Many thanks to Joe and Terry for the immediate response to my question. I
checked with another chevy dealer, now that I know what to ask for, and
found that the new rag-joint costs over $80. I've drilled out the rivets
as Joe suggests below, but what I really need is the odd-shaped metal plate
that goes with the rag-joint. Without this plate the rag-joint just rips
when you turn the steering wheel. Perhaps I can make a temporary
replacement from a large metal washer - certainly better for my intended
short-term use than an $80 replacement.
This really is a great group of people. Ask a question, go to lunch, come
back and have the answer. THANKS.
BobK
51 3600 5-window (project)
89 F150
98 RAM (hers)
99 HD Sportster
Arnaudville, LA
"joe"
<chevy1@jps.n To: "Bobby D Keeland"
<bob_keeland@usgs.gov>,
et> <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
cc:
04/05/01 Subject: Re: [oletrucks] Steering
Mechanism
12:45 PM
Yep that's the "Rag Joint"! You can just drill out the rivets that held
the
old rag joint on and install the new rag joint and put it back together
again. The rag joint does what you indicated "reduces road vibration up to
the steering wheel" and the metal pins that contact the metal sleeve
attached to the shaft transmit the turning force.
Joe
-----Original Message-----
From: Bobby D Keeland <bob_keeland@usgs.gov>
To: oletrucks@autox.team.net <oletrucks@autox.team.net>
Date: Thursday, April 05, 2001 10:03 AM
Subject: [oletrucks] Steering Mechanism
>Hello all,
>
> I have a question for the experts. My 51 is still sitting on an 83
>Silverado frame (that is bent) and I need to move it into the barn so that
>I can actually do some work on it. The problem is that part of the
>steering linkage is broken and the local chevy dealer does not even show
>the part that is broken as being available. A friend at work thought that
>the disk looked like something off a Ford.
>
> At the top of the (power) steering box is a yoke that attaches to a
>flexible rubber disk (could this be a rag joint?) that is connected to
>another yoke, then a u-joint, shaft, another u-joint to the steering
>column. I'm not sure how much of this is original and how much was jury
>rigged to connect a steering column through a 51 firewall to a 83 steering
>gearbox. The flexible rubber disk looks like a large washer (3 3/8" outer
>diameter) with 4 equidistant holes through it (plus the hole in the
middle)
>and has an odd shaped metal piece that bolts to it. The metal piece bolts
>to two holes opposite each other and when the steering wheel is turned the
>metal piece strikes two shafts that come out of the other two holes. It
>looks like the rubber disk reduces vibrations, etc when going in a
straight
>line, and the metal shaft takes the pressure off of the rubber disk when
>turning the wheels.
>
> I bought a new rubber disk at FLAPS but without the metal plate
(which
>was mangled beyond repair/recognition) the rubber disk tore out the first
>time I tried to turn the steering wheel. I only need to have this work
>long enough to move the truck into the barn. When I put the 51 body onto
>my 54 3600 frame it is entirely possible that I will have to use something
>else (?) and so I don't really want to do anything that will be very
>expensive. Does anyone on the list have any idea of what I am talking
>about and how to go about repairing this. Any help would be greatly
>appreciated.
>
>BobK
>51 3600 5-window (project)
>89 F150
>98 RAM (hers)
>99 HD Sportster
>Arnaudville, LA
>oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
oletrucks is devoted to Chevy and GM trucks built between 1941 and 1959
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