends. All you need to do is trim down the part to get the correct overall length and then drill a couple of "through-holes". It's pretty easy stuff.....

I feel much better having the Borgeson in there vs. a ragjoint setup if for no other reason than no really trusting that rag joint not to tear and leave me stranded somewhere....

 

[earl87gta]

If you would like to save some cash you can do what I did got to flaming rivers web site and look for the 2 joints you need the one for the steering column and will be part I think one end 3/4 30 spline the other end 3/4 dd. then for the steering box end you will need one that has the corect splines for the steering box you have I think mine was 1in 48 spline and 1in round for the other end. then you can use the dd shaft you have or if you need a longer one for body lift you can just tell the summit racing guy how long you need it I orderd a 1ft and I think I used 10in then use the part of the lower shaft you have now it will be 1in round at steering box end cut the flang off that the rag jount bolted to the other end it shaped for the 3/4 dd shaft to slide in to just slide in the shaft put the you joints on both ends and then just cut off as much of the dd shaf you need to to get it the correct size for you. I got all parts from summit and it cost me less then 150 for every thing. thier is one more option a lot of us for get about I think it is late 70s early 80s vans came with u joints instead of rag jints and you can get them from the salvage yards for almost nothing and just cut the dd shaft to fit thier use to be some one on the board that use to grab them up every time he found one in the salvage yard paint it and sell it for 75 but cant remeber who it was.