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Is there any advantage to installing a Flaming River steering coupler instead of a traditional rag joint? What is the difference between the two in steering and handling?
You need a rag joint or some sort of telescoping shaft between the column and what ever steering box you have so that the body and the frame can move independently. Not a solid joint.
Yes u-joint but it only flexes while the shaft is turning not expansion and contraction from end to end. You need to allow movement between the end of the steering column and your steering box in and out. The frame that the steering box bolts to and the column that is bolted to the body flex at different rates. The rag joint solves both of the problems. If you mount the box and column with a solid joint then it will cause poor fitting and failing parts down the road. You will also feel more intense bumps through the steering wheel.
A 71 doesn't have a rubber mounted body. So I'm thinking you could get away with a U joint coupler.
I do think you still would get more harshness through the column/wheel.
As per difference in steering? Might be a tad tighter. But a new rag link shouldn't be loose.
As per handling. Absolutely won't affect handling.
Reason to run the U joint? Only thought is that you can't find a quality rag joint so you use this.
I see the U joints used a lot on hot rods, not so much on standard cars. But the quality of replacement rag joints is something that has come up on here a few times in recent years.
I was lucky when my original failed, I was able to get a factory replacement from my local Chevrolet dealership. Must have been right at the end of there availability. Now I'm told OEM replacements are getting hard to find and what the Corvette vendors are selling are junk.
I was shocked at the cost difference between this brand of ujoint and all the generics on ebay for like $10-20... I bought a chrome plated generic off ebay and though it appears to be suprisingly well made, it had the wrong type of spline (I ordered the wrong one). This and the fact that others here advised me to stay with the rag joint convinced me to do so when I installed my borgeson kit.
I put an ebay poly rage joint in it a couple years ago I just pulled out when doing the borgeson conversion and the rag joint still looked new so I dont know how much of a real issue the new rag joints really are unless its a daily driver that sees a lot of use.
The flaming river joints have a higher angle of deflection before they start to bind, I believe it is 60 degrees vs 45 for the others...Useful for the rack and pinion conversions....and that makes them more expensive...
I see the U joints used a lot on hot rods, not so much on standard cars. But the quality of replacement rag joints is something that has come up on here a few times in recent years.
I was lucky when my original failed, I was able to get a factory replacement from my local Chevrolet dealership. Must have been right at the end of there availability. Now I'm told OEM replacements are getting hard to find and what the Corvette vendors are selling are junk.
Is it fair to say the poor quality of current rag joints has to do with the rubber part?
If one could determine the best rubber material to use and find a source, water jet cutting them out would be a piece of cake, i think.
I have that joint on my flaming river rack n pinion. It’s nice but pretty pricey.
I bought my FR joint from Summit racing. It make the steering very responsive. But it was a PITA to install. The problem with installation is that I had to remove the steering box from the frame to fit it in. It would be best to do when you have the engine out!
Other than the rather large cost difference the generics look to be a pretty close copy of the flaming River brand joints.. not sure how there would be a difference in the binding aspect.
The U-joint gives a little bit of extra clearance if you're going to install headers. I removed my Saginaw PS steering system and installed a Steeroids rack and pinion system when I realized it would give me some extra room for my headers. This got the big Saginaw steering box out of the way and also the large diameter rag joint.
Caveat: I've read that the Steeroids rack and pinion system can interfere with some of the stock off-the-shelf headers. For my headers, it resulted in extra clearance. The dimple in the #3 exhaust runner is now not needed. It was put there to clear the factory steering box. The Steeroids U-joint can accommodate small motions between the body and frame. Notice if the steering column moves...say.....a 1/8 inch forward or so, the Steeroids U-jiont body just rotates a little bit counterclockwise to accommodate the motion.
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Last edited by 68/70Vette; Aug 21, 2024 at 06:11 PM.
Flaming River steering coupler
