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#1
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Steering rag joint and column questions?
Was working on the LeMans today and noticed the rag joint. It looks like the lower steering shaft is pushed backwards an inch or so and the rag joint is all out of wack. Do I just need to replace the rag joint and tap the lower steering shaft back into place? How does the '67 energy absorbing column work? Does the lower shaft just telescope in/out of the upper part?
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I could explain all this to the girl at the parts store, but she'd probably call the asylum. White '67 LeMans 407/TH350/Ford 3.89... RIP Red '67 LeMans. 407/TH400/Ford 3.25 |
#2
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If it’s like ‘68, the steering shaft is telescoping and two parts are bonded by breakaway plastic so they collapse in an accident. Might be hard to get the halves of the shaft to stay where they’re supposed to be, and it may not be safe, if that bond is broken.
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Ken '68 GTO - Ram Air II 464 - 236/242 roller - 9.5” TSP converter - Moser 3.55 Truetrac (build thread | walk around) '95 Comp T/A #6 M6 - bone stock (pics) |
#3
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I would give it a few whacks and see if it would slide down into place. The 2 tubes just slide into each other. I think there was a plastic pin that locks the 2 shafts. Seems like I used a old nylon power antenna mast piece to lock the 2 shafts together.
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1968 Firebird 400 RAII M21, 3.31 12 bolt, Mayfair Maize. 1977 Trans Am W72 400, TH350, 3.23 T Top Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don't. Bill Nye. |
#4
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Have you looked at the column under the dash? There is a good 3/4” of adjustment at the 3 mounting points. Make sure to loosen up the firewall pass through if you try to move it
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67 LeMans, 326, M20, 3.31 12 Bolt |
#5
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The column definitely needs to come forward. Those pins need to be engaged with the flange for safety. I would not drive the car as-is.
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Jeff |
The Following User Says Thank You to geeteeohguy For This Useful Post: | ||
#6
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Quote:
So when I get it all back together, if the column won't move forward enough, it's OK to whack the steering flange a few times? Oh, which rag joint is correct for 67 Lemans with power steering? Is it 13/16 with 31 splines?
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I could explain all this to the girl at the parts store, but she'd probably call the asylum. White '67 LeMans 407/TH350/Ford 3.89... RIP Red '67 LeMans. 407/TH400/Ford 3.25 Last edited by chiphead; 03-26-2023 at 09:45 PM. |
The Following User Says Thank You to chiphead For This Useful Post: | ||
#7
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GMT400 trucks are notorious for failed rag joints. The repair for '88 to '94 trucks is to install a lower shaft and the lower bolt, from a C3500HD. That shaft uses a small U-joint instead of a rag joint. Makes the steering MUCH more precise. The repair for '95-up GMT400s is more complex due to a change in the steering column.
Anyway, I put the C3500HD shaft in my '88 K1500. There's no plastic to secure one piece inside the other. Needs a lil' pop with a small hammer, or even a fist, to get the pieces to slide. I bet yours is the same. Tap the lower shaft towards the steering gear, should be good-to-go IF the rag joint is still any good. I get suspicious of them now, having seen what happens with the GMT400 trucks. The "rag" gets weak--sloppy--and the steering shaft bangs against the safety-stops before the motion is transmitted to the steering gear. You can tell that happens because the safety-stops get polished from repeated contact. |
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