RETRO-Mod: Jeep intermediate steering shaft

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bucket

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I can't think of the Wrangler designation, it was after CJ and before TJ. I think YJ was the Grand Cherokee?
 

crazy4offroad

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ZJ is the Grand Cherokee, JK is the regular Cherokee, and YJ is after the TJ. WJ I think is the new 4-door thing. Might be the Liberty, not sure.
 

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So then JK is the body style the shaft is from. What is TJ: is that after CJ also? So then the guy at PAP would be right that the XJ is like a Wrangler Jeep, as in a real Jeep like a Willys.
 

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So then JK is the body style the shaft is from. What is TJ: is that after CJ also? So then the guy at PAP would be right that the XJ is like a Wrangler Jeep, as in a real Jeep like a Willys.

**** you got it right, not JK but XJ is regular body style Cherokee. My bad.
 

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bucket

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OK, bucket had it right. Boxy Cherokee is XJ Body.

That's the only one I'm sure of and it's just because of the steering shafts.
 

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I tripped over this totally by accident. This guy makes it seem a bit hard. And he had to use a Sawzall. :rolleyes: Notice even after he cut it, he still had the spread the end to get the ragjoint off? That is the trick. Spread the ragjoint end FIRST, and then push the coupler further onto the steer box splines and no Sawzall needed. Then the shaft comes out, then slide the ragjoint and coupler off the gear box.

[yt]w0WMsSJ2CoA[/yt]
 

kidwitha77chevy

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quick question

You'll have to excuse the lack of pics. I forgot to put the SD card in my camera and I can't find the cord. :shitsweak: I'll put them up if i find the cord.

!!!This will not work on pre-77 trucks (correct me here if i am wrong) with the splined column shaft!!! You can however, put a newer column in it without much effort I think.


Don't have the $300 for a Borgeson shaft? Don't want to SPEND $300 for basically the same thing? This is your answer for less than $20 usually. I got mine for $5.

Difficulty level: 3-5 (1-10, 10 being most difficult.)

What you will need:

*Steering shaft
*torch or cutoff tool
*beer (optional)
*sockets, wrenches, prybar and stuff.
-11mm 12 point and 15mm 6 point for the original steering shaft
-13mm 6 point for the Jeep shaft
-15mm 6 point, 10mm 6 point, pick, phillips screwdriver, prybar for the square steering column
-AH, you might take a full compliment of things for the Jeep steering column, I can't remember what it takes and the last two I got them from had the columns already removed.

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First off, we need to head to the junkyard and get a steering shaft. You can get one off a 1988-96 JEEP CHEROKEE (squarebody style, not a grand Cherokee, and it has to be from that time period.) that hasn't been wrecked in the front or anything like that.

This is the Jeep shaft next to my S10 shaft, which is basically the same as a squarebody shaft.
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If you can't find one with the column or steering box removed, you're gonna have to take the column or box out yourself since the jeep shafts don't collapse easily. You will probably need the pry bar to take the intermediate shaft off the box or column. Keep the bolts because you will need them.

Next you can get to work installing it in your square. Start by removing your old shaft.

On my 1981, I had to remove the damned steering column because 1) I don't have a torch and didn't want to go to work to get one, plus not everyone has one. You may not have to remove your column and 2) the intermediate shaft had to be taken off with a BFH.

There's a 11mm 12 point bolt holding the shaft to the steering box.

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And a 15mm nut holding the shaft to the column. There's a bolt in there with a squared shoulder and it will want to turn as well. hold it somehow while taking the nut off.

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If the shaft doesn't collapse, then you will need to loosen the steering column, there's 2 15mm nuts holding it up under the dash and 2 15mm nuts holding a plate at the end next to the fire wall under the hood.

Once it's out of the way, you can start modifying the Jeep shaft to fit. You can 1) take a torch and heat up two pieces of plastic that are inside attached to the lower part of the shaft and slide the larger shaft off the smaller one. Or you can 2) carefully cut off a section of the larger shaft (DO NOT CUT OFF THE SMALLER SHAFT AT ALL) about 3/4" from the end. I made 2 cross cuts and then cut carefully around not hitting the smaller shaft to expose one of the plastic inserts. Once that is done, you can usually get the larger shaft off the smaller shaft with a BFH and thus exposing the other plastic insert that needs to be removed.

Now you should be able to slip the larger shaft back on the smaller one with relative ease.

This is a good time to start putting the steering column back in and hook everything up. I had my entire column out and managed to plug something in wrong and my truck refused to start...:rofl:

You will probably have to open up the ends of the Jeep shaft slightly to slip them over the splines of the steering box as well as the end of the steering column. I used a large flat screwdriver for this and they slid on easily.

For the bolts, you can either 1) use the original bolts from the GM shaft and drill a hole in the end of the Jeep shaft that bolts to the column, or 2) you can use the original bolt from the Jeep shaft in the original place and let it cut new threads into the side of the column.

Install the Jeep bolt in the steering box end of the shaft.

And then clean up, put tools away and enjoy tighter steering. You WILL need to have the steering aligned as your wheel will be way off.

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I apologize if this gets confusing without the pics, I tried to be as straightforward as possible. Ask me if you need help and I'll do my best to try to resolve any issues you may have.

i have the a simalar problem but i was just curious if your truck has a body lift. the rag joint on mine is all tweaked and pretty much ripped off because the steering shaft is at a weird angle. and i can find the steering shaft extender with out buying the whole lift. so if you know a company that has it let me know. or if this will work on a body lifted truck
 

HotRodPC

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How much body lift? You might want to try a shaft off a Jeep CJ or Wrangler. They are even longer yet. If it's a bit to long, then you can cut down the inner shaft that slides into the outter shaft and make your own custom length. How much distance do you have from the D on the column, to the splines on the steering box? Nonetheless, one of these shafts should fix your problem right up, and not only be better than OE, and better than an extender, but so much safer than what it sounds like you have now.

You can be our Guinea Pig for body lifted trucks for us. Take lots of pics and let us know what you find out and work out.
 

bucket

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Yeah, I'm fairly certain a body lifted truck would need a shaft from an early 90's Wrangler.
 

89Suburban

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Corrected the 5/8 to socket. They were just under $12 with sales tax each. There was an 87 one there too, but Reto's write up said 88-96 so I left it. That one looked like it had a rubber boot over part of it as if it were flexible and slideable to adjust. If I had known for sure the ends would be correct, I actully think I liked that one better, but no telling, so I left it. Also seen a 97 and it looked like it was the same as these, but I also left it.

Doing my home work for my PAP trip today, the bolts on the box, I will have to remember that.


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HotRodPC

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Doing my home work for my PAP trip today, the bolts on the box, I will have to remember that.


Sent from my iPod Touch 4th Gen using Tapatalk

Yes Sir. That's a good idea. Normally at a PAP type lot, they vehicles are lifted, and IIRC, with them on stand, you can lay underneath the steer box and get to the bolt very easy from that direction. No back ache or busted knuckles that way. You DON'T need to take a pickle fork to separate the steering box from the Pitman arm. In fact the pitman arm kinda helps support it. So once you get the box off the frame, it's supported by the pitman arm, then you can push or pry in the proper place and the steer box will just swing out of the way on the pitman arm. Makes it not so tough to get the shaft out, and also ensures you don't damage it removing it.
 

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Yes Sir. That's a good idea. Normally at a PAP type lot, they vehicles are lifted, and IIRC, with them on stand, you can lay underneath the steer box and get to the bolt very easy from that direction. No back ache or busted knuckles that way. You DON'T need to take a pickle fork to separate the steering box from the Pitman arm. In fact the pitman arm kinda helps support it. So once you get the box off the frame, it's supported by the pitman arm, then you can push or pry in the proper place and the steer box will just swing out of the way on the pitman arm. Makes it not so tough to get the shaft out, and also ensures you don't damage it removing it.

I was assuming I can just pop them right off. You really got to pull the box or column? These are all on the ground here. They will lift for you and stick tires under it to hold it up but that's about it. I was thinking I could go right down the line and pop at least 6 off. They are all sitting there waiting with the hoods open. So it now sounds like from what I am reading here it's a bit more work so I do not know how it will go....
 

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