Ok guys, I’m at a real loss here. I just can’t figure this out!

I need help!

Brief background (74 Coupe): Frame off, body back on now. Everything has been going great until now with remount of rebuilt steering box. Rag joint “rebuilt”, which means new rubber/fiber piece plus bolts and alignment pins.

Please see pic for detail reference of problem. http://www.luoxley.com/ragjoint.jpg

As a side note, I have a totally original unmolested 74 Coupe to get reference measurements from, and here are the differences/problems: (reference this one as “orig” and problem car as “bodyoff”)

• the green line measurement for the “orig” is 12.5”, the “bodyoff” is 12.125, 3/8 inch difference, which brings the body closer to the steering box.
• the red line difference, “orig” is 3.5”, the “bodyoff” is 4.125”, a .75 inch difference, which is causing the problem. (note: the coupler on the steering box side is non adjustable, as the 12 point bolt locks into the worm gear shaft. The coupler on the steering shaft IS adjustable, but only to the extent of reasonable attachment to the shaft itself. I can see the original score lines, and if anything, the coupler is extended an 1/8 inch more than it originally was. No more room there!)


Here’s the problem. The ragjoint, after tightening, does not pull the alignment pins into the U shaped openings in the steering shaft coupler, which is mounted on the end of the steering shaft, enough to provide the safety factor needed, and in fact, barely even close.

So how can that be?

The first measurement from above seems to indicate the body has been relocated at or even an 1/8 inch closer to the frame mounting position as compared to the “orig” measurements. Yet, the second measurement indicates that the steering box to steering shaft distance is still a full ¾ inch further away from where it was originally. And that of course is what is causing the problem.

My thoughts and/or questions:

• Is the body location, after remounting to frame, back on correctly, but the first measurement seems to indicate.
• Is the steering shaft adjustable somewhere under the dash? But why would that be necessary? As I haven’t touched that since body was removed and remounted to frame?
• Is there a ragjoint “rebuild” problem?, but that, quite frankly, seems pretty simple, so I don’t see that as the problem.
• The steering box bolts are totally “non adjustable”, so that’s not it.

In brief final summary, I’m nearly a half inch short of bringing the connection between the steering coupler shaft plate and the steering gear box plate together enough to be safe, as those pins were obviously designed to hold the two shafts together in the event of a ragjoint failure.

I need help!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks, Bill

 

The attached article may help you, written from the retired engineer who supervised the design. I also notice the author's email at the end.

http://www.corvettefaq.com/c3/FlexCp...tall04no04.doc

 

Bill, here's just a stab in the dark, as I'm doing a body-off also (on a '75), but I'm not to your stage yet. You probably at least loosened your column or else removed it, right? (I'm not sure if that's necessary with pulling the body, as I pulled mine out to freshen anyway.) In looking at my steering column mounting bracket under the dash, a couple of the mount bolts reside in about 1"-long slots, indicating adjustability. I do not have mine put back in, so I don't know if I am way off here, but thought I'd throw it out. I believe I also once heard to avoid tightening the steering column to dash support until the car is on the ground again...? And I can't help but wonder if they could have given you the wrong box back again? -though I don't know if different year's boxes have different length shafts. Well, good luck. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Do please post your solution when you find it, as I may just run into the same problem when my body goes back on.

 

just going by what i hvae seen in other post. take the sill plates off of the lower door frames their will be 2 plugs on each side remove the plugs. then look down the holes and into the frame there will be two holes under the plugs on on each side of car. the holes are alignment holes that the factory used for the purpose of aligining the frame to the body. if they are off center you will need to lossen the body mts. and use alignment pins to get the body on straight. just an idea i think the holes are 5/8"

 

First: I think that you should first check your body location relative to the frame. My 1975 AIM book show only two gage holes. They are 9/16 inch diameter. The one on the driver side is toward the middle of the door opening under the sill plate. The passenger side should be back toward the kickup under the sill plate. There is a note regarding gage pins and their locations on UPC #2, Sheet #1.

Second: The steering column has a welded plate on the lower end where it connects to the body floor pan. That plate is bolted flush to the floor. Therefore, the column cannot be adjusted so that it will extend out (or back inside) the body.

Third: Take the flange off of the end of the steering column shaft. The shaft should be extending out from the end of the column by 4.8 inches. Also, the distance from the end of the column shaft to the tip of the gear input shaft should be roughly 1.00 inch (maximum distance 1.3 inches).

Fourth: If you have determined that your body is located on the frame correctly: If your column shaft length is less than 4.8 inches: If the gap between your steering column shaft and gear shaft is greater that the 1.00 inch---Then your steering column shaft has been pushed back into the steering column, somehow.

You will need to attach the flange and use it to pry on the shaft and extend it out to the 4.8 inch dimension. The shaft is designed to collapse in a severe frontal collision. It can be extended back to its original length without causing steering problems.

Lastly, I would suggest that you purchase a new replacement flexible coupling assembly. I do not like the bolt together, do-it-yourself variety. The original flexible coupling was assembled with hot staked stop pins. This manufacturing method assures a very safe, secure, connection for you to be able to steer your car.

The GM part number for your flexible coupling is 7818568. It can be purchased from GM dealers, GM Parts Direct, Zip Products, and various other part sources.

 

thanks to all that have replyed.

Later today, I will first check the body on frame alignment. I'm pretty sure it's aligned correctly, as I used the alignment holes under the sill plates when the body was re-mounted, unless some way it moved before I tightened the body bolts.

Then I'll check the distances as Jim decsribed. I'm almost sure the distance from the end of steering column to input shaft on the steering gear is off, but I'll double check it and measure it precisely.

It sure seems strange, as the steering gear mounts to the frame with no adjustment possibility, and the steering column has never been even loosened at this point in my restoration process. So I'm very confused as to the exact problem.

I plan on buying a whole new rag joint assembly tomorrow, as Jim suggested, just to be sure.

I'll report back, please stay turned, and thanks again, Bill

 

Ok, here's the measurement results!

The body mount location is right on! Thank God! Didn't want to redo that.

The extention of the steering column shaft from the steering column is 3.75 inches.

The end of steering shaft to input shaft on steering grearbox is 1.75.

So, apparantly, there's the problem. Now, how in the heck did the steering shaft get moved? There must be ghosts in my garage. The rag joint seemed fine when I removed it. I replaced it just due to age. Well, now for getting the steering shaft "pulled out".

But we're on the right track here. Wish me luck. I'll report back!

Bill