cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
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Car: 1985 IROC Camaro
Engine: LT1
Transmission: T56
cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
Just an FYI. I don't know if anyone has done this before so I thought I'd pass this along. I made a u joint steering shaft for my car this week with $10 worth of junkyard parts and about 1 hour of time. I got a steering shaft from and astro van and 1 from a 4th gen F-body from my local junkyard for $10(I pulled them myself, bring your propane/map torch and a prybar). The 4th gen shaft has a u-joint shaft that is rivited to the rag joint but the connection to the rack is different from our cars, and the u -joint at the back where it connects to the column is the same as our cars but the front part of this shaft is too short. I drilled the rivets out and removed the 4th gen u-joint from the rag joint and then tapped the u-joint bearings out of the front part of the joint. I then did the same thing to the astro van shaft and combined the front half u-joint from the astro(the part that connects to the steering box) with the back half of the 4th gen u-joint and bolted it to the front half of my third gen steering shaft(after removing the rag joint). I then combined the front section of the astro van rear u-joint(the half nearest to the column) with the back half of the fourth gen u-joint(the part that bolts to the steering column) because it is the same as on our cars. I had to shorten the female section of the sliding shaft(the part from the third gen shaft) about an inch and a half to give it enough room to slide in enough to get it on the column. Like I said it cost me $10 and took about an hour to make and instal. It also lines up perfectly(its not off by 45 degrees).
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Car: 87 IROC L98
Engine: 588 Alcohol BBC
Transmission: Powerglide
Axle/Gears: Ford 9"/31 spline spool/4.86
I use u-joints and yokes on both ends from an Astro van. Welded the third gen shaft to the yokes and bolted it in.
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Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
The post is from several years ago, and more recently members have discovered both the Jeep and Astro Van shafts. Both of which can be seen below:
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...ing-shaft.html
I'm unfamiliar with the Safari shaft. Can I assume from what you say that the Safari shaft not only has u-joints at both ends but requires no modification? A pic or two would be great.
JamesC
https://www.thirdgen.org/forums/susp...ing-shaft.html
I'm unfamiliar with the Safari shaft. Can I assume from what you say that the Safari shaft not only has u-joints at both ends but requires no modification? A pic or two would be great.
JamesC
#7
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Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
The Safari is just the GMC version of the Astro. Mine fit right in with no modifications necessary.
Here's two pictures, one of the column U-joint and one of the steering box U-joint; sorry I couldn't get them both in the same shot.
Here's two pictures, one of the column U-joint and one of the steering box U-joint; sorry I couldn't get them both in the same shot.
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Car: '91 Camaro Z28, '85 Camaro Z28
Engine: LB9, LB9
Transmission: T5, 700r4
Axle/Gears: Eaton 3.73 Posi, 3.23 Posi
Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
What year Safari is that from? So just to clarify, the connection at the steering box using the same spline count and design, and there's 2 U-joints that required absolutely no modifications to fit?
#9
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Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
Yes, the splines will match up on the steering box, and the steering column side will just slide onto your existing steering column shaft (unless your car is different than mine; I'm still using the factory steering column).
The shaft is much longer than you will need on an F-body, but it will slide in (with room to spare) and fit your car.
Trust me, it works great. I pity those folks who buy billet Borgeson joints.
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Car: '91 Camaro Z28, '85 Camaro Z28
Engine: LB9, LB9
Transmission: T5, 700r4
Axle/Gears: Eaton 3.73 Posi, 3.23 Posi
Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
I think the Safari I got mine from was a '99, but I don't think it matters; I heard about this upgrade on this board, so I just asked my buddy at my favorite junkyard for the newest Astro/Safari to pick from.
Yes, the splines will match up on the steering box, and the steering column side will just slide onto your existing steering column shaft (unless your car is different than mine; I'm still using the factory steering column).
The shaft is much longer than you will need on an F-body, but it will slide in (with room to spare) and fit your car.
Trust me, it works great. I pity those folks who buy billet Borgeson joints.
Yes, the splines will match up on the steering box, and the steering column side will just slide onto your existing steering column shaft (unless your car is different than mine; I'm still using the factory steering column).
The shaft is much longer than you will need on an F-body, but it will slide in (with room to spare) and fit your car.
Trust me, it works great. I pity those folks who buy billet Borgeson joints.
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Car: 1981 camaro
Engine: 350
Transmission: 350 turbo
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
i just got a shaft out of a 97 astro. it was just as u guys said. thank u. i havent done any thing else yet . i will try to document and film every thing to post and help this thread as it has helped me.... there were three othere astro vans there that had it too
Last edited by bowdayshush; 03-15-2014 at 10:04 PM. Reason: i mest up my pics
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Car: 91 Camaro Z28
Engine: 305 V8 (5.0L) TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: 2.73
Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
Cool someone on another site just suggested this to me. I came across this doing some research into the project. So bowdayshush keep us updated on how this goes and how the car feels in the end result!
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Car: 88 GTA Notchback
Engine: 350 TPI
Transmission: 700R4
Axle/Gears: don't know
Re: cheap, easy, u-joint steering shaft
While you are in the Astro, grab the bearing out of the bottom of the output shaft. A direct swap for the bushing in the bottom of our steering shafts.
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