NEED HELP ASAP !!!!!!!!!! Rag-Joint Troubles

[bullinerfamily]

Problem Fixed!!!! Rag-Joint / Steering Shaft Troubles NO STEERING HELP !!!!!

Rag-Joint/ aka Steering coupler

I have a 92 XLT, 4dr, power steering, 4.0 v6
My rag-joint/steering coupler was shredded, so i decided to buy a replacement. it has never been changed before so instead of it being bolted on with a bolt and nut, it was riveted with a decent size steel rod. So i used a dremel tool with a cutoff wheel to cut the bolts in half. Got them all cut in half, but they will not come out of the holes. I disconected the top of the rag joint which connected to the steering shaft right by the firewall. had to put it in a vise and hammer another bolt through to get the pieces out. let me tell you it was very hard to get the two pieces out having it right in front of me. now i still have 4 more halves to get out but they are on the lower piece, i do not know how to remove the adjustable shaft. does it come out? it is the shaft that moves in and out a little and has a rubber sleeve on it. My truck is out of commission right now as the steering is not connected. Please help if anyone knows what i can do. I am going in the morning to get a steel drill bit for the dremel and try to drill holes through the 4 remaining bolts, but if i drill small holes through the middle, i dont think it will make them come out any easier??? If there is any way i can get the shaft to come out of the box it goes into i could put it on the vise and hammer them out. Also the new steering coupler that i bought only came with 2 bolts??? need 4, so i bought another steering coupler kit. now i tried to fit the bolts and the new steering coupler together and the bolts dont even go all the way through, so i am going to get automotive quality bolts in the morning that are long enough and will just have to cut them back after i install them.

The biggest challenge right now is just removing the 4 remaining bolt halves.

Please HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Tbars4]

sounds like an awful lot of extra work for a little savings...in the past i tried after market ragjoints and they were always different or thinner...they are one of the only things i will buy from a dealer...as for the steering, sounds kind of like the same aftermarket problem...you can find a junkyard for those parts...if your shaft don't slide up far enough, can you unbolt your steering pump for the extra room???

 

[bullinerfamily]

does the shaft disconnect from gear box

hi, i have plenty of room because i removed the wheel well, but i have to hammer a pin through to get the old bolts out. if i hammer the shaft into the gear box, wont it break something? also is there any way to disconnect the shaft from the gear box? if i can get the shaft off, i can put it in the vise and get the old bolts out.

 

[bullinerfamily]

Fixed Problem !!!!!

I finally fixed the rag joint/steering coupler. After digging around for a while, realized that there was a plastic cover covering the lower rag joint and also a bolt to remove the steering shaft. removed it and was able to put the rest of the bolts into the vise and hammer them out. compromised and bought different bolts to use, as the steering coupler replacement had short fat bolts that would not even come close to fitting. also could not find the small fat bushings to make up the space between the metal and the steering coupler disc, so i got the closest thing i could find, it was battery tie down cables and they came with 2 rubber bushings, bought 2 sets and worked perfect. Hopefully anyone else that decides to replace their rag joint will read all of these posts, as it will save them a lot of time.

It is very suprising that no one else has had to replace their rag joints !!!!! As there is nothing on this site or on the internet that explains anything about the process.

 

[Tbars4]

actually, i just seen someone doing the very same thing within this last week...i am sorry i couldn't find the thread as i had a trail run to do today....sometimes it takes just a little bit more searching and, this time of year, especially on the weekends, help to your exact problem is harder to find as it does take a little time searching...