Swapping a Borgeson steering box in a 1970 Charger

[Jonas Nordstrom]

That's how I was going to do it. But I will contacting Bergman first. It's been so long since I purchased my coupler though, they may not feel like replacing anything.

Keep us posted, maybe he has some shoes that fits?

 

[JR_Charger]

Well I found the installation instructions in the email I got with my order anyway. They don't say anything about trimming the shoes.

 

[Kern Dog]

I can't promise anything for the man. Maybe this is an issue that he is aware of already.
Lots of guys seem to run into obstacles and just correct them as they go to avoid down time.
A month or so ago I had a thread about how many companies fail to include adequate instructions with their products. I actually posted that thread on a few other forums. I got some negative responses from guys that claimed that the world isn't perfect and that I just needed to adapt and figure things out on my own. While it pissed me off a bit, I can understand that some guys expect less from vendors or that they deal with so many small setbacks every day, they just work through them and get things done.
Kind of admirable, really. Something to think about....

 

[JR_Charger]

If I were applying that philosophy, I would have installed Borgeson's rag joint coupler and saved myself $200.

 

[Kern Dog]

Rag joint or U-joint?

 

[JR_Charger]

Too many joints. The one that isn't the factory coupler.

 

[JR_Charger]

Got off the phone with Borgeson. They're aware of the problem with the coupler. They say to file down the tracks on the coupler.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

Got off the phone with Borgeson. They're aware of the problem with the coupler. They say to file down the tracks on the coupler.

Thanks for the info.

err...why filing down the tracks?
Am I missing something, cos I would think that its a lot easier to file down the shoes than to file down the tracks? (To get it straight.)

 

[JR_Charger]

That's what the man said.

I'll try it shortly - I'm hoping that beveling the opening will be enough.

 

[Kern Dog]

Got off the phone with Borgeson. They're aware of the problem with the coupler. They say to file down the tracks on the coupler.

Oooo....I think that I did suggest that!

Thanks for the info.

err...why filing down the tracks?
Am I missing something, cos I would think that its a lot easier to file down the shoes than to file down the tracks? (To get it straight.)

The shoes may be hardened, the coupler is not.

That's what the man said.

I'll try it shortly - I'm hoping that beveling the opening will be enough.

I also added a Zerk fitting to be able to squeeze in some lube 15 years from now.

 

[JR_Charger]

I took a look at it again and filed the shoes. They may be hardened, but it doesn't take long with the right file. Don't ask me what the right file is, the one I used was inherited from my grandfather and he may have bought it 70 years ago.

I also filed the "lip" off the opening in the coupler and beveled that good. That left metal shavings in the coupler. Since there was a layer of grease in the coupler, I soaked the inside down good with Brakleen to rinse all the shavings out. Brakleen dulled the paint, so I'll be sanding the coupler down and repainting. But, it looks like this job might get done.

I do like the idea of putting a zerk on the coupler - but why assume I can keep myself from disassembling the car again in a whole 15 years?

 

[Kern Dog]

The Zerk is there to grease the unit without future disassembly.

 

[JR_Charger]

But disassembling is what I do.

 

[Kern Dog]

Hey...If you like to take your car apart to do basic maintenance, that is your right to do so. I put the Zerk fitting in on advice from Mopar Action magazine Rick Ehrenberg.

 

[JR_Charger]

It's what a sane person would do.

 

[Kern Dog]

No, a sane person would do the maintenance the easy way, not the hard way. If the ability to grease the innards can be done with an equal level of quality, why would it make more sense to do it the hard way?

 

[JR_Charger]

That's what I meant. A sane person would put the zerk in.

 

[JR_Charger]

Well I went to put this cover on and I noticed that squeezing the tabs down with channel lock pliers bent the whole cover, and driving them down on one side with a tap and a hammer undid them on the other side. I bent the tabs in a little, but I can pull this off easily and the action of the coupler will pop it off too.

Maybe I need this coupling clamp -

I don't see how that cover stays on, short of welding it in place as someone mentioned. Too bad I don't weld.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

Well I went to put this cover on and I noticed that squeezing the tabs down with channel lock pliers bent the whole cover, and driving them down on one side with a tap and a hammer undid them on the other side. I bent the tabs in a little, but I can pull this off easily and the action of the coupler will pop it off too.

Maybe I need this coupling clamp -

I don't see how that cover stays on, short of welding it in place as someone mentioned. Too bad I don't weld.

The clamp is the thing to have.
I dont understand how that one wasnt on from the factory. Everyone should have one.
Im making my own right now for the longer Borgeson coupler.

 

[JR_Charger]

The clamp is the thing to have.
I dont understand how that one wasnt on from the factory. Everyone should have one.
Im making my own right now for the longer Borgeson coupler.

I hadn't considered that the Borgeson would need a longer clamp, but of course it would.

Feel like making more than one clamp?