RETRO-Mod: Jeep intermediate steering shaft

[89Suburban]

Are you talking a shop press? I do have weight bench but haven't used it in years.

Yah, shop press man! You know those ones with the bottle jack? I got a frame I just need a bottle jack for it. And a return spring may be missing. I wonder if it can be rigged to press that shaft apart.


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[skysurfer]

Might be easier to chain it to a hitch and do a vertical pull with an engine hoist. My guess is it would come apart before the back wheels lift off the ground.

 

[HotRodPC]

Yeah, the pull method will work moreso than the press method. I'd love to have a shop press, but for the few uses I'd have for it, I can't justify the expense #1, and the space it would take up #2.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

I found out on Frank's truck that the splined shaft on the steering box on 1973-76 trucks are about 1/16th bigger than later boxes so to do this mod to an early truck will require not only the column, but the box too.

 

[HotRodPC]

I shipped my last one off last week. Not sure I'll get any more other than myself. That last batch I got was pretty damn dirty. Took me awhile to get them prepped for paint and the last one I shipped out, was OK, but it wasn't as impressive as the others I've shipping IMO. I think I should have spend more time cleaning it and it really needed sanded a bit. I hope the guy is happy with it.
All I have left is the one odd ball one that looks to be a different stlye, but it llooks beefier too and I still haven't got it apart. I'm saving that one for one of my projects.

 

[bucket]

I found out on Frank's truck that the splined shaft on the steering box on 1973-76 trucks are about 1/16th bigger than later boxes so to do this mod to an early truck will require not only the column, but the box too.

I thought there was something different about them, but I couldn't remember for sure what it was. Are you sure that ends with '76?

 

[RetroC10Sport]

SO says the Hollander.

 

[89Suburban]

I still have 3 or 4 sitting in the garage I haven't been able to get to and won't anytime soon.

 

[HotRodPC]

I still have 3 or 4 sitting in the garage I haven't been able to get to and won't anytime soon.

Yeah, they're a PITA to get apart, clean and paint. If I was getting them for what Retro gets them for, I might keep doing them. I probably made $20-$25 each, but still a PITA, I earned it that's for sure. I sold all total about 13, maybe 15.

 

[89Suburban]

I got a oxy/acetylene torch for heating these up, should make fast work of it.

 

[VAL]

Once the jeep shaft mod is done, how do you center your steering wheel so that the turn signal cancellation cam works correctly?

 

[HotRodPC]

Once the jeep shaft mod is done, how do you center your steering wheel so that the turn signal cancellation cam works correctly?

I locked my steering wheel straight ahead, and kept my wheels pointed straight ahead. Nothing changed.

 

[VAL]

The stub on the steering box has a flat spot for the bolt that goes through the old rag joint to tighten that part around the splines. With the jeep shaft, does it matter if you don't line the bolt up with the flat spot?

 

[VAL]

The stub on the steering box has a flat spot for the bolt that goes through the old rag joint to tighten that part around the splines. With the jeep shaft, does it matter if you don't line the bolt up with the flat spot?

 

[RetroC10Sport]

That flat spot isn't for the bolt, there should be a groove that runs around the steering box shaft for the bolt. The flat spot is so the lower steering column coupler (the Jeep shaft) only goes on one way. But otherwise it shouldn't matter as long as the shaft can be tightened down.