Removing steering coupler assembly to replace rag joint

[Praxiss454]

Hi all,
I have a '65 GMC 1000 with manual steering. I'm swapping out a worn out manual steering box for another I picked up. At the same time, I want to replace the 52 yr old rag joint. I picked up the Dorman Help! 31000 kit, which looks to be the right replacement. I've unbolted the steering box from the frame and dropped it out. Now I'm looking at the steering coupler assembly but I don't see how to get it opened so I can replace the rag joint. Some videos and images I've seen show the coupler assembly held on with bolts and nuts, but it looks like my coupler is riveted.

What is the recommended way to remove the coupler so that I can replace the rag joint itself? I don't have an angle grinder to grind the rivets down, but I do have a dremel with some cutoff disks. Another thought was to try to drill them out, but I've never done that before and don't really know what I'd be doing.

Any suggestions (with sufficient detail, imagine you were explaining it to someone who's never done this before) would be very appreciated.

[DPowers]

This help?
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=614332

[Praxiss454]

Originally Posted by DPowers

This help?
http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=614332

Unfortunately no - saw that one already. In his 5th photo, you can see the coupler is bolted together. Mine appears to be riveted.

[Praxiss454]

Actually maybe that tells me what I need to do. He does grind off some of the studs and then taps them out. I just don't know if I'm going to be able to do that w/ a dremel while the shaft is still on the truck.

Hopefully someone here has the same riveted version that I have and can tell me what they did?

[vince1]

I think I would drill them off. Start with a 1/8 or 3/16 bit and drill from the back side just past the head of the rivet. Make sure you start in the center. Then increase drill sizes like 1/4 or 5/16 and up to 3/8? until the head of the rivet pops off.

[wfojon]

Maybe you could use a hacksaw and cut the rivets in the middle through the rag joint. Then knock the cut ends out.

[Captainfab]

What I have done is grind the head of the rivet off flush and then drive the rest out with a hammer and a punch. Cheap angle grinders are only $20 at Harbor Freight.

[Praxiss454]

Originally Posted by Captainfab

What I have done is grind the head of the rivet off flush and then drive the rest out with a hammer and a punch. Cheap angle grinders are only $20 at Harbor Freight.

Yeah I guess that's what I will have to do. The question is, buy a cheapo angle grinder @ harbor freight or spend $120 on a cordless dewalt that goes w/ my other tools. For the price difference, hard to justify the dewalt.

[Praxiss454]

Is it possible to remove both sides of the coupler assembly from the shaft? That would make it easier for me to work with but I could​ probably get it done with the thing in place.

[Praxiss454]

Bump - was gonna try to take the thing off the steering shaft tonight if anyone can confirm whether such a thing is even possible. My searches and manual both came up w/ nothing.

[vince1]

I don't know how you would get it off other than has already been discussed here. If you want to cut the shaft through you could try Borgeson for couplings and such.

Maybe you could put your box back on loosely or install the replacement to hold it steady while you work to get the rag joint coupling apart.

['63GENIII]

Originally Posted by vince1

I don't know how you would get it off because it is obviously welded on there. You could take the whole column apart for a rebuild but then it is still only a solid spear ready to impale you if you ever get into a front end collision. If you want to cut it you could try Borgeson for couplings and such.

With my method I don't think it would take me more than a half hour to drill it off. Maybe the other fellows could do it faster with their grinders but my preferred method would still be the drill.

Maybe you could put your box back on loosely to hold it steady while you work to get the rag joint coupling apart.

Sounds like a good time to go with the collapsible column if not there already

[Praxiss454]

Originally Posted by vince1

I don't know how you would get it off because it is obviously welded on there. You could take the whole column apart for a rebuild but then it is still only a solid spear ready to impale you if you ever get into a front end collision. If you want to cut it you could try Borgeson for couplings and such.

With my method I don't think it would take me more than a half hour to drill it off. Maybe the other fellows could do it faster with their grinders but my preferred method would still be the drill.

Maybe you could put your box back on loosely to hold it steady while you work to get the rag joint coupling apart.

Thanks for confirming it is welded. I saw what looked like a seam but wasn't sure. I'm less comfortable drilling just because the bit might dance across the surface.

[vince1]

Looking at it again maybe it is not welded but swaged or something. For sure I don't think it was meant to come apart.

If you are new at this game make sure you wear the eye protection. Getting hurt takes the fun out of it.

[DPowers]

Your best bet is to remove those rivets- either by drilling out of grinding them off.

[vetnat]

So, have you gotten to do this yet? I have my column and steering shaft out of the truck, but my rag joint appears similar to the one you have pictured, no nuts and bolts. Maybe this is a GMC thing? Anyway, just wondering if you had any updates, I'm thinking I will be trying mine tomorrow. Thanks.

[Praxiss454]

Nope. I ordered an angle grinder which will arrive on Sunday, so I'll be diving into this on Sunday. If you do pick this up tomorrow and learn anything, please let me know how it goes for you. I'll do the same.

[Praxiss454]

This is a bit of a dumb question, but if I wanted to clean up the shaft, coupler, and steering box since I'm in there working on stuff, what do people usually do for painting these components? Were they originally painted?

[vetnat]

Ok praxis, the job of getting this style of rag joint apart is "non-trivial" as they say... I can't see it happening with the shaft still in the truck. With mine out of the truck, it was still quite a job. I'm thinking this style wasn't intended to ever be disassembled? Grinding all the rivet heads off wasn't bad, but trying to punch out the remaining part with hand tools seemed to be impossible. First I drilled some holes in the stubs to give the punch something to sit in. The metal the pins are made out of is pretty damn soft, almost felt like drilling wood, so that part was fine. However, using a large punch and a 3 or 5 lb club hammer while the shaft was held in a vise got me exactly no where. Those suckers were not moving! I eventually used my air hammer, which worked pretty slick, but if you don't have air tools. I'm not sure how you could pound these stubs out. I'll post some pics of my progress so far.

[vetnat]

Grinding stone in die grinder.

[vetnat]

Rivet heads before and after grinding.

[vetnat]

What you are left with after disassembly.

[vetnat]

Partially reassembled. The bolt for clamping to the steering box on mine is a 12 point head. Can't get a socket on it to tighten with the rebuild components in place. Will try to get a regular hex head bolt tomorrow, so I can just use an open ended wrench on it.

[vetnat]

I don't have it all back together yet, because your comment about cleaning up the appearance of the shaft made me think. I wire brushed the shaft, then painted with POR15. That should be durable hopefully! Waiting for it to dry enough so I can topcoat it with a satin black, UV resistant paint. My POR15 is gloss black, thought it was too shiny!

[vetnat]

Oh yeah, my old rag joint had this ground strap, which I will try and refit to the new one.