[Guest]

I need some extra clearance around the steering shaft area-and want to run a shaft away from my tires (when articulated) using some sort of bushing or bearing in conjunction with an extra shaft. Basically-it will be a two piece steering shaft with the lower shaft held in place with a bushing or bearing. Does anyone know where I could start looking for parts-or any vehicles I might find in the junk yard that have a center joint?

Thanks

 

[Jim_Lou]

Two-piece, 3-joint shafts aren't very common, so it's unlikely that you can find one with the proper length pieces. I'd suggest looking under the hood of some medium-duty trucks, box trucks, delivery vans, old busses and that kind of stuff in the junkyards. But don't be surprised if you don't find much.

After that, go to a Dana/Spicer catalog and look at U-joints and yokes. They make yokes with splines that will fit Saginaw boxes and GM steering columns. You can pick out the yokes you need, get some keyway shaft and put together anything you want.

Just remember that you need at least one slip joint to accomodate the body moving on the mounts and the frame flexing. For a three-joint shaft you also need a pillow block to support the middle joint.

And it would be nice to build in the ability for the shaft to collapse in a crash. For that you can incorporate a stock steering shaft as the upper section. Just weld pieces of your keyway shaft to each end, and put the yokes on that.

You'll need about $200 worth of parts and materials.