ok guys ... fast forward 2 weeks and a ton has gotten done, but I'm not going to make the show this weekend. We leave tomorrow and there is still a good week's worth of work. But I'm sticking to no short cuts and getting it done right the first time.
So I'll try and catch you guys up on what's been done with a post blast. Hope the admins don't mind!
Starting with the steering shaft. I got everything dimpled for the u-joints. Dimpling is a critical activity on these u-joints to make sure they don't accidentally come off.
This is the pre-dimple pic of the steering shaft (I forgot to take a post dimple pic before I installed the steering shaft). It was a little nerve racking drilling into a brand new splined column, but you do what you gotta do. I sorta wish they'd put a dimple ring like the OEM, but I understand why they don't.
Dimples in the steering shaft.
The shafts are steel so they got a little paint.
Ok detail here. Since I did a slip shaft, the large DD tube has an open end at the top. So I took a simple grommet and wedged it in there. I also poked a very small breather hole so that as the steering shaft slides, it doesn't pop the grommet out.
Then a slob of grease in the large tube, coat the upper end of the small shaft and assemble. Red Loctite on all the set screws and jam nuts. Don't want anything getting loose.
