Intersting find rebuilding steering box
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Tech Contributor
Joined: Aug 1999
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From: Connecticut, USA
Interesting find rebuilding steering box
I blueprinted a C3 steering box recently and it came out great, if I say so myself! GO to install it with a new GM rag joint and problems arose!!
I finger tightened the pinch bolt with the box in my hand,went to remove the bolt and it's seized in the joint! This is not the first box I've rebuilt so I figured the bolt was hitting the splines and dragging. Nope splines are clear, bolt threads are rolled. Finally get the bolt out and the joint tapped hole must have been rolled to begin with. I chased it with a 3/8-24 tap and used another bolt- fine. Now I noticed the rag joint is tight with the pinch bolt but it's too sloppy on the worm spline
Remove the joint and mic up the NEW worm spline to find it .010-.015" undersize. Tested the new joint on some old worms I have and it fits great and tightens down no problem.
I'm not going to name the supplier becasue they are very well known and back up their parts.
Check the threads in new joints and really check the worms if you replace it on your box.
Question for Jim Shea: the star washer on the new rag joiint is loose enough to fall off- never been on a car or had a nut on it.I'm going to return the joint to GM but if it was an emergency would this still be safe. On the pinch bolt hole,even though I chased the threads the first couple are gone.
Gary
I finger tightened the pinch bolt with the box in my hand,went to remove the bolt and it's seized in the joint! This is not the first box I've rebuilt so I figured the bolt was hitting the splines and dragging. Nope splines are clear, bolt threads are rolled. Finally get the bolt out and the joint tapped hole must have been rolled to begin with. I chased it with a 3/8-24 tap and used another bolt- fine. Now I noticed the rag joint is tight with the pinch bolt but it's too sloppy on the worm spline
Remove the joint and mic up the NEW worm spline to find it .010-.015" undersize. Tested the new joint on some old worms I have and it fits great and tightens down no problem.I'm not going to name the supplier becasue they are very well known and back up their parts.
Check the threads in new joints and really check the worms if you replace it on your box.
Question for Jim Shea: the star washer on the new rag joiint is loose enough to fall off- never been on a car or had a nut on it.I'm going to return the joint to GM but if it was an emergency would this still be safe. On the pinch bolt hole,even though I chased the threads the first couple are gone.
Gary
Last edited by gtr1999; Aug 1, 2005 at 04:43 PM.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 6,001
Likes: 113
From: Saginaw Michigan
The star washer only holds the bolt in place until you attach the flex coupling to the column flange. If the flex coupling was banged around its possible to bend the tangs on the star washer and it might fall off. No problem when things are torqued properly.
If I remember correctly, the first thread or so was counterbored out of the inside of the flange. It was designed that way. I can't remember why.
When you torque the pinch bolt to 30 ft-lbs it really draws the flex coupling flange around the input shaft splines. You should notice that the width of the slot in the flex coupling flange is reduced.
With a properly torqued connection, you will find that when you remove the pinch bolt, the flange doesn't want to come off the gear shaft. You usually need to take a large screwdriver and expand the slot in the flange in order to remove it.
The print diameter for the steering gear input shaft dimension over the splines is .731/.725 diameter. As much as the parts should be made to the print dimensions, I really think that when you torque the pinch bolt in the flex coupling flange to 30 ft-lbs, it will draw the flange tightly around the shaft even if it is .010 undersize.
If I remember correctly, the first thread or so was counterbored out of the inside of the flange. It was designed that way. I can't remember why.
When you torque the pinch bolt to 30 ft-lbs it really draws the flex coupling flange around the input shaft splines. You should notice that the width of the slot in the flex coupling flange is reduced.
With a properly torqued connection, you will find that when you remove the pinch bolt, the flange doesn't want to come off the gear shaft. You usually need to take a large screwdriver and expand the slot in the flange in order to remove it.
The print diameter for the steering gear input shaft dimension over the splines is .731/.725 diameter. As much as the parts should be made to the print dimensions, I really think that when you torque the pinch bolt in the flex coupling flange to 30 ft-lbs, it will draw the flange tightly around the shaft even if it is .010 undersize.
Last edited by Jim Shea; Aug 2, 2005 at 12:31 AM.
