Is the steering coupler really necessary?

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'74 Sport

'74 Sport

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A header tube on Aaron's new 360 interferes with the steering column coupler that connects to the power steering gearbox input shaft. The last thing we want to do is cave in the side of the tube to make room for the coupler - it would require approximately 3/4" for decent clearance.

Has anyone had this similar problem with headers and did away with the stock coupler? I've been looking at U-joints, like those used on custom hot rods. One end would be splined to fit the gear box shaft, and the other end would be smooth, so it could slip over the steering shaft and get welded into place. I believe the smaller connection would then fit past the header tube.

Ideas or suggestions are welcome,
Jerry
 
check i did its web site for smaller couplings and go to the online catalog borgeson site
 
1970duster360 said:
I used a coupler from flaming river on my car
mike
Click to expand...

Me too.

IM000974.jpg
 
i used the flaming river joint too and it was nice but one day i got caught in a rain storm and the next day the coupler was all rusty. so the coating sucks
 
I knew I could count on you for a solution.
Flaming River is pretty proud of their product - $$$$
I haven't gotten a price from Borgeson, yet.

Anyone else have sources for similar products?

Thanks guys,
Jerry
 
Flaming River here too. I have the manual steering joint and I didn`t buy it for clearance but because the factory joint is such crap. It tightened things up nicely. Yes they`re expensive but many places sell their joints cheaper than they do, so shop around. Summit Racing stocks their products.
 
I baught mine from summit last year this time. They were the best price i could find and i usually get things the next day (i'm in pa their in ohio) when i order from them
 
RMS sells them


Phone - 570-443-7440

Reilly MotorSports, Inc.
2323 White Haven Rd.
White Haven, PA. 18661
 
They only time I had a problem with the stock coupler clearing my header tube is when my car had old sagging motor mounts when I bought it. They must have been some cheap Chinese import junk cause the rubber was squishy and let the engine move around just enough to hit the header. I replaced them with new Schumaker mounts and it raised the engine about 3/8" to where it was supposed to be and it now clears the coupler by about 1/8".
 
My clearance problem is horizontal, not vertical. The motor mounts are nice, firm, new ones. The header tube hits the side of the coupler, so sagging mounts or engine wouldn't even be a problem.
 
I went from power to manual and homemade a steering coupler using a Jeep Cherokee bottom U -joint and simply put a sleeve on the U- joint , welded the U -joint shaft and sleeve on the bottom and slid the top portion over the stock shaft and drilled through both the sleeve and shaft and installed a through bolt so I can remove it easily. The Jeep spline will fit the stock manual shaft but I had to grind a flat spot on the steering gear box shaft to match the Jeep U- joint. Cost? $5.00!
 
Go to junk yard bring sawzall find a Neon spline count is the same :)
 
Are these supposed to be the correct headers for the car? If so, is your engine resting too far to the driver's side of the engine compartment? What year is the car? I know that on the 67-72 crs you can loosen the nuts that hold the motor mounts to the k-member and shift the engine a bit.

I have the Flaming River setup on my 67, and it's pretty nice. I've also used a Borgeson unit on an 87 Pickup in the past.
 
I got it taken care of. Borgeson coupler was the answer, for $20. Splines on one end match the gear box input shaft, and 3/4" smooth on the other end slides right onto the bottom of the steering shaft (with coupler removed). Aaron welded the coupler to the steering shaft, and we drilled into the gear box shaft for the provided locking set screw. No more conflict.

This was the problem:
2711578654_245cfbe234.jpg


I'll post pics of the solution later,
Jerry

p.s. By the way, how do you like the transmission lines (green coating) we bent and installed?
 
ha ha i was right. just kidding ,we were all right but borgeson is cheap. now wheres my rep points lol
 
I'm still trying to figure out why your headers aren't fitting correctly.

I have el-cheapo headers on mine, and they cleared the old power assembly easily, and the new manual box has even more space.
 
Can't answer that for you. All I know is the Dynamax folks claimed the headers will fit the A-body with a small block. It does fit -- with a little coaxing and cussing. I'm not sure you can slip an index card between one of the tubes and the steering gear box. But hey, it's in there and it's not coming out.

Jerry
 
do you have a part number of the coupler you bought?i have the same problem.thanx,AL
 
I'm almost positive you need 3/4" 36 spline for the box and a straight for the other side
 
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