simple steering mod

[gary-r]

maybe this has been done before

i got fed up with the wooly steering so removed the rag joint.

i had to extend the shaft with a 2" body lift to correct the length. with the rag joint removed turn the shaft until the holes line up to the u-joint and bolt it up solid.

i have no steering damper fitted and 33" tyres and it feels much more positive on the road with no free play, wobbles or vibration up to 80mph.

it might not work so well if you do a lot of offroad driving as the bumps and shocks will be transmitted straight back to the wheel with the rag joint missing.

[BUSHWHACKER]

Excellent!
This is something I keep meaning to look into but never have any suitable steel to hand.
This mod will be OK for off-roading if a return-to-centre steering damper was fitted.

[animal]

excuse my ignorance but.... wtf is a rag joint

[Wolfracer]

excuse my ignorance but.... wtf is a rag joint

The circle of rubber with fabric in it on the steering column joint - the one that shouldn't be bent when you lift the truck...

[gary-r]

this is the rubbery bit that gets removed - its the reason for the vague steering in a surf. its basically a shock damper but you wont notice the difference on the road

try moving the wheel a little left and right and watch how much it moves before the tyre does anything - repeat it after the rag joint is removed and the tyre does what the steering wheel does

[Bayside]

maybe this has been done before

i got fed up with the wooly steering so removed the rag joint.

i had to extend the shaft with a 2" body lift to correct the length. with the rag joint removed turn the shaft until the holes line up to the u-joint and bolt it up solid.

i have no steering damper fitted and 33" tyres and it feels much more positive on the road with no free play, wobbles or vibration up to 80mph.

it might not work so well if you do a lot of offroad driving as the bumps and shocks will be transmitted straight back to the wheel with the rag joint missing.

Sounds like a great modification. I'd like to do something similar but just need to clarify the changed out parts...

The pics you posted - do they show the section you made ie the shiny black tube with the curved section of metal linked to the universal joint?

Probably just being daft but just need a little bit more detail please.... although might help if went out to the truck and had a look at where the little doughnut type disc thing lives!

[gary-r]

Sounds like a great modification. I'd like to do something similar but just need to clarify the changed out parts...

The pics you posted - do they show the section you made ie the shiny black tube with the curved section of metal linked to the universal joint?

Probably just being daft but just need a little bit more detail please.... although might help if went out to the truck and had a look at where the little doughnut type disc thing lives!

there are no parts - the shiny black bit is the original steering shaft.

[flounderbout]

What did you extend and how then? This sounds like a great mod. My steering is certainly a touch on the unresponsive side...

[gary-r]

What did you extend and how then? This sounds like a great mod. My steering is certainly a touch on the unresponsive side...

i had to extend the shaft about 20mm. having a body lift and removing the rag joint left the shaft a bit short.

easiest way to do it is remove the shaft from the car then cut the shaft around 1" above the bottom fixing plate. you now have 1 piece with a spline and 1 with the 2 bolt flange.
stick the splined part back into the fitting and attach the other part to the uj minus the rag joint - you will now have a gap between the 2 pieces. that is the amount to extend the shaft.

use a piece of pipe with a hole the right size for the shaft to sleeve it and weld it up.

any local welder will do it - its a 20min job.

ps. is the alternator problem sorted yet henry

[flounderbout]

i had to extend the shaft about 20mm. having a body lift and removing the rag joint left the shaft a bit short.

easiest way to do it is remove the shaft from the car then cut the shaft around 1" above the bottom fixing plate. you now have 1 piece with a spline and 1 with the 2 bolt flange.
stick the splined part back into the fitting and attach the other part to the uj minus the rag joint - you will now have a gap between the 2 pieces. that is the amount to extend the shaft.

use a piece of pipe with a hole the right size for the shaft to sleeve it and weld it up.

any local welder will do it - its a 20min job.

ps. is the alternator problem sorted yet henry

Gotcha. Thanks for that.

Alternator problem shelved for now, cos I am back at work and so had to put the dash back together (it comes home and gets plugged in each night like a little electric car ).
I have a new alternator here, but I'm not at all convinced that there isn't a circuitry problem somewhere which I want to rule out first - not least because I cannot get the battery light to come on, even by earthing the alternator plug (and yes the bulb is fine!). So something is awry in the charging circuit methinks, and there are various other little gremlins - e.g. ATF temp gauge and fuel pump relay problem. So still some detective work to do to try and ensure all the circuitry is good before I bite the bullet and start taking things apart to get at the alternator. Your help is much appreciated though. You and Vince will be fed up with me before long with all my daft questions! May have some new daft questions on Saturday when I get back at it if you don't mind too much!
I'm really enjoying getting more familiar with it all though. I can get the whole dash off and speedo etc out in about 3 mins now!
Still waiting on my leather seats, but am hoping I get the wiring sorted before that arrives, and then that will be the cherry on top...

[gary-r]

Excellent!
This is something I keep meaning to look into but never have any suitable steel to hand.
This mod will be OK for off-roading if a return-to-centre steering damper was fitted.

its a good one for lexurf's vince - leaves loads of clearance on the exhaust manifold - and theres no rubber bit to get cooked anymore, that worried me a bit - the rubber used to get so hot it burnt my fingers

[Albannach]

Does anyone know the PCD of the bolts? I fancy this mod too, but would rather replace the rag joint with a plate, or add a plate(s) to the joint.

[BUSHWHACKER]

No idea of the PCD, I had the joint on the bench and used it as a template to make the plate.
I'll be making another one for Lexurf VIII soon, want me to make you one and post it?

As you can see in the link below, I left the rubber part in and fitted the plate underneath with longer bolts and threadlock holding it all together. Doing it this way allows more of the splines to be gripped on the shaft after the bodylift, so it's effectively a solid spacer.
http://www.hiluxsurf.co.uk/showpost....2&postcount=87

[Albannach]

I'll be making another one for Lexurf VIII soon, want me to make you one and post it?

Yes please, Vince, that would be excellent. Let me know how much to lubricant you'd like me to smear on your PayPal account

[yoshie]

Yes please, Vince, that would be excellent. Let me know how much to lubricant you'd like me to smear on your PayPal account

Or get the drawing and sizes from Vince and come over and knock one up here.
Save Vince a trip to the post office.