Lower intermediate steering shaft stuck...

[starsailor]

I've been trying to remove my lower intermediate shaft for the last day and half so I can repair the worn out rag joint with the Dorman kit. I've separated the shaft from the steering box, but the upper end where it slides into the coupler on the bottom end of the upper intermediate shaft right below the brake booster is stuck but good. The bolt came out OK, but after several shots of penetrating oil, many hammer whacks, half a can of CRC "Freeze Off", and even clamping a vice grip on the lower shaft to try to hammer if out of the coupler I can't get it to budge. A torch isn't a good option because of the plastic and rubber boots on the shaft and the proximity to brake booster and all the brake lines.

Does anyone know of any tricks or techniques that I haven't tried yet?

Can I pull both the uppper intermediate shaft still attached to the lower intermediate shaft thru the firewall after sliping the weather boot thru the firewall? I know I can disconnect the upper intermediate shaft behind the steering wheel, but I don't know if the rag joint with or without the plastic boot over it will fit thru the firewall hole.

Any help here would be greatly appreciated.

 

[starsailor]

Got the shaft out!!! I just grew some stones and decided it was coming out thru the firewall come hell or high water.

I disconnected the upper intermediate shaft under the dash and popped the firewall boot out. The whole shaft upper and lower still stuck together, including the failed rag joint, came out thru the hole in the firewall. However, I did have to cut off the plastic boot that covers the rag joint at the steering box. I left the rubber boot intact that covers the greased part of the lower intermediate shaft (collapsable steering column part). I will have to come up with a way to somehow join the cut plastic boot back together when I put it back in.

Once out of the Tahoe I still couldn't get the upper and lower to come apart using a vice and BFH. It must be really fused with rust. Anyhow, I figure I don't really need it separated now as the whole point in separating them was to get the rag joint bottom end of the lower shaft out of the truck.

Replacing the rag joint was a piece of cake though. Took about 20-30 min to drill and punch out the 4 rivets that hold the rag joint together. Then I took the replacement rubber donut from Dorman kit #31002 and bolted in place. The one tricky part is the rivets had a stepped shoulder so the rubber donut wouldn't get pinched too tight in the rag joint. To simulate this with bolts I had make up my own and discard those in the Dorman kit. The holes in the end of the shaft fitting and the part that attaches to the steering box spline are 5/16. The hole in the rubber donut and the backing plates opposite the shaft fittings are 3/8. To I just took some 5/16 x 1 1/4 - 24 (fine thread) bolts and cut some sleeves to mimic the stepped shoulders on the rivets. I made the sleeves from some 3/8 OD x 5/16 ID chromed copper tubing that I had in my plumbing drawer. I can't remember the name of it offhand, but it's the undersink tube that goes from the shutoff valve to the underside of the sink faucet. I bolted the rag joint all together with the bolts, sleeves, and some nylon locking nuts. It makes a nice secure rag joint isn't pinched too tight like plain bolt would do. It has a little flex to it and zero slop.

I'll put it back in the truck and figure out how to splice the cut plastic boot tomorrow morning. Later I'll post how the steering feels and it drives.

 

[Woodstock]

I recently rebuilt my rag joint too. Your experience sounds a bit like mine. My shaft wasnt rusty, the joint was just a pain to get all the bolts/rivets arranged the right way. I hope that your rusty shaft coupler isnt so bad that it would fail when you really need it.