who needs those HIGH $$$ steering joints, not me! ! !

[TooMany2count]

as everyone knows i'm one cheap SOB when it come to building my rides, always was & always will be. with then help of family, friends & great deals i have been able to keep my cost really down on Large Marge && here's just another example of what a cheap SOB i am. i love to go to the boneyards to find stuff to help cut the cost on everything & here's one of my good finds.
over the years i have collected different GM FWD & Chevy Astro Van steering joints all using the Double D shafts & tubes.


This is off a fullsize FWD GM car & this 1/2 is attached on the column




not a clear pic but this end will except a double D Tube




This Double D Tube will except a double D shaft.




This is what one looks like before you take it apart




This is 1/2 of the Astro Van steering shaft.




These are easily found on I believe every GM trucks & RWD cars. You'll get about 6inches of Double "D" tube & about 12inches of shaft(LMAO)



This is the lowwer part of a Chevy Astro Van steering joint && the BIGG plus is that it has a vibration damper built in. I also drill a spot in the double D shaft so I could use a set screw & jam nut to hold everything in place.




I'm using 1/2 FWD GM & 1/2 Chevy Astro Van steering joints to make up the steering joint going through the firewall. The piece of pipe you see coming out of the firewall is an exhaust pipe reducer. I cut the end of a steering column off w/the bearing & welded the piece of tubing(that holds the bearing) into the exhaust reducer. I did it for extra support & to help seal the cab from exhaust fumes.




Using a FWD steering column the male part of the steering joint going through an Exhaust pipe reducer.




This shows the complete set up. All that needs to be done is to weld or bolt the piece of pipe that holds the Hiem Joint to the frame. The reason for the hiem joint is the steering column bearing that I used on the outside of the firewall to help support everything isn't a snug fit & this is one place OVERKILL is a good idea.




if for some reason the pics dont show up look on THIS PAGE it the last page in my Large Marge pics on Webshots