Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Sure pays to read a service manual for this novice's steering column assm., I just had to get to reading the thing, get lazy that way sometimes.

I haven't torqued the shaft to the rag yet;) though looking forward to it today, and was wondering how exactly - can't seem to find anything on the subject besides this in the service manual.

"The rag joint to steering shaft flange clearance should be .250" to .375."

What does that mean? Clearance, say what? Kind to hard to have clearance when the flange mounts to the rag joint, I'm missing something. I don't know of a torque setting for these, two different size threads.

Pic of the manual, and my rag joint currently. For what worth the rag joint was rebuilt. Thanks for any input.

Side note from a guy who wrote specs., "should" should;) mean ideally.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

I wonder if that's a concept that was left over from '67 & '68 when the steering column shaft was one solid rod without a collapsible pivot. In that case, the distance from the steering shaft flange to the gearbox would be dictated by where the column housing was positioned in the clamps that secure it to the firewall and pedal assembly. Since the collapsible pivot in your column provides compliance, the rag joint will just float into a nice neutral position, assuming you don't have your column extremely out of position.

In my '68, I tighten the rag joint before I clamp down the column.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Could be. I'm working on a 71 and it's a 71 service manual, though they do show a different intermediate shaft in some image, can't really say more than that.

Agree, I'm going to torque the rag joint down, near as I can tell good N tight, and then move up to the pot joint. Boy without the manual I'd be lost, there's a specific way and spec. for installing the pot joint. The preload spring should be compressed to .50" +/- .04, in the case of this 71.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Do you have your steering wheel installed?

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

I do not. I sort of installed this backwards so I didn't have to fight the (*^)^ toe pan seal any longer:lol: Technically I can't finish the top anyway pending the turn signal.

Are you asking because of the "50 lbs. of pressure on the upper shaft" to set the pre-load requirement?

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Yes

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Ah........I'm employing my daughter and a scale too.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Does it merely mean the pin should be free floating in the intermediate shaft notch and not making contact?

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Hmmm, didn't realize how complicated changing out the rag is. Changing it and collapsing the shaft on my 72 is on my to do list. Having never worked on one before I wan't very comfortable thinking about doing this job and now I am even less comfortable! I do want that extra little bit of room by moving the steering wheel forward though.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Some additional information I found in the GM assembly manual;

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

I found in the back of the service manual, in the Specifications section under steering, it says Flexible Coupling Bolt & Studs are 18 in. lbs.

Sounds kinda light

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

I did not realize that myself. I just took the old one off, put the new one on, and down the road I went. LOL!! I guess, if you are trying to 100% correct then it matters.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

I believe the clearance allows for expected joint flex and articulation.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Does the joint in the intermediate shaft have axial play in it?

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

To be clear, I mean that it behaves like a u-joint, not that there should be any twisting play.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Ah, I nearly hit the spec. section a minute ago for the coupler clamp bolt, but this isn't ready for any of that yet. Thank you. At first I thought why the same for a 5/16" & 3/8" stud, but then, it's supposed to be even on both sides.

So how's it going so far with this? FAIL:lol: I recruited my 100 lb. daughter on the steering wheel for "50 lbs" above. Yeah right, from below it was like putting a square peg in a round hole & prevented by physics or other well above me. The shaft was already tightened on the rag joint. I get to do that again too. NO WAY I was able to put the spec of 1/2"ish on the pre-load spring, no matter if she pushed or not, still 1/8" off at best.

We did that with the steering wheel on and an upper bearing in to keep things mostly stable. At this point I believe it needs to be mostly completely assembled at the top, though I can't figure out why. Perhaps I need the shift housing on, at least, though I read someplace you're not just preloading the lower bearing & spring but the upper bearing was well.

Back to that 1/2" preloaded spring spec for this 71 (see picture), baring suggestions, from here I'll try it again when this is mostly assembled on top. Perhaps I'll do that with the shaft on the rag joint snug at first, though hopefully it's unnecessary. Currently the mast's stumps are a pinch off the column fire wall cover, I could drop it a pinch more if I have to, see what happens.

The adjuster ring comes into play for that 1/2" spec as well, and/or it's for the shift lever spacing. I'm not sure how it impacts the lever yet, perhaps it will make more sense when the cab side is built.

Unfortunately I didn't think to measure the preload spring when I tore this down 5 years ago (gulp!), and didn't know enough to measure placement of the adjuster ring either. If anyone has a 71 or knows their column is supposed to have the spec pictured, appreciate a measurement or two where your preload spring ended up. A measure or two where your adjuster ring might prove helpful too, for the column assembly type pictured.

Is there supposed to be an O-ring located on the bottom of the jacket for the lower bearing on a non-tilt column? It didn't have one when I found it, but read this & that and maybe there's supposed to be one.

Other than that, I nearly feared rebuilding the column from mostly scratch, and now I know why:waah::lol:

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Maybe you could get that spring preloaded another 1/8" by removing the steering wheel and unclamping the column housing from the firewall and pedal assembly so the spring pressure is released. Once the spring is relaxed, you could move the clamp 1/8" and then reassemble everything. Reinstall the steering wheel before you re-tighten the firewall and pedal clamps so the column can float to the correct position. That would also be an opportunity to verify your rag joint gap and your intermediate shaft to column gap.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Here is the way it went on my 1969 truck.
I installed the lower part of the rag joint on the steering gear splined shaft and aligned the groove in the input shaft so the rag joint's clamp bolt would fit, and tightened that clamp bolt.
I fit the steering column in the truck but did not clamp it down at the firewall or under the dash. I had an assistant push on the steering wheel to keep it fully seated against the top bearing while I pushed up on the intermediate column (with less force than my assistant was using), until I got the spring compressed to 1/2 inch, then I tightened the clamp bolt. After I let go and my assistant let go of the steering wheel, the 1/2 inch gap for the spring should still be there at 1/2 inch. That was bearing preload. I then positioned the whole steering column to bring the 2 halves of the rag joint together and installed the nuts that hold the rag joint together and tightened those. Then I tightened the firewall bracket and finally the under dash bracket to hold the steering column.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Some real good ideas. Seems the answer is build the complete column or close, loosen jacket, compress the spring already and call it a day.

I take it there's not an O-ring on the bottom of the jacket for the lower bearing on this assembly?

Thanks for the help

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

There were no O rings on mine.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Good to know, thank you.

I have another question before I continue, but it would be nice to have a turn switch, though I just ordered one in January (COUGH!). Either my jacket is bent because the shift housing bushing got hung up at some point, or it's supposed to be this way so the bushing can swing with the shift. I'd guess the former, but generally speaking I guess wrong on these occasions:lol: can anyone say which is right?

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Here's a photo from my '68 auto column. Looks to me like yours is bent.

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

Sure does..........THANKS!

Re: Correctly installed rag joint to shaft?
 

thanks! That's the only spot I could make sense of it, but I still wasn't there.

On the spring-load business, I realized I tried it backwards:lol::smoke: A guy can't preload a spring with the flange attached to the rag joint. So next try I'm leaving the mast alone at first, as it is it's almost all the way to the rear anyway.
Setting the adjusting the ring nearest the rear. The pot joint pulled to the rear, and near as I can tell mount the clamp with the upper shaft fully inserted. Then preload the spring.

With some luck I may be able to do that with the flange on the rag started, because it's not quite a straight shot until it's mounted, takes a little force, the holes in the flange are a tight fit. Otherwise I can loosen the rag joint, perhaps the box & mast as well, get this done.

Found a nice NOS turn switch, even the grease is good, though I probably should replace it. I just have to get around to finishing the top, then my buddy is going to help install this. Won't be long this will have a body.

I still haven't quite figured out the use of the adjusting ring. I suppose it's for the lower shift lever adjustment, but by hand it looks like the lever pulls forward the same no matter what. Maybe with the rest done it will make more sense.