rudolph schenker

Well I'm having my steering box rebuilt and while it's out I thought I might as well replace the rag joint.
so I ordered this from Ecklers
http://www.ecklers.com/product.asp?p...3&dept_id=1840
Now I'm not exactly sure what goes where, do I need to drill the rivets out of the old joint?



Then I can't seem to figure out what these pins replace as they don't match the originals






Has anybody done this before with this kit? It shouldn't be this hard, right?

Jim Shea

Thank you for posting pictures of the parts that you received in your rebuild "kit". They show exactly why several parts in this particular kit are not good substitutes for the OEM parts. The biggest problem with the kit is shown in picture #2. The common zinc plated bolts in the picture are not adequate to bolt the flex coupling to the steering column flange. These replacement bolts do not have shoulders. Also these bolts should be of two different sizes. The steering column flange has two different size holes for the bolts. The kit supplies two same size bolts.

You must reuse the shoulder bolts that came with your original flex coupling (those black parts shown in picture #4). Make sure that you install the big 3/8 bolt on the same side as the slot in the gear flange. The smaller 5/16 bolt goes on the other. If you reverse the bolts, your steering wheel will be upside down.

You should never make a bolted connection through rubber. You must have shoulder bolts for a metal-to-metal bolted connection to be secure.


Now the next problem is with the stop pins. Yes, you are supposed to grind off the head of the OEM stop pins. Then drive the pins out of the flange. (The OEM hot upset operation really makes a secure connection!)

Now the stop pins, nuts, and lockwashers supplied in the kit are supposed to replace the originals. The problem is that the kit supplies only one replacement stop pin where you need two to match your OEM stop pins.

I can't tell from the photographs if your OEM coupling disc is torn at the bolt or stop pin holes. If the disc is not torn and is still somewhat flexible, I would suggest just reusing it. I would return the kit for a refund.

In the last week I have written two major suppliers of Corvette parts about this problem. I basically outlined these problems to them. One called me back and told me that they would forward my comments to the company that supplies to them.

Jim

Belgian1979vette

Can OEM parts still be had if so, what are the partnumbers ?

Thanks Jim

Jim Shea

1968 through early 1969 (gear flange has full serrations) GM #7806391
Later 1969 through 1982 (gear flange has a flat) GM #7818568

From the pictures at this websight, this company seems to have the OEM flex couplings.
http://www.fastcorvette.com/Steering.htm

When I look at the photo of the part(s) at the Zip Store, it appears that the flex coupling listed for 1969-82 is no longer the OEM part.

Jim

rudolph schenker

Thanks Jim, I was thinking that the replacement kit was either woefully inadequate or I was really missing something. I will return this kit and reuse my old one.

I'm Batman

I found the Help! kit available at most auto parts stores to be far superior to the Corvette vendor-sourced kit...and at half of the price.

SteveG75

Agree with Jim. I just rid mine and the ZIP coupler results in your steering wheel being 180 degrees out. The original is still available from GM so I just got mine from the local dealer.

GlockGuy

Yes, the "HELP" section has some interesting parts when you actually look through it.

stock76

This is not a good part to try to save money on. Do yourself a favor, and those who will be on the road around you, and replace the steering coupler with a genuine OEM part. They are not that expensive. I don't understand it when some people will spend four hundred dollars on a set of aluminum valve covers or some other cosmetic upgrade, but don't want to spend seventy or eighty bucks on a critical steering component like a rag joint.

petty44

I went through the same thing last week I ordered new rag joint from Scoggin Dickey Chevrolet #7818568 $64.07 plus s/h.... my repair kit was questionable at best. But Jim Shea put me in the right direction,,, spend the money and get the correct part... thanks again Jim..
bushog

GaryS

Can you reuse the original stop bolts or is this one of those times that bolts should not be reused?

willem wallace

Take this advice to heart. GM Parts Direct has the OEM part online. This is not a part to try to economize on!

JoeRags

Dont skimp... The GM replacement is $90, but thats the cheapest insurance policy you can purchase for your ride....

jotto

I bought the rebuild kit instead of the full joint for my replacement.....duh!

For the $20 or so it saves...it makes up in the labor times...

do yourself a favor, Buy the complete joint and be happy!

I was lucky enough to have a friend help me with mine. We used the rebuild kit and we had a grinder. I would have been lost if I was on my own with my tools. Spend a few more $$, get the complete joint and replace the whole thing! Good luck.

WESCH

Hi

Just for my info, is the 68 coupler also still available from GM ?

1968 through early 1969 (gear flange has full serrations) GM #7806391


Or can I use the 69 and up coupler on my 69 without problems ?

Later 1969 through 1982 (gear flange has a flat) GM #7818568

Would like to have a new one on my shelf for just in case of.

Günther

Jim Shea

Sometime during the 1969 model year, the manual gear input shaft was changed by adding a flat. The flat was exactly at 12 o'clock when the gear was on center. The flexible coupling was changed at the same time to include a matching flat. A flexible couping with a flat will not assemble to a gear with an input shaft with splines (serrations) all the way around.

Both flexible couplings (with and without the flat) show up on the GMPartsDirect websight. So both of them should still be available through GM dealers.

Since I am very familiar with the Saginaw manufactured flexible coupling, I scrutinize photos that appear on-line and in catalogues. I can usually tell if it is a Saginaw part or one manufactured elsewhere. I have noted flats machined on the wrong side of the gear flange (resulting in your steering wheel being upside down). I have noted stop pins that are much larger than the OEM pins. I fear that some of these flexible couplings may have bolts without shoulders (you can't see that kind of detail in the pictures.) Lastly, I doubt that these flexible couplings have any ground wire, ground strap, or wire mesh in the face of the rubber coupling disc (this might prevent your horn from working.)

I have written to several suppliers outlining my design concerns with respect to the repair kits and my concerns about complete flexible couplings. Two suppliers have contacted me and said that they are forwarding my concerns to the company that manufactures flexible couplings for them (probably the same company for both). I certainly hope that the flexible coupling parts are changed to more correct and secure designs.

Jim

cobra22nd

Wish I had seen this earlier. I am sitting here looking at a zip coupler with the flat in the wrong spot. This is BS, if they won't fix it, I'll call the credit card company. It seems like if you switch the bolts around so you could spin the shaft flange that would work, but one bolt has a bushing that is not quite as big as the other bolt. Another avenue might be to drill out the flange to use the old big bolt and the new big bolt.

There's no mesh or grount strap that I can see, but couldn't you install a ground strap from one of the flange bolts to the coupler bolt anyway?

My old one was shot, so I do not know how that ground was accomplished. Horn wiring is hacked up by a previous owner's attempt to install a toggle switch for it. I only "need" it to pass an inspection anyway, and the shop I use never checks the horn. They only check the glass and the lights.

Anywho. I am going to take this thing down and see if I can pursuade it to fit so that my steering wheel is right side up. I am assuming that you can't just pull the wheel and put it back on upside down. I haven't researched that avenue.

FB007

A door **** is one thing. A major steering component, no way Jose.

cobra22nd

Since the bolts that come with the zips coupler are not shouldered, I decided to try the originals. The big shouldered bolt fit perfectly in the "small" hole--the one that had a bushing in it. The small shouldered bolt was too big for the big hole, so I carefully drilled it out with a 9/16 (it was already 1/2). Perfect fit. However the little metal part wouldn't accept either one, rather than drilling it, I used the crusty rusty one. So all I ended up replacing was the rag joint and the steering box coupler.

I have not installed it yet, but I have verified that my steering wheel will be right side up now. Whew!

RunningMan373

this is an OEM rag i got from Duntov about a year ago. go with an OEM