I just bought an 81 and the first thing I need to do is replace the rag join or repair it using a kit. I have seen the other threads on it and still can not figure out which option is best. I am leaning towards the rebuild kit as the coupler has a lot of surface rust and I know it will be hard to remove from the box and the column.
Does anyone in the forum have step by step instructions on how to do the rebuilt or the replace. I know that there are a few members with experience on this ...Jayr, etc. Help is much appreciated

 

This is a pretty easy fix.

You can pick up a replacement rag joint at NAPA or just about anywhere.
Remove the small lower dash panel located just under the steering column then remove the two bolts holding the column to the dash.

Then, under the hood, remove the two lock bolts at each column end of the rag joint and using a hammer tap the joint up the shaft until it clears the steering box input shaft. This might be easier if you spray the upper shaft splines with some PB Blaster first to help things slide easier.

Then have another person reach in the car and pull the steering wheel down towards the seat enough so that you can gain clearance to tap the rag joint off the column shaft.

When you have the old and new pieces on the bench you'll see how simple it is to remove the bolts and replace the joint. But keep the components "clocked" properly, don't turn them.

Take a picture first if it helps.

Installation is just the opposite.

Whole job should take about 45 minutes.

Good luck......and fill out your profile so I know who I'm talking to.

Best,
Greg

 

With all the above, just a question tho, what is the problem with the existing rag joint? Surface rust is nothing to worry about, the issue with this component is the rubber part tears and thus allows a LOT of steering wheel play. What is yours doing?

 

Before deciding on a kit or a replacement, read Jim Shea's articles on Flexible couplers here:

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/?page_id=4

Jim is an expert on this stuff. I started with a kit and ended up replacing it with a new joint. With the kit I had, The heads of the bolts were pulling through the rubber. Also, I think the rubber is supposed to be conductive for the horn -- the rubber in my kit was not conductive.

Pulling the joint off of the rod coming out of the steering box was much easier than I imagined it would be. You don't have to remove anything from the column other than the 2 bolts. You do have to be careful not to colapse your column though.

 

Thank you all. I think I will replace instead of repair the joint. The main issue is the rag that is worned out. I will read the article and post how it went....Homero

 

I just completed a "everything you ever wanted to know" about the flexible coupling. I am currently working on a much shorter version that will just cover the actual removal and installation procedures. Here is a link to the "everything" paper.

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...hing10de06.doc

Here are some thoughts.
Take a good look at your flexible couplking. Look closely at the stop pins. They should be rusty, or they might have just a light polish mark where they have contacted the edges of the steering column flange. This means that the steering column and the gear have been correctly aligned.

If the stop pins look like a beaver has been gnawing on them (there is a good picture of this condition in the above paper), then it is very important to make sure that you align the steering column to the steering gear when you are putting things back together. Otherwise, you will quickly ruin a new flex coupling in the same way as the one you have replaced. The AIM has a good explanation as to aligning the column. (Here is a scan of the AIM at the same websight as the above paper.)

http://jimshea.corvettefaq.com/wp-co...tallAIMPic.doc

Keep the following in mind. The gear, flex coupling, and steering column components were designed so that they will not come apart without either pulling the steering column back into the driver compartment, or removing two of the three gear attaching bolts at the frame and rotating the gear to gain clearance. Take your pick. There is not enough axial clearance otherwise.

DO NOT hammer on the parts to try and just get them apart. You will collapse the steering column shaft. This will gain you axial clearance but the steering shaft can be a real bear to get back to its original length.

If the stop pins on the original flex coupling look good, that means that the column and gear were properly aligned. If you pull the steering column back in order to gain clearance, you will have to insure that you reinstall the column exactly as you found it to keep the same alignment. If you rotate the gear to gain clearance, you will not be disturbing the original alignment.

The flex coupling flange and the steering column flange both use the same part number pinch bolt to attach them to their respective shafts. There is a slot in both flanges where the pinch bolt passes through. When the pinch bolt is tightened on the flange, it actually pinches the slot and causes the flange to somewhat "wrap" around the shaft. This makes for a very secure connection but it also makes the parts very difficult to take apart.

First completely remove the pinch bolt from the flange. Then set the tip of a large screwdriver blade into the flange slot. Twist the blade so as to open up the slot by a small amount. The flange should slide right off of the shaft. Depending upon the amount of rust, soaking with a penetrant might be in order.

I didn't mean for this reply to get so big. However, there are a number of pitfalls that you should be aware of. There was a lot of thought that went into the design and manufacture of these parts. They are very critical to the safe operation of your steering system.

Jim

 

Thanks Jim, I read through all of your material and decided to order the GM original coupler. Like you said, not much more for a safe part. It should arrive during the earlier part of the week and will install thursday or friday...I will post how it went...homero