Steering shaft assemblies from junkyard parts
(→The complete assembly) |
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| + | ==Safety== | ||
| + | Always be sure to check any used parts for wear and defects, and, in this case, add set screws and jam nuts with loctite for added safety. If there's any doubt in your mind as to whether or not a used part is still good enough to use, or if you don't have experience checking used parts for wear or defects -- then by all means, buy new parts. | ||
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==Double D steering shafts and tubes== | ==Double D steering shafts and tubes== | ||
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Here's how to build a complete steering shaft assembly from steering joints used on General Motors and many other makes of front-wheel-drive cars/trucks and Chevy Astro Vans. All of the joints use the double D (DD) steering shafts and tubes. | Here's how to build a complete steering shaft assembly from steering joints used on General Motors and many other makes of front-wheel-drive cars/trucks and Chevy Astro Vans. All of the joints use the double D (DD) steering shafts and tubes. | ||
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This is half of the Chevy Astro Van steering shaft. | This is half of the Chevy Astro Van steering shaft. | ||
[[Image:Astro_van_steering_shaft_half.jpg|frame|none|Half of a Chevy Astro Van steering shaft.]] | [[Image:Astro_van_steering_shaft_half.jpg|frame|none|Half of a Chevy Astro Van steering shaft.]] | ||
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This is the lower part of a Chevy Astro Van steering joint. The big plus is that it has a built-in vibration damper. Also, a hole can be drilled in the double D shaft, so that a set screw and jam nut can be used to hold everything in place. | This is the lower part of a Chevy Astro Van steering joint. The big plus is that it has a built-in vibration damper. Also, a hole can be drilled in the double D shaft, so that a set screw and jam nut can be used to hold everything in place. | ||
[[Image:Astro_van_lower_steering_joint.jpg|frame|none|The lower part of a Chevy Astro Van steering joint.]] | [[Image:Astro_van_lower_steering_joint.jpg|frame|none|The lower part of a Chevy Astro Van steering joint.]] | ||
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==Putting it together== | ==Putting it together== | ||
| − | From left to right: 1st steering joint goes to the steering box. This is the lower half of a Chevy Astro Van and has the same splines as the S10 steering box | + | From left to right: 1st steering joint goes to the steering box. This is the lower half of a Chevy Astro Van and has the same splines as the S10 steering box that's being used here. 2nd is a piece of double D tubing which connects the 1st steering joint to a piece of double D shaft with a piece of double D tube attached to it, which goes to a steering joint. As you can tell everything has been drilled and tapped for set screws and lock nuts for safety. |
[[Image:Steering_joint_assembly1.jpg|frame|none]] | [[Image:Steering_joint_assembly1.jpg|frame|none]] | ||
| − | As you can see, both the Double D shaft and tube has be drilled and tapped for set screws and jam nuts. For safety purposes, this is a must. | + | As you can see, both the Double D shaft and tube has to be drilled and tapped for set screws and jam nuts. For safety purposes, this is a must. |
[[Image:Steering_joint_set_screws_and_jam_nuts.jpg|frame|none|Drilling and tapping for set screws and jam nuts.]] | [[Image:Steering_joint_set_screws_and_jam_nuts.jpg|frame|none|Drilling and tapping for set screws and jam nuts.]] | ||
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[[Image:Steering_joint_assembly2.jpg|frame|none]] | [[Image:Steering_joint_assembly2.jpg|frame|none]] | ||
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| − | + | ==Intersecting the firewall== | |
| + | The steering shaft going through the firewall is made up of one-half GM FWD steering joints, and one-half Chevy Astro Van steering joints. The piece of pipe coming out of the firewall is an exhaust pipe reducer. Here, the end of a steering column was cut off (with the bearing), and the piece of tubing that holds the bearing was then welded into the exhaust reducer. This is done for extra support, and to help seal the cab from exhaust fumes. | ||
| + | [[Image:firewall_steering_joint.jpg|frame|none|Steering joint intersecting a firewall.]] | ||
| − | + | Using a FWD steering column, here's the male part of the steering joint going through an exhaust pipe reducer. | |
| + | [[Image:Steering_joint_through_firewall.jpg|frame|none|Male part of a steering joint intersecting a firewall through an exhaust pipe reducer.]] | ||
| + | ==The complete assembly== | ||
| + | This shows the complete setup. All that needs to be done is to weld or bolt the piece of pipe that holds the Heim Joint to the frame. The reason for the Heim Joint is that the steering column bearing used on the outside of the firewall to help support everything isn't a snug fit, and this is one place that overkill is a good idea. | ||
| + | [[Image:complete_steering_joint_assembly.jpg|frame|none|The finished steering shaft assembly.]] | ||
| − | + | This is how the Heim joint gets mounted to the frame. Simply take a piece of pipe and mount it to the Heim joint by welding a jam nut to the pipe, and then had a friend clean up the weld in a lathe. To mount it to the frame, make a basic mount out of angle iron. | |
| + | [[Image:complete_steering_joint_assembly.jpg|frame|none|The finished steering shaft assembly.]] | ||
| − | + | Be sure that you have some space between your Heim joint and any tubing you are using. You need this for body and frame fle,x so the shaft can slide within the Heim joint if it needs to. | |
| + | [[Image:complete_steering_joint_assembly.jpg|frame|none|The finished steering shaft assembly.]] | ||
| − | As you can see everything is bolted together | + | As you can see everything is bolted together, and looks good. It may look like the steering shaft is touching the exhaust manifold but really it's about an inch away from it. The upper joint is almost 2 inches away from the manifolds. |
| − | + | [[Image:complete_steering_joint_assembly.jpg|frame|none|The finished steering shaft assembly.]] | |
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==Safety== | ==Safety== | ||
| − | As you can see, the steering is complete with a Heim joint to secure everything, along with the set screws and lock nuts for added safety | + | As you can see, the steering is complete with a Heim joint to secure everything, along with the set screws and lock nuts for added safety. |
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