I'm getting ready to replace the rag joint on my '78 and have an article that was in Corvette Fever a few months ago that tells how to do it. At the end when they are telling you how to put it back together they say to torque the bolts to GM specs. Anyone know what these specs are? Thanks.

 

I really take issue with their article for the following reasons. The GM shop manual says that you either drop the steering gear or drop the steering column to gain clearance to work the flexible coupling off of the steering gear shaft.

The article uses a pry bar to get the clearance. My concern is that with the pry bar, you can be collapsing the steering shaft back up into the steering column. The steering column shaft is designed to collapse (or telescope) in a head-on collision. It has injected plastic in the telescoping joint to lock it in place until telescoping action shears the plastic in a collision.

My biggest concern is that people might not realize that the shaft has shortened and will now try and reinstall the coupling in a stretched condition.

If you go to http://www.corvettefaq.com and look under Steering, I have several papers that will help you with this procedure.

Adjust Dimmer and/or Ignition Switch (Good info on dropping the steering column)
Flex Coupling Installation Instructions
Flex Coupling Pics

By the way the torque specs are as follows:
Steering Coupling to Column Flange Nuts 20 ft-lbs
Steering Coupling and Steering Column Flange Bolts 30 ft-lbs

If you drop the gear:
Steering Gear Mounting Bolts 70 ft-lbs



[Modified by Jim Shea, 9:46 AM 6/27/2002]

 

They also don't remobe the locating tabs, those red things.

Marck

 

Wow, thanks guys. Appreciate it. I think I made a mistake in my purchases though. I bought the repair kit from Corvette Central, which is the bolts and the flexible coupling, but without any flanges, etc. Should I have bought the part with the flange attached already? Should I just save what I have now and order the other part? Thoughts?

 

I ordered OEM from Jeff Kopp here on the forum, P/N is
7818568 for the coupling and 7807271 for the bolts. Cost was $45.25 for coupling and $11.48 for the two bolts ($11.48 for two bolts?????????). I dropped the steering gear to do mine. Was fairly easy. Good luck.

 

Jim, if the plastic part in the column shears (I think mine is pushed back by about 1") is this repairable or do you have to replace the entire column?

For now the rag joint is installe dbut doesn't have enouhg bite on either side for my taste (or safety :eek: )

 

To help you determine if your steering shaft is collapsed.

The bare steering shaft should be sticking out from the column lower bearing by 4.5 inches. Just measure from the very end of the shaft right up to where the bearing engages the shaft.

The distance from the very end of the steering column shaft to the very tip of the steering gear input shaft should be 1.3 inches max. Nominal distance should be closer to 1 inch.

You can try and pull your column shaft out of the column to get to the 4.5 inches. The telescoping section inside the steering column is sort of rectangular shaped so the fact that the shaft telescoped is not a safety concern.

 

Jim,

I have a rebuild kit for the control valve and I suspect there are parts missing. My contol valve did not have the O ring & the valve shaft washer. The rebuild kit doesn't have it either. How can this be? Do you know what thickness the washer is and what diameter the o-ring has to be?

I took apart another valve and that one didn't have these 2 items in it either.

Thanks,

Marck


[Modified by Twinnie, 3:14 PM 6/27/2002]

 

in my humble opinion it is much easier to drop the steering wheel that to drop the gear...
i just did this and dropping the wheel was a piece of cake...

 

I just finished this project on my '69, using Jim's article and lots of advice from forum members. What a difference! My original one was totally trashed. It drives like a completely different car now. BTW, thanks for all the help guys!!

Jeff Broughton

 

Thanks Jim!

 

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com will take eMail questions. I sent them one with the steering shaft part number. I couldn't find it by putting the part number into their automated system. They got my eMail but so far haven't responded. They may be able to find that the number has been superceded by another number that I don't know about. You do have a standard (non-adjustable) column don't you?

 

No. I have tilt-tele.

Thanks for the link and I look forward to the response.

 

Monkeywrench,
I was getting you confused with the others that were posting here. The steering shaft in the T&T column is also injected and has the same telescoping feature as the standard steering shaft in case of an accident.

This feature is completely separate from the steering wheel telescoping mechanism. You have the plastic tilt spheres and the upper yoke with the steering wheel telescoping mechanism. You also have the middle steering shaft which starts with a yoke that attaches to the plastic spheres and then is solid and extends down to the middle of the column where it meets the lower tubular steering shaft. The two shafts slide together with a very precision fit and then Saginaw injects melted plastic into the joint to lock them together. The plastic shears in a frontal collision and the lower and the middle shaft telescope over each other.

Even though they both are plastic injected, the standard (non-adjustable) column steering shaft is a different part than the T&T shaft. So far we haven't been able to find the standard column steering shaft. I am afraid that we are going to have the same problem with the T&T shaft.

I just checked some Dr. Rebuild blowups that I downloaded last December. He doesn't list either the standard or the T&T steering shafts as being available.

Both the standard and the T&T shafts overlap by a large amount. So you always have steering integrity. It is the opinion of some that even with the steering shaft collapsed and the plastic sheared in the joint, the upper solid shaft and the tubular shaft shouldn't develop any lash in any case.

 

I have the same kit, and I was wondering about it. It came in a bag and I haven't opened the bag yet. What concerns me is that the rag joint, if assembled with this kit, does not provide a positive attachment between the steering column and the steering box. In the OEM design, the two different sized bolts are attached to the steering column with nuts. With the rebuild kit, two different sized pins are used, with no positive attachment possible. I think I'm going to send the kit back and buy the OEM part.

 

I'm thinking I will do the same thing. Since I am no seasoned mechanic it would probably be better to get something that just goes right in.

 

So far GMPartsDirect has not answered me concerning the steering shaft part numbers. Maybe I will have to bug them again after the 4rth.

I think that the GM flexible coupling assembly is a good investment as compared to the do it yourself kit.

Have a happy 4rth

 

Thanks Jim. Post back if they ever answer. I'll bug 'em too. :D

I think I may just try clamping a piece of 2x4 to the shaft and gently tapping it down to see if it extends.