Intermediate Steering Shaft Help!

[03BlkZ]

Gents, I am working on my 70 C10 with manual steering and I am in need of a new intermediate steering shaft. The swivel end rubber boot is basically gone and there is a lot of wear in that end. The splines are almost non existent on either end. I measured it and appears to be 3/4 shaft with my best guess is 36 splines based off counting on the main steering shaft. Does anyone know where I can get a good one? None of the online vendors for new parts seem to have any.
Thanks in advance.

[conoco]

Originally Posted by 03BlkZ

Gents, I am working on my 70 C10 with manual steering and I am in need of a new intermediate steering shaft. The swivel end rubber boot is basically gone and there is a lot of wear in that end. The splines are almost non existent on either end. I measured it and appears to be 3/4 shaft with my best guess is 36 splines based off counting on the main steering shaft. Does anyone know where I can get a good one? None of the online vendors for new parts seem to have any.
Thanks in advance.

I had the same issue on my 72 k2500. I ended up replacing the steering shaft with a (BORGENSON collapsible steering shaft with u joints on both ends. It was much cheaper than replacing the stock shaft and the collapsible is safer and the u joints are super easy to service. Another upside is if you need to remove the steering shaft for other work it is much easier to remove than the stock set up. Just my thoughts hope it helps and good luck. I think total I spent 104 dollars. Here are the links for my parts if interested. Mine was also 36 splines and 3/4 inch.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Borgeson/153/460018/10002/-1
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-760667

the u joint that hooks into the steering column is just a D Shaped end.

[03BlkZ]

Originally Posted by conoco

I had the same issue on my 72 k2500. I ended up replacing the steering shaft with a (BORGENSON collapsible steering shaft with u joints on both ends. It was much cheaper than replacing the stock shaft and the collapsible is safer and the u joints are super easy to service. Another upside is if you need to remove the steering shaft for other work it is much easier to remove than the stock set up. Just my thoughts hope it helps and good luck. I think total I spent 104 dollars. Here are the links for my parts if interested. Mine was also 36 splines and 3/4 inch.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Borgeson/153/460018/10002/-1
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-760667

the u joint that hooks into the steering column is just a D Shaped end.

Interesting. Do I just use two of the universal joints with the shaft of get a new rag joint?

[CC69Rat]

Jerp Cherojee XJ works nicely.

[CC69Rat]

Best pic I have of it. I sold the truck.

[conoco]

Originally Posted by 03BlkZ

Interesting. Do I just use two of the universal joints with the shaft of get a new rag joint?

It eliminates the rag joint. 2 u joints, one on each end. Like I said it was just a way better option. For me. It looks really good, it's super easy to disassemble when I need the room to work on other things * which is often and a pain in the ass for me when I had to remove the rag joint and then steering shaft.
A big plus for me is that the shaft is collapsible, which yeah most people might not care but for me if I did hit something hard head on atleast I dont have to worry about the old shaft coming up and playing ping pong with my head I will attach some links tonight so you can read up on how to do it and the benefits. I actually got the idea off this forum a couple years ago and everyone was super helpful. I might have subscribed to the link. I will attach it tonight if I can find it. Good luck brother

[03BlkZ]

Originally Posted by conoco

It eliminates the rag joint. 2 u joints, one on each end. Like I said it was just a way better option. For me. It looks really good, it's super easy to disassemble when I need the room to work on other things * which is often and a pain in the ass for me when I had to remove the rag joint and then steering shaft.
A big plus for me is that the shaft is collapsible, which yeah most people might not care but for me if I did hit something hard head on atleast I dont have to worry about the old shaft coming up and playing ping pong with my head I will attach some links tonight so you can read up on how to do it and the benefits. I actually got the idea off this forum a couple years ago and everyone was super helpful. I might have subscribed to the link. I will attach it tonight if I can find it. Good luck brother

Awesome! I appreciate the help fella.

[Davidf]

Originally Posted by conoco

It eliminates the rag joint. 2 u joints, one on each end. Like I said it was just a way better option. For me. It looks really good, it's super easy to disassemble when I need the room to work on other things * which is often and a pain in the ass for me when I had to remove the rag joint and then steering shaft.
A big plus for me is that the shaft is collapsible, which yeah most people might not care but for me if I did hit something hard head on atleast I dont have to worry about the old shaft coming up and playing ping pong with my head I will attach some links tonight so you can read up on how to do it and the benefits. I actually got the idea off this forum a couple years ago and everyone was super helpful. I might have subscribed to the link. I will attach it tonight if I can find it. Good luck brother

Isn't the original shaft collapsible?

[SIXTY9]

I have one out of a 69 the rubber boot is bad. but you are welcome to it for the postage.
Wally

[conoco]

Originally Posted by Davidf

Isn't the original shaft collapsible?

Mine wasn't, maybe some of them were. This is the main reason I followed this route after bringing it up in this forum. Well that and the fact it takes minutes to remove as compared to the old one!!

[sick472]

The shaft in the OP's first photo is collapsible. The two dots that you can see on the lower shaft section are plastic plugs that go through lined up holes in both the lower/outer and upper/inner shaft. It takes a good hit to shear the plastic, but then the pieces can slide in and out of each other (with some force of course).

[bry593]

Originally Posted by CC69Rat

Jerp Cherojee XJ works nicely.

This is what I used on my '95 Caprice 9C1. If I remember right, I had to file something a little, but bolted up otherwise. It also eliminates the rag-joint slop. IIRC, rag joint is replaced by a vulcanized rubber section.

[Slowguy]

I’m I thinking about this incorrectly? The shaft says it’s 3/4 on one end and 1” on the other and the u-joints say they are 3/4. If I buy two of those 3/4 joints it will work with that shaft, my steering box and my steering column spline end? I like that the shaft can be chopped to the exact length I need to get the steering wheel as close as possible to the dash for more room.

[Slowguy]

Originally Posted by conoco

I had the same issue on my 72 k2500. I ended up replacing the steering shaft with a (BORGENSON collapsible steering shaft with u joints on both ends. It was much cheaper than replacing the stock shaft and the collapsible is safer and the u joints are super easy to service. Another upside is if you need to remove the steering shaft for other work it is much easier to remove than the stock set up. Just my thoughts hope it helps and good luck. I think total I spent 104 dollars. Here are the links for my parts if interested. Mine was also 36 splines and 3/4 inch.

https://www.jegs.com/i/Borgeson/153/460018/10002/-1
https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-760667

the u joint that hooks into the steering column is just a D Shaped end.

Since that shaft is 3/4 one end and 1” dd other, would you not need something like this? https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-760669b

[raggedjim]

Originally Posted by Slowguy

Since that shaft is 3/4 one end and 1” dd other, would you not need something like this? https://www.summitracing.com/parts/sum-760669b

I recently put a jeep shaft in. The shaft comes with 3/4" splined on one end and 1" dd on the other end.

Your steering box is probably 13/16 splined, but I'm not 100% on this. I had to ream the shaft to get it to fit. I think the 79 up steering box is a 3/4" splined so if you could use one of those you could skip a bunch of reaming.

I also welded a piece of the original collapsible shaft to use as a bushing to go from 3/4" dd to 1" dd at the end of the steering column shaft https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...&postcount=118

Good luck, Rg

[Slowguy]

Did some shopping last night. Looks like you can order any kind of u joint you want (if you know exactly what you are mating it with). I’d rather just buy exactly what I need and the only mod would be chopping the shaft to my desired length. I’ll go out today and see if I can figure out what I have by using a mic. I can say my truck is a 67 but I put an original auto column in it and a new original style auto steering box. I used the ls steering pump to power the hydro boost brakes and the steering and it works great.

As with everything I seem to do, all I wanted was to shorten the shaft a little to gain some breathing room, and here I am replacing and modding the entire intermediate shaft. at least I’m learning a little

[Slowguy]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

I recently put a jeep shaft in. The shaft comes with 3/4" splined on one end and 1" dd on the other end.

Your steering box is probably 13/16 splined, but I'm not 100% on this. I had to ream the shaft to get it to fit. I think the 79 up steering box is a 3/4" splined so if you could use one of those you could skip a bunch of reaming.

I also welded a piece of the original collapsible shaft to use as a bushing to go from 3/4" dd to 1" dd at the end of the steering column shaft https://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/...&postcount=118

Good luck, Rg

So the steering column spline is most likely 3/4. I measured around .74. The gearbox is .799 which is 13/16” as you mentioned? Would they both be 36 spline? Once I know, I’ll get the parts ordered. The rag joint was terrible - the bolt was stripped and I had to drill the whole thing out.

[Slowguy]

Just updating my findings. Steering box spline was 13/16”-36. New intermediate Shaft is DD 1” one side 3/4” other side. Steering spline is 3/4”-36. Chopping the length tomorrow. I’m able to scoot the steering wheel about 4-5 more inches toward the dash. Hoping it will help with room. Lower seat brackets are non adjustable once set and I have a decent speaker box where the gas tank was so the seat is more forward than I’d like but steering wheel clearance and smaller diameter wheel I think will really help. Had bench seat redone and the new seat cushions are really thick. I bet they are at least a couple inches thicker. So thick, in fact, I have to devise a method to bolt the seat back to the bench portion. Straps or something to compress the foam enough to allow me to get the bolt in the bracket.