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I was cruising one of the local wrecking yards yesterday and found a Jeep! It was even a full sizer - 88ish Grand Wagoneer! This is the second time I've seen any Jeep in a yard around here so I was very excited.
Anyhow, I yanked the steering intermediate shaft since mine is worn and crappy. Plus this one had a U-joint rather than the flex joint found in our trucks. Went to swap them this morning and I found that the end of our steering columns isn't splined like the Wagoneer's.
What to do now?
- I could get the tilt column out of the Wagoneer but I don't really want that, nor do I want the column shifter crap. Is the column diameter even the same as our trucks?
- Is there some way to swap the steering shaft in the middle of the column with one that is splined, but not tilting? Maybe a later full size truck column?
I really want to run this intermediate shaft, plus it's collapsable so there's less chance of the wheel smacking my face in a nasty head-on.
Thanks
Chris
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Chris, this is how I did mine. Summit and Jegs both offer a smooth bore u-joint that will fit the column and is retained by welding or drilling a setscrew hole in shaft and using a setscrew. next, a mid 70's chevy pu has a collapsible shaft that is the same diameter as column. or you may be able to cut off the wagoneer joint and replace it with the new joint. anyway, jegs also makes a splined ujoint for gm/jeep steering gear. use it at the other end. I used a chevy shaft for three reasons. 1-it was long enough to cut off ends and still have plenty of shaft left. 2-it was the right size. 3-I had one. seriously, once you get your joints, just do a little junkyard shopping. you might find one that works better. Another idea is to take the wagon shaft to a machine shop and have them drill out the joint to the size of your shaft and add a couple of drilled and tapped holes for set screws.
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chris i went to the hot rod shop and got 2 borgelson joints and a piece of double D shaft. i welded and put a set screw on the srearing wheel end. the pin at the bottom of the column can be driven out to allow the bogelson joint to be put on.
rick
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CUCV Starting problems
A cheap and easy way is to cut the last couple of inches off a late model FSJ colum shaft and knock the inside tube out of the end. You end up with a 3/4" ID tube with the splines on one end that can be welded or cross drilled and bolted over the end of the 3/4" OD M715 colum shaft.
If you compare the two shafts you will see what I am trying explain. A late model FSJ has collapsable shaft with the outside tube on the lower end. There is another short tube inside it at the very end, this needs to be removed. The the ID will then match the OD of the M715 shaft.
Maybe someone else can explain it better.
Dan in Askov
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The Borgeson/Flaming River U-joints was what I planned on doing but the cost had me pretty sad. That's why I was so stoked to get the Wagoneer shaft for 10 bucks. Now I'm determined to figure out how to get this thing in there using Jeep parts.
Dan, you're talking about the shaft that's in the center of the steering column? That one is collapsable too?
Thanks
Chris
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Yes, it has a couple of spot welds holding it together, but would collapse in a crash.
I am in the middle of building a steering column from parts taken from several different Jeeps.
M715 -outer housing, center shaft, upper bearing
FSJ -splined end of center shaft and lower bearing
Commado -turn signal switch, turn signal switch housing, and horn button
Postal Jeep -steering wheel
I will let you know how it works out.
Dan in Askov
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Sounds very Frankenstein. Maybe I should grab the Wagoneer column and see if I can do something similar.
Thanks
Chris
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It sounds worse than it looks. I will end up with a steering column that looks like an early FSJ column, but with a better looking steering wheel and it will hook up to the late model shaft to the power steering gear.
I am doing it for a few reasons.
-to get a turn signal switch that will work with 12V conversion
-to get rid of the stock joint at the lower end of the column
-it will look stock
-it won't cost anything but time
A early FSJ column would be easier to convert, but they are hard to find around here.
A late FSJ column has very few parts that would be of use on the M715 column other than the lower half of the shaft and the lower bearing. Even both of these need some work to be of use.
Dan in Askov
