I'm playing around with relocating my steering box in my 1980 CJ-7 and I expected the steering shaft to have some slip in it similar to a driveshaft. I've pushed and pulled though, and can't get any movement out of it. What gives?

I think collapsible means that in a wreck the shaft can give way for better safety. There are also telescopic shafts in higher end automobiles for easier ingres/egres.

It will slide though, you just need to pull harder.
it probably has'nt move in 22 years
ericfilar@fatcity

Originally posted by FatCity
It will slide though, you just need to pull harder.
it probably has'nt move in 22 years
ericfilar@fatcity
Yup, got eat a bowl of weaties and try again, it will move, its just rusted there

I'm sorta pulling this out of thin air but I seem to remember something about plastic shear pins that snap easily in an accident.

If memory is serving me correctly, Samurais have them that you have drill out when you do a body lift and you can't replace them with metal screws or you'll eat the wheel in a crash.

:confused:

My old CJ shaft had a hard plastic shear pin in it. The pin is suppose to break in a front end wreck. Just drill the pin out and it will be a normal slip shaft.

Oem slip shafts (steering) have an injection of plastic thru them, like a shear pin, they will collapse in an accident. hit it with a hammer or find some other way to force a shock load into it and it will sever the plastic and you will then have a semi smooth moving slip shaft. If you pull it completely apart, you can remove the plastic completely for smoother movement.

edit: this is in regards to double d shaft.

Cool, I'm going to go drive my Jeep into a brick wall right now. That oughta take care of those pins. :smokin:

Thanks guys. Last night I removed the steering shaft (huge pita, rusty splines). It did have two holes on either side of the shaft where they had injected plastic. I warmed up with the torch and then I was able to pull it apart and clean all that plastic out of there. Greased it up and put it all back together.

Thanks again.

So on my 85 Yota i should not have welded it back together than?

opps.... :eek: I just put some small tack welds that i figured would break in a good front end accident... :rolleyes:

Originally posted by drnut
So on my 85 Yota i should not have welded it back together than?

opps.... :eek: I just put some small tack welds that i figured would break in a good front end accident... :rolleyes:

Better to use solder - use a torch and some regular plumbing type solder around the slip area. that'll hold it in place and allow it to collapse like it should.

I guess, I'm wondering what reason there is to weld or solder the slip joint back together...

I would think that as long as there is sufficient shaft engagement, then who cares if it is stuck together.