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View Full Version : HELP! Steering Shaft too Short?


SicBastard
06-11-2012, 09:57 AM
I'm trying to get my steering hooked up so I can get the car on the trailer. The universal joint had a notchy feel to it so at $80:faint: I bought a new OEM Nissan universal joint, only to find that it too is notchy :rant:. I've had everything apart multiple times. But now I can't get the steering shaft to slide far enough into the universal joint. I've triple checked everything I can think of. This car/chassis has never been raced or crashed.

1. The steering shaft is solidly bolted to the firewall
2. The steering rack bushings are in and look good.
3. The front crossmember is not spaced and bolted in solidly


It looks like I need the shaft/column to come another full inch towards the rack!

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i70/SicBastard/Untitled.jpg

The only thing I can think of is that perhaps I inadvertantly collapsed the steering shaft; I had it standing on end while it was out of the car. But I pulled on it as hard as I could (no jokes plz:naughtyd:) and couldn't get it to come out. I pulled down that white rubber looking seal and it looks like there are some splines there. Is that where the column collapses? Any other ideas? :bow:


Just a side note. I weighed the steering shaft while it was out of the car and it is surprisingly heavy at 24 lbs. I'd love to replace it with an aluminum racing shaft, but that isn't in the budget right now.

jr_ss
06-11-2012, 10:58 AM
You should be able to pull the shaft out more, I know, I know, you've pulled as hard as possible but, it should come out... See if you can slide it back up into the sleeve more, perhaps pushing up and pulling down, will break it loose.

SicBastard
06-11-2012, 11:00 PM
thanx, i think you're probably right. I'm going to shoot a little pentrating oil in there, then grab the end with some vice grips and go to work with a hammer to the vice grips. If that doesn't work, then maybe a little heat. It'll be a week or two till I can get back out to the garage, but I'll update the thread with what goes down.

PureRush
06-11-2012, 11:08 PM
Yeah dude pull it out more. Steering shafts are weird trust me. I had to unbolt mine to re seal my oil pan