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2nd gen steering upgrade

albi1cnobi1

Elite Mountaineer
Elite Explorer
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December 21, 2007
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City, State
South Jersey
Year, Model & Trim Level
99 Mountaineer V6 4x4
Well the plan is coming to fruition. I received my package from Flaming river today. The upgrade replaces the problematic OEM slip shaft and lower joint between the upper column and the steering rack. For anyone contemplating this job these are the part numbers that are required. FR1856-S, stainless adjustable shaft; and FR1789DD, Ford triangle yoke x 3/4" DD u-joint. Here are a few pics.
8a8682a1-f30c-4cb2-b033-dbfc183ab8ac_zps8bab2528.jpg

DSCF1245_zpsd47a8c86.jpg

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I hope to get this project done on Friday, and I'll get some pics of the install and let everyone know how it goes.:D
 



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An update for everyone.

There was a slight problem with the fit on the u-joint to rack yoke. Turns out that part #(FR1789DD) is for the Mustang racks. Flaming River didn't have an application for our trucks but we figured it out. The correct part # is FR1789P. That is actually for their own p.s. rack, but I took a shot and it is a perfect fit! My friend at the local NAPA let me do some test fits on a new explorer rack and the new u-joint is a perfect fit. I talked to the Flaming River tech support people(who are really awesome) and let them know, so now they have some numbers and info if someone else needs this. I should have the parts installed tomorrow. I'll post up pics and results.
 






So what's the point of this? What makes it better than OEM?
I'm looking at some steering stuff since my shaft lost the boot :(
 






This is great! After seeing the flaming river steering shafts done on a first gen, I was wondering if it was possible for a second gen too. Much thanks for doing the trial and error, and I'll be referencing back to this when it's time to upgrade mine.
 






So what's the point of this? What makes it better than OEM?
I'm looking at some steering stuff since my shaft lost the boot :(

The point is to replace the old, binding steering shaft and joint with a new smooth one. A new shaft from Ford, if you can find one is over $200. The fact that it is made from billet steel, has sealed long life needle bearings, and has a greaseable slip joint. These things, as well as the fact that these parts have been holding up to the rigors of racing for years, make them in my opinion better than OEM. They're a high quality part and should outlast the vehicle.
 






Is it also smaller size, allowing more clearance?
;)

The smaller shaft looks like less of a challenge for routing a header-or similar fabrication.

Inside the stock shaft there are 2 rubber bushings which actually do all the work. This looks to be substantially stronger.

On my to do list for sure.
 


















Is it also smaller size, allowing more clearance?
;)

The smaller shaft looks like less of a challenge for routing a header-or similar fabrication.

Inside the stock shaft there are 2 rubber bushings which actually do all the work. This looks to be substantially stronger.

On my to do list for sure.

One more question. Does the unit still collapse, as in a collision?

Yes, it is. Don't know how much off the top of my head but I will get measurements tomorrow.

Yes it does. It has about 3 1/2" of slip, which is about a 1/2" more than stock.
 






How much does the steering shaft and U joint cost and long does replacing the OEM ones take?

U-joint-$129.95 Steering shaft-$126.95

Those prices are directly from Flaming river. You can get them a little cheaper from like Summit or JEGS but FR is doing free shipping on all orders over $175 until 3/31/13 so it ended up being cheaper this way.
And on the second question I'll know better tomorrow. It would also depend on your level of corrosion and such.
 






Excellent, this came up in the V8 header thread yesterday. I have a spare shaft(both) from Karl that I looked at today.

The bottom joint looks like a double cardon u-joint, it has two pivot points near each other. Does that one have that, or is it a normal single u-joint? I think the DC joint would just be for a smoother action, not strength etc.

Do let us know how it works, feels, and show us pictures of course.
 






Got the new shaft and u-joint installed today. It took a total of about 1 1/2 hours. It actually was only about an hour but I had already measured and cut the new shaft to length and drilled it for the top shaft thru bolt, which took about 30 minutes the other day. This was, at least in my opinion a pretty easy job. The hardest part was finding all the "sweet spots". By that I mean where to line up the rack and joint to get sockets and allen wrenches in to tighten everything. All you 2wd guys should have it made, the front diff is the main thing limiting access. The easiest way to do it is to face which ever nut or set screw you are trying to get to straight forward. A socket w/ a universal and 6" extension will get you in there from the front right above the sway bar. Getting ready to go run some errands so I'll post some pics and let everyone know how it feels on the road when I get back. :thumbsup:
 






Here's some pics of the install. 1st couple of pics are of the shaft, cut to length and drilled for the top shaft bolt, and the new u-joint.
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These next shots are of the installed shaft. You can see the u-joint and the clearance around the shaft. And also the connection at the firewall end, I used the stock bolt but the old shaft had the nut attached so I picked up a matching nut and made sure to use thread locker on all threads.
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Finally you can see the grease fitting on the shaft, and the old shaft which was toast.
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If anyone has any questions feel free to ask and I'll try to answer as much as I can.
 






dust cover

Will the old protective cover fit over the new U-joint? I've heard that the protective covers are no longer available from Ford. Some members have been searching for a replacement for quite a while. I wonder if Flaming River supplies them. What is the distance from the new bellows to the nearest section of exhaust manifold?
 






I would imagine that it would. You might have to find a way to secure it though. The few new shafts that I found didn't seem to include the boot. I can check the clearances and let you know.
 






What about us '96-'97 guys with the different shaft? could they help us out too? Mine is binding up REAL bad, I almost drove off into a ditch today. I really would like to not take mine out and measure it, just to put it back in, and put the new one in later.
 






So that's a non greasable u-joint? If need be, you could probably run without a bellows for a while, since it should be pretty well sealed. I'd even imagine that cutting a shock boot down a bit and using zip ties will work. If not, McMaster Carr has a good selection of bellows; I'm sure they have something that would work perfectly.
 






What about us '96-'97 guys with the different shaft? could they help us out too? Mine is binding up REAL bad, I almost drove off into a ditch today. I really would like to not take mine out and measure it, just to put it back in, and put the new one in later.

I'm sure they could. The only thing you need to know is what type of yoke is on the rack. I think the rack end is the same, but I'm not 100% sure about the '96-'97. Maybe if someone else knows if the shafts are interchangeable they could chime in. If they are then this would work for you.
 






I think they all will swap from 95-01, the old pre-98 shafts are an upgrade for the later shaft. I bought one to put in my 98, but I haven't compared them yet.

I wonder if they made the later shafts without the double cardon joint of the early shafts.
 



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What about us '96-'97 guys with the different shaft? could they help us out too? Mine is binding up REAL bad, I almost drove off into a ditch today. I really would like to not take mine out and measure it, just to put it back in, and put the new one in later.

I think they all will swap from 95-01, the old pre-98 shafts are an upgrade for the later shaft. I bought one to put in my 98, but I haven't compared them yet.

There you go. If thats the case then this will work for you.
 






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