TheSamba.com :: View topic - Replacing steering flex disk with ujoint coupler

Sun Jan 20, 2019 1:06 pm

Do to frame geometry I have a fair angle at the flex disk in my steering. I'm not comfortable with the flex disk taking that angle and am wondering about changing it out for a u joint. It's a 1970 beetle box so should be 5/8 and 62 spline? Has anyone done this? I've seen many examples of dual couplers but I'm not interested in that, just the single u joint at the box.

Thoughts?

Sun Jan 20, 2019 3:44 pm

No real reason why you can not, that I know of....

Dale

Sun Jan 20, 2019 4:24 pm

I cannot find a u-joint for the stock steering box. I would like one with the female rag joint pinch bolt fitting on both ends. Then a short section of shaft that had the VW rag joint coupler male on both ends could allow it to be installed and provide some length adjustment.

Sun Jan 20, 2019 5:54 pm

Maybe....

http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Steering-Shaft-Universal-Joint-p/5578-20.htm

Dale

Mon Jan 21, 2019 6:43 am

Dale M. wrote: Maybe....

http://vwparts.aircooled.net/Steering-Shaft-Universal-Joint-p/5578-20.htm

Dale

That's what I used in my race buggy. they are 3/4" 32 spline couplers.

Find a wrecked super beetle to get the right sized u-joints. You'll have t do some welding on your shaft to make it work.

brad

Mon Jan 21, 2019 7:21 am

slalombuggy wrote: ... Find a wrecked super beetle to get the right sized u-joints ...

Pull'd one of these from an early 1970s Super Beetle:

I cut the shaft to the length needed so steering wheel would be in sweet spot, and install'd it very securely (can't recall exactly how, but without welding) back in early 1990s. Been working nicely in my daily driver (Mini-Camaro) ever since:

Lots of steering u-joint choices out there:
https://www.appletreeauto.com/VW-STEERING/U-JOINTS/

Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:04 am

You don't necessarily need to also have the flex disc if you use the U-joints like MrGoodtunes did. However, the advantage would be the stock horn circuit could still work.

Mon Jan 21, 2019 11:17 am

BL3Manx wrote: You don't necessarily need to also have the flex disc if you use the U-joints like MrGoodtunes did. However, the advantage would be the stock horn circuit could still work.

Depends in year of wiring.... Some flex disks had ground strap around them....

Dale

Tue Jan 22, 2019 8:20 am

Talked with a couple of places on the phone, no one seems to have what I want. I'm sure it's out there, just have look harder.

This is the coupler as it sits now. What do you guys think, is that too much angle?

Tue Jan 22, 2019 9:19 am

That's fine. Or you can rotate your box a bit if you want

Tue Jan 22, 2019 10:16 am

Too much angle-you need to rotate the steering box on the beam.

Tue Jan 22, 2019 11:24 am

With that much misalignment the collapsible part of the steering column will eventually fatigue and break. It really needs to be an almost perfectly straight alignment if you want to use the rubber coupler with the collapsible column.

Tue Jan 22, 2019 3:02 pm

IF you can not find something here and "make it work"... You probably need to walk away from idea....

https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Search?query=steering%20universal%20joint&page=2

Dale

Tue Jan 22, 2019 3:34 pm

There are lots of ways to "make it work" but the Bug steering has an unusual steering shaft size. One way would be to buy 2 of the rag joint couplers that have the Bug box size female and 5/8-36 spline male. Bolt one together without the rag and attach to the steering box. Bolt the male side of the other to the male side of a stock rag joint coupler and put the stock end in your steering column. Now you can use a common u-joint that is 5/8-36 female at both ends. It will be a little longer than stock. The stock steering column can be shortened if needed.

With a single u-joint you don't need to change the steering column support. With a double u-joint you need to add a lower bearing to the steering column. With lift kits and baja Bugs with added suspension travel I'm just surprised that no one has made u-joints that have the female side of a rag joint at each end. They would bolt right to the box and with sections of double male steering rod you could change angle and length easily. We have to adapt to other standards even though we are starting with the most produced car in the world!

I made a double female rag joint from stock parts, made my own extension rod (12" long sized and notched stock VW male steering at each end) and then rotated the steering box a little. The long tie rod does lay on the top of the tunnel right as the upper arm first touches the rubber stop. A u-joint would let me rotate the box back to stock, but the slight contact I have doesn't effect operation.

Wed Jan 23, 2019 7:12 am

Not to sidetrack but.

Anyone else get an uneasy feeling about 50 years old collapsible columns?
I have one on my Thing and every time I look at it and think about 45-50 years of stress I worry just a tad....

AMAC

Wed Jan 23, 2019 9:32 am

The only collapsible steering columns I have seen broken were either wrecked or misaligned. In one situation it does what it is supposed to do, and the other situation is avoidable. I inspect them for cracks and make sure they are aligned well before putting one back into service. So I suppose the age of the part doesn't bother me any more than any of the other 50 year old parts on the vehicle.

The column on my buggy is an older straight shaft. I have a newer collapsible one in my parts stash that I wanted to install in the buggy. Now, after looking at it and driving the thing for a few years next to all the giant vehicles on the road today, I feel that any situation in which I wish I had instead installed the collapsible column in the buggy will likely be fairly catastrophic regardless of where the steering wheel ends up.

Still, I will keep the spare in case one of my beetles ever needs a replacement, or until someone else needs it more than I do.

Wed Jan 23, 2019 10:27 am

^^^What Qdog said above^^^

The collapsible column is a great idea, but remember that it will be some 50-almost 60 years old and may have come out of a wrecked car, so a thorough inspection before mounting is absolutely necessary for your safety. I have also heard of a couple breaking while in use (fortunately at low speeds and no one was hurt) and a further look (in 1 instance) revealed the column not lined up correctly with the steering box, so keep that in mind as well. Al

Wed Jan 23, 2019 11:33 am

rbucklin wrote:

Looks like it's fun to remove the brake fluid reservoir cap.

bnc

Wed Jan 23, 2019 1:56 pm

https://www.thesamba.com/vw/forum/viewtopic.php?t=419666

Wed Jan 23, 2019 2:42 pm

Funny you guys bring ou the collapsible joint breaking. A long time ago I lived in the Caribbean. My daily was a mid 60's Beetle. I had just bombed across the Island after a day of grinding fiberglass in the boat yard when I hit traffic at the main light into downtown Charlotte Amalia. Went through the turning intersection, turned the wheel and the car went straight. Yup, the collapsible joint gave way. Had it gone two minutes earlier it would have been at 40mph+ on windy, narrow tree lined island roads.

So, should I cut that piece out? I have more steering shaft I can put together to replace that joint.