Fixing Loose Steering, Rag Joint Replacement
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ก.ค. 2024
- In this video I show you how to replace the ‘rag joint’ or, steering coupler, on a 1990 GMT400 pick up truck. Honestly this information will apply to SEVERAL GM vehicles of a similar vintage, not just trucks.
So if your vehicle has loose steering and is equipped with this type of coupler, this video will show you how to replace it.
This is (Episode 34) in the #ETCGDadsTruck series.
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Links
Steering Coupler I Used: www.ebay.com/itm/253414545622
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Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. EricTheCarGuy assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. EricTheCarGuy recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of EricTheCarGuy, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not EricTheCarGuy®. - ยานยนต์และพาหนะ
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BY FAR the most comprehensive Master Mechanic on the Internet BAR NONE!!! Love the way You show thigs and explain AS YOU GO. LOVE how you get right up on things so I (Joe Weekend try-and-fix-the-Mrs.-car-so-we-can-save-a-bundle) can see EXACTLY what you're talking about. Found your site yrs ago and watch and LEARN even in my 60s and a career of 50+yrs working on trucks/cars. Sloppy old 03 S10 and NOW drives like a champ! THANKS (..and the Mrs. says THANK YOU THAT HE DIDN'T KILL HIMSELF WHILE DOING IT!!)
Had this same issue on my 87 S15 years ago. What I did instead (thats a common mod) is replaced the steering shaft with one from a Jeep Cherokee that uses U-Joints instead of a rag joint. Best steering mod ever for that little truck.
Didn't know that was an option... to the forums!
@@Spadookie Thanks!
XJ shaft on mine as well
I have an '84 Monte Carlo SS and a lot of people are doing the same mod for the same reason on the 4th gen Monte Carlo's. I haven't done it to mine yet, but when it gets to the point where I'm starting to notice sloppy steering, I'll just go ahead and do the swap.
@@razinhailsharp its a real solid swap. The only thing you have to do is heat up the Cherokee steering shaft to collapse it so it's short enough to fit in place
Nicest engine bay ever. I wanna see a video of you explaining everything you’ve done under hood!
Holy crap! Sorry for the language, I’ve been trying to figure out why my 93 Subaru wrx has loose steering and I couldn’t find information anywhere, found your video, even tho it ain’t the same vehicle I still know what’s up now, thank you!
I could not find a new steering shaft with rag joint for my 1988 GMC. And fitment seemed to be an issue for shaft and/or rag joints. I tried used connectors ,but they were dried out and worn too . But thanks to you folks on TH-cam, I found the answer. I pulled a steering shaft from a 93 Jeep Cherokee. With clean up and a couple mods, I now have a solid steering shaft in my GMC. WORKS GREAT!
ETCG is so dependable. Every video is a winner.
Sup Eric... Thanks for all your videos as they have helped us with our 97 Tahoe improvement project.. this one in particular. We replaced all the front end parts such as gear box, power steering, pit man arms, upper and lower control arms, shocks, etc. and still where having loose steering wheel issues. We will change out the entire coupling steering shaft and hope fully this fixes the issue. Anyways, thank you for your good and cool videos. Stay safe and stay healthy.
I completely removed my rag joint in favor of a solid shaft with u-joints. Made an amazing difference and I don’t notice bump steer. My shaft came from an XJ Jeep Cherokee, no real modification needed, you just have to separate the XJ shaft to have the right length. Separate it by burning the plastic inside. You can research the swap yourself if you want to do it!
on my '94 suburban,I was able to get rid of the slop at the steering box.There is an outer bolt that I loosened,Then an inner bolt I tightented,then re-tightened the outer.Piece of cake.I dont recall if there is also a rag joint.Thanks for you expertise,Eric!
Eric,
I appreciate your knowledge and the time it takes to make these videos. I learned on my dads '64 F100 when I burned the clutch. Easier to work on, back in the day. At 67 yrs young I still do what I can. Just changed my wifes struts on her 2008 Odyssey. Long 3 day holiday weekend (:-)
Thank you very much for your comment.
Eric, I think you just solved a problem I'm having, and you showed the how to fix !!!! Many thanks!!
FRIKKEN AMAZING!...a bit of trouble shooting, swap out some old parts and the car is on the road again. I recommend occasional car enthusiasts to swap out some of the steering fluids if their vehicle has seen significant mileage over the years. A cheap fix with some basic tools and all done within an hour. The change is quite remarkable.
I have a truck at the shop with 294k and extreme slop in the steering. I have been trying to tell my boss that I have seen this problem before and it has been mostly a problem I the steering shift. I couldn't think of the part but Eric had me covered. 👍
My 94 k1500 has the same steering problem, I didn't know that part was even there. Thanks for the video Eric, looks like a simple fix, I'll try it.
Ha! Eric your problems are my problems have same issue on my daughter Land Rover. Great timing releasing this ‘vid’ thanks.
I'm an old guy who has seen a number of trucks in my time but wow, congrats on this fine looking truck! Hopefully I'll glean some more wisdom!😊
Liked, Subbed and shared - thanks Eric definitely will do this to my 200K plus miles 1993 sloppy-steering CK1500!
just did my 1991 GMC 1500 sh0rt box WOW what a difference like a ROCK again. , thanks Eric hello from Alberta Canada
Nice video as always. Very common problem
I’m glad the truck is coming together nicely for you
Thanks for jogging my memory. Many many years ago, "I'm an old guy " I heard about this problem and the fix but I didn't remember exactly how. Now I'm restoring A 57 Chevy and this helps tremendously. Thanks again.
What brand rag joint.and part number?
@@tomrohn8607 TH-cam answered you. I have no idea what they're talking about. The only thing TH-cam got right is that I'm an old guy 👴 Sorry bout that. Now they'll probably remove this text. 🙄
Great video. My 2004 Blazer has the same issue. Going to try and tackle it this week
Cunningham machine makes a stellar ujoint replacement for this. Its 10x what a rag joint is
Thanks for the info. They make solid products. I have ordered from them before. I’ll order a shaft today!
That time of year I guess! I just did the rag joint on my 34 year old Grand Marquis. There was a bit of slop in the steering on that one, too. This time she got the works - balls joints, control arm bushings, new rotors and pads, and a new steering box. Should be nice and tight now, once I get it aligned.👍🍻
i had the same exact problem with my '84 Camaro two years ago, (that steering shaft looks exact the same),
No mechanic could know where the problem was, I had to find out for myself.
I rebuilt the piece with the same rubber / fabric material since they did not sell that piece in my country.
I learned some things there, in each part there is a notch that indicates the position that goes, from the base of the steering wheel to the steering box, each component has this notch.
later I found out that using that entire part of an Astro Van or Grand Cherokee would have been simpler for me since I don't have many tools and those rivets are extremely hard to cut.
I changed that very component on my 1979 ElCamino and it sure made a difference. Looks like it fits about 10 million vehicles :)
Yeah for Chevrolet. The best apocalyptic brand.
Lots of great information! Great video !
I have this on my c1500. I thought I had seen every ETCG Dad's truck video. Surprised I missed this one.
Great Video, well done, lighting was superior.
A customer of mine had a similar Issue on a old F150 the steering coupler was In good shape, however the worm gear In the gearbox wasn't adjusted correctly. Great video Eric \m/
I was thinking along the same lines. Many rear drive GM vehicles (but not all) have adjustable steering sector lash adjustments for taking away wheel slop.
Thank you for sharing your knowledge with the world.
Did the same on my Firebird, it helped a lot. I decided not to install the ASTRO van steering shaft in order to not damage the steering box.
Just did this a couple of months ago on one of my foxbodys. Could only get the rag by itself. Too much fun.
Good video....had to do my old truck a few years ago. My job seemed to be a little harder than his job. He make it look easier.
Thanks Eric! I too had to grind the rivets off and use a hammer drill to pop the studs out. The Dremel cutting wheels and accessory kit was $60, the new rag joint was $11 and the hardware was probably around $5. I even had to get a second rag joint because the auto shop sold me a too large one. Even with locktite the materials were under what I paid for a stupid Dremel kit.
Excellent 👍 job Sir!
What a beauty. Eric is.
The only part I didnt check in my 97 k1500 GMC steering that is vague. Forgot about it. It looks worse than the one you just took off. Nice job Eric!
Great vid Eric
good job done...At some point GM started using a sliding sleeve. I had a e 2004 and there was a constant noise and slack. The dealer said all that could be done wast to fill the cavity with grease. Problem solved - for a couple of weeks. I was told GM did NOT have a fix. Just had to constantly fill with heavy grease...
Great work on that truck 🤘
Well worth it to replace it. Had to replace them on my 76 1 ton and my 84 1/2 ton.
Just cost me $150 to get one sent here to New Zealand. The shipping is like 3-times the price of the rag joint, which sucks. But no more complaining, I need one. Great vid Eric, cheers mate.
I’m installing a new rag joint in my ‘78 Corvette project car today. It was a rusty, raggedy dangerous mess. For a few dollars it’s an easy fix. I used synthetic grease on the splines to stop rust & smooth reassembly.
Eric, I know this video is old but have reviewed it a few times. My problem is with my 4 speed TA 6.6 1979 Trans Am. The steering has become sloppy. I am in the throes of trying to access the top nut to remove the shaft so I can remove those damn original rivets in the rag joint. This has become a mental exercise for me. Accessing the nut from the top is not possible because of the engine width and closeness to the MC unit. The Z-bar clutch mechanism and rod from the clutch pedal is in the way for me to access the nut from under the MC unit. I keep taking parts off the car and just removed the driver's seat to get up under the dash to access the clutch pedal which I hope when released will allow me to get a straight shot to that nut with an extension and socket. What a can of worms so far. Had they used bolts on the rag joint at the factory this post would not have been made. BTW--thanks for all the helpful advice and hope your new 5000 square foot shop is a great fit for you.
How I did it: Access to the nut was achieved by turning the steering wheel just a bit that allowed me to come directly down from the top between the engine and the MC unit to get to the nut. Once the nut and bolt were removed it took a few minutes to tap the shaft out and a few more to pull the entire shaft from the car so I could dismantle the bad rag joint.
Thanks for sharing your knowledge
✌️
I see the power steering tubing into the rack is still holding up well with all it's strange bends haha. Nice to see the improvement in steering reaction!
I did the same thing as Scott Waters below. I used the shaft from a Jeep Cherokee on my '81 C-10, and it is much more solid than the rag joint ever dreamed of being.
What year from the grand Cherokee
@@codcade '88 Cherokee Chief.
Good video Eric.
Thank you Eric.
Thank you you Erick the car guy
Just started a79chev that has this problem. Thanks Eric
I don't have this truck, but you bet I am watching this video all the way.
Thank you!
Useful video. Well done
Best video out there, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Nice repair good demonstration
I have a crazy amount of slop in my 2001 expedition I was thinking it was the gearbox thinking about rebuilding it changing it did not know this part existed appreciate you
workin on a 99 yukon denali, after rebuilding front end and replacing steering sensor i was lost on whats next, thanks man cheaked mine and its ruined like yours was. great vid
Been watching you for some years now. Thanks for all the effort. You empowered me to tackle projects and maintenance I never would have before. Thanks!
Saw the video you did when designing the layout of your gauges and always appreciate that custom touch.
During the test drive, a digital gauge is constantly bouncing around 13.1ish.
Air/fuel, Voltage?
Either way, my head would explode. Love my not digital gauges. Even notice it when I’m driving next to a car that has them. That constant fluctuation is distracting.
Yes, that is the A/F gauge. I like to keep an eye on that. You get used to it after a while. Thanks for the comment.
@@ericthecarguy Oh, I thought that was a volt meter and I was going to ask why your charging voltage was so low. Now I don't need to.
By the way, I like your videos, they are helpful and entertaining. I've been fixing my own vehicles forever since I'm disabled and basically homeless so I definitely can't afford to pay anyone, I can barely afford parts, in fact I've been spending most of my SUBsistence income on rebuilding the front end of my Suburban for the past few years.
And I really want to get a new transmission in my Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser and my Jeep Wagoneer. I have some nice vehicles, but I haven't had anything that's usable for a few years, it makes surviving 60 miles from the nearest store quite challenging especially since I'm disabled.
thanks eric I was wondering what part on my old superdutys to change for their loose steering.
Nice Job! 👍
Very unusual in the UK (as far as I know!) so pleased I guessed what it was.
Thank you, very helpful
outstanding!
Outstanding
Nice looking engine man!
Thanks. Built it myself.
Fyi that is the same rag used on 2000 s10... Thanks for the video eric
Those dash gauges look nice!
Thanks. I made the cluster myself. th-cam.com/video/i5Zy04iBvzI/w-d-xo.html
Picked up a used "Rag Joint" for my `92 Silverado at an auto recycler a couple weeks ago for less than $15. Made a big difference!
Thank you Eric great video enjoyed it I like your truck I have a 94 K 1500 that I've had for God forever and I'm trying to put it back together properly it needs a lot of stuff I like your gauges I'd like to do something like that as well and I wanted to know what kind of ignition you were running I'm going to follow some of your videos and see what's going on keep up the good work thank you so much
Good stuff. Thanks. I just replaced the steering gearbox on a `99 GMC Suburban and I'll be damned if I can't get the cover slid back over the rag joint. Good time to go ahead and replace the rag joint so I can get that cover slid back down.
I had a mid 80's Ram that had a similar problem. It was a common problem with that generation truck. The wheel would have 45° of play because the CV type joint at he top would wear out completely. There was no master spline on that one and I drove with the wheel turned quite a bit after I replaced the joint.
About 10 years ago, I purchased an 91 Ford F-150 4x4 from a small dealer. I think i paid $1200 for it. The steering was scary sloppy. I went to the junkyard and found a rag joint from another Ford, it was maybe $15. It went from 3-5" of slop in center, to about 1/2". Best $15 that I ever spent.
Back when I had my mustang, I just covered the rag joint with urethane and made it solid. Didn't look pretty but tightened my steering.
You man bro very helpful
Wow, I can't believe how much slop was in that joint, just from wiggling it while still on the truck. I'm about to do this job to my 1990 K2500.
That part is called the intermediate shaft. A Drag link connects the steering gear box to the steering linkage. Anybody familiar with jeeps it is the bar that goes from the pitman arm over to the passenger side knuckle
Nice job Eric!!!
That s why you are men I have 94 chevy and this video save me a lot Grasias amigo larga vida a ti .
Thanks Eric I need to do the same to my 1995 Chevy Silverado
Whoo rock auto I just did my rag joint it's a fun job
Great to know. I would have suspected slack within the gearbox or rack.
nice job
ok... more importantly: is that an Elvis clock behind @ 11:50 ? Also keep clicking the 11:50 repeatedly.. it makes you do funny stuff.... Great vid
Why was popping out those rivets so satisfying!?
have a good weekend Eric!
You too Don!
@@ericthecarguy
Look up Cunningham machine
Eric, love your knowledge and videos , your the man. I need to replace a rag joint on a 1993 full size blazer but the link for the one you used on ebay no longer comes up. Would you have that part # ...?
Nice truck
My old Ford had a rag joint in its steering column and it was easy to replace but the ones I bought were not very strong and wouldn’t last. So I found an old tire and started cutting them out of it. It was a little thicker and stronger and would last a lot longer.
Nice jod Eric must have made a big difference i bet for sure...
thanks for the explanation. On older vehicles, how about the adjustment on the Saginaw steering box.
fun tip for OBS owners. you can use a jeep XJ steering shaft to replace the rag joint and it helps improve slop a lot
Not on 96-up
I have 93 f150 going to try this !
Had to do the same thing on my 94 gmc Sonoma
you should look into a jeep cherokee xj steering shaft. i swapped out the shaft on my 89 k5 blazer and it was amazing. i paid ten dollars at the junkyard. you eliminate the rag joint and the worn out upper uofu-joint. it took about ten minutes to swap it.
Doing this job on my '92 this weekend. Interesting dash gauges, is there a video on those?
Here's the one on the gauges, but I did an entire series on this truck you might like. th-cam.com/video/i5Zy04iBvzI/w-d-xo.html
th-cam.com/video/kCepnacqRuI/w-d-xo.html
My 2003 F250 had the same problem but tightened up on turns. Steering box was worn out in the "center" position. Installed a Ford reman and then she was as tight as the day it drove off the lot.
Bought my Truck used Test drove it down a few side streets Hard brake stomp on the gas ..no real issues did not notice the light slop Untill driving it home Canadian winters are famous for people sliding into curbs Add in years of wear and tear The rag joint was "pooched" Bought a u-joint set up no slop very little vibration ..
Nice obs!!!!
Nice truck..
Thanks Eric, I assuming it would be similarfor a 90' F250
Yes.
that is a number 1 reason I walk away from the short trucks. Life begins at a 12 foot wheelbase ;o)