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I bought a Jeep or Astro van intermediate shaft from a member here awhile ago and finally got to the point in my build to install it. The shaft is too short and I can’t pull it out farther like the stock one. Is this Jeep / Astro shaft supposed to expand & collapse for install or is this not the right shaft? If it’s supposed to move, how do I do that? The car is a 1984 Trans Am if that matters. Here’s a picture showing the new shaft next to some stock ones I have.
The shaft definitely should extend more. Mine had a set screw on the shaft that prevented it from opening more. Some people have to heat the shaft with a torch to melt the little plastic piece that stops it from extending.
Quick update: I sprayed the shaft with PB Blaster several times and was able to get the shaft to extend by holding it in a vice and tapping one end with a hammer. Once it was free I sprayed the whole shaft with PB Blaster. It's still a little hard to slide in and out, but at least it moves now. Maybe it got gummed up when the seller painted the shaft black.
Mine's stuck real good on the top side and it's not easy to pry on with the brake booster in the way, plus I don't know how much I want to pry on the column without a wheel installed.
I'm lucky I chose to get in there and do this right away, someone secured a fuel hose to the shaft with a ziptie on mine! Because of course fuel hoses love being ziptied to rotating things.
I just installed mine today with no problems. They should slide fairly easily. I lubricated the shaft before installing. They are definitely long enough for a thirdgen. This is the 2nd one I had to purchase since the first one was clocked wrong...
This is not quite as easy as everyone says when you have a swapped engine.
I didn't feel like bleeding brakes or removing the steering box. The only way left to get this out was cut the plastic lengthwise into 2 pieces and pull those separately, use a big wood clamp to compress it to exactly the right length (maybe you can do it by hand if yours isn't rusty), unplug the wire from the brake booster, get things all aligned like you're playing a dentist office ring puzzle, then squeeze the flat part of the outer tube through that narrow spot.
It's not just the plastic that doesn't fit, but the plastic is not helping.
The new part slid right on. I had to gently pry the part the pinch bolt goes through open with a screwdriver then it went all the way home.
Last edited by 83AQ9; Aug 4, 2019 at 05:29 PM.
Reason: Got it on.
Yeah I know headers are a big part of it, but the heads are right there, they aren't unusually long or anything.
Edit: Never mind, I need to fix the light ballasts in my garage. That's no guide roll pin, it's a setscrew covered in paint. This shaft works perfect, I'm just not smart enough to operate it.
Last edited by 83AQ9; Aug 4, 2019 at 07:30 PM.
Reason: I r dum
Yeah I know headers are a big part of it, but the heads are right there, they aren't unusually long or anything.
Edit: Never mind, I need to fix the light ballasts in my garage. That's no guide roll pin, it's a setscrew covered in paint. This shaft works perfect, I'm just not smart enough to operate it.
