Steering Shaft Ideas

Okay. I got the shaft last night - both literally and figuratively.

I have a postal column and a manual saginaw steering box. I had purchased via eBay what I thought was a late model manual shaft. The shaft fit the manual saginaw box just fine but the u-joing at the column shaft was much to big. I figured it was eBay and the seller had no idea what he was selling, so I ordered a new Crown manual steering shaft and it arrived last night. Turns out the eBay shaft was a manual, since it matches the new Crown shaft perfectly. :evil: Which means it does me no good at all.

Short of forking out $200 bucks for Borgeson parts does anybody have any ideas? I'll buy the Borgeson stuff if I have to, but wouldn't mind a cheaper alternative.

Both the saginaw box and the postal column share a 36 spline 3/4" end.

 

1st question, is the shaft to long?
Joel I used the postal steering shaft with the rag joint on the end, attached it to the end of the column and cut the other end off (rag joint) and milled a set of flats .550 across for a 3/4DD Borgeson universal. If the shaft is to long the alternative is to get the Borgeson universal to fit the bottom of the column with a 3/4DD flat on the other end and then cut the shaft off the right length and mill the flats on the shaft for the u-joint.

 

The length of the shaft is about right. I considered the postal steering shaft, but I prefer the bell coupler to the rag joint and would also like a collapsible column.

 

I frequently use PTO yokes and u-joints. They are larger than the Borgeson, Flaming River, etc joints but the U-joints are replaceable and greaseable. Six States Distributing and other places stock these. The yokes can be had with all different spline counts and diameters, Square, double D, etc. Nickmil.

 

What Nick said!
Oh and by the way, with the angles that the Jeep column to steering shaft run, the steering column is gonna go right thru the roof of your Jeep if your in an accident.
I have always wondered why people worry so much about that, look at the angle and then use your english to project the outcome in a head on collision and see what you get, its at a much steeper angle in our old jeeps retrofitted than the ones that came factory that way.

 

Steal the shaft out of an XJ,, they have real U joints just likr the borgenson and are collapsable, with some minor modification you wil have what ya want.. Worked great in mine..

BUBBA

 

Jeepenstein got any pictures? That is the set up I am going with in my heep, er Jeep.

 

you should be able to use a 72-75 CJ5 steering ujoint to connect the two shafts together; Jeep p/n 990192
Crown carries them or look on the 'bay

 

Trackerboy: Try the link in my sig, it's my site and there should be some pics of it in there somewhere... If not drop me an e mail at slicktea@earthlink.net and I'll take some better pics for you..

BUBBA

 

Joel another p/n: 999634 72-75 lower shaft less power steering
I know useless without measurments!
I think what's hurting you is the '76 and later diams, ie, larger
will work on it manana

 

Jim thanks for the help so far. Here's my plan as I see it for the moment:

I haven't found an easy answer either. But this is what I'm leaning towards.

Disassemble my '76 and up steering shaft.

Use the lower end with the bell coupler at the steering box.

Discarde the top piece with the '76 up U-joint.

Replace the top piece with a square tube that will fit over the lower steering shaft square tube (should allow the lower shaft to still collapse).

Use spicer pto yoke for a square shaft (looks to be a spicer 10-4-22 yoke)

Use a spicer 5-170X u-joint kit

Couple to a spicer 10-4-611SX 36 spline steering shaft serrated hole yoke on the postal column.

I'm going to see about some more detailed measurement and will probably take all my parts down to the metal supply house (get square tubing) and then the big NAPA (pto yokes and u-joint).

I'm optimistic at the moment. I'll update tomorrow or as soon as I can get to the NAPA.