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After decades, I finally found something I HATE about Mopars...

moparedtn

moparedtn

I got your Staff Member riiiight heeeere...
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...it's that freakin' steering coupling grease seal/dust cover fiasco!
You know the deal - you take it apart so that you can remove the column (or in my case, to get the wheel aligned @ 12 o'clock instead of 6 o'clock). Then when you go to put it back together, it's pure hell to get the little tabs on the dust cover so it seals up against the coupling.
Well, you fail most likely, especially if you have headers in the way.
Such a PITA that even Ma Mopar had a stopgap cure, so...

No problem, you say - just fetch one of these:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301479730667?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
View attachment 262140
Simple enough and a great little idea to boot, right?

Well, have you ever tried to put one of these ON?
Oy. Same headers in the way among other items down there, all cutting away at arms and hands and such. Need tiny little girly hands to get where you need to.

It got done. I called the car all sorts of vile, evil names in the process, but it got done.
 
Odd that I never had any trouble putting them back together !!
 
I have long thin Gorilla arms and hands so I could help if closer :) But seriously, I can't wait to put mine back together now. I had enough trouble just locating that little pin that holds it all together on 69' RR.
 
We installed on my e-body column. It was out of the car, and still took 2 of us to install. I needed to touch up a couple of marks, no matter how careful we were. Now that it's on....it's very secure.

a3if4m.jpg
 
I removed mine and replaced it with an adapter from Flaming River. I had to cut the adapter shaft almost to the socket to make it fit since my steering shaft was very long.

Cordoba Steering Coupler.jpg
 
68sportsatelliteragtop said:
You could just drive the roll pin out of the coupler and slide the whole assembly off the splines.
I didn't do that either, I ended up with on of these, haven't had any issues with it.

View attachment 262146
Click to expand...
Oh, I think I like that! I didn't even try to pry the thing off the splines of the steering box; didn't think it would separate after 40+ years very easily.

- - - Updated - - -

Lets Roll said:
I have long thin Gorilla arms and hands so I could help if closer :) But seriously, I can't wait to put mine back together now. I had enough trouble just locating that little pin that holds it all together on 69' RR.
Click to expand...
Yep, it's a 5/16" x 1 1/8" long roll pin. I wound up buying a 1 1/4" long one and grinding it down a little.

- - - Updated - - -

Lets Roll said:
I have long thin Gorilla arms and hands so I could help if closer :) But seriously, I can't wait to put mine back together now. I had enough trouble just locating that little pin that holds it all together on 69' RR.
Click to expand...
I think mmissile has the right idea. :)

- - - Updated - - -

mmissile said:
We installed on my e-body column. It was out of the car, and still took 2 of us to install. I needed to touch up a couple of marks, no matter how careful we were. Now that it's on....it's very secure.
a3if4m.jpg
Click to expand...
Oh, that's pretty! I notice even with new stuff, those tabs on the end dust plate still don't quite fit on the coupling though, eh?
That was going to be my next move, just taking the whole she-bang off the steering box.
Might have saved some flesh doing so, but I didn't think it would have come off the splines easily.
Nice job!
 
Just sitting here grinning ed. :)
 
D575 said:
Mine wanted to grab the spark plug wires. had to re position the wires higher up. Damn headers..
Click to expand...
Yep, so much so in my case that one got damaged. Replaced them all with those fancy MSD ones.
 
I bought 3 of those spring clamps....have one installed on one of my 66 Chargers....got the other 66 and the Daytona to do next....was kinda hard doing it in the car, but took me about 15 minutes to get it in there
 
You have to just tap it down with a hammer... tight quarters. but it taps in place pretty good
although It did a pretty good job of scarring up my arms. :evil6:
 
Just had to jerk mine out - for the second time to fix it properly. Never want to go thru that again.....
 
D575 said:
You have to just tap it down with a hammer... tight quarters. but it taps in place pretty good
although It did a pretty good job of scarring up my arms. :evil6:
Click to expand...
Yep. Tiny hands and a tiny hammer would have helped a bunch, that's for sure.
 
Oh, that's pretty! I notice even with new stuff, those tabs on the end dust plate still don't quite fit on the coupling though, eh?
That was going to be my next move, just taking the whole she-bang off the steering box.
Might have saved some flesh doing so, but I didn't think it would have come off the splines easily.
Nice job!
Click to expand...


Some stuff can't be reproduced as nicely and easily as the mass produced factory stuff. It'd be nice to have all the tooling....but where would ya put it? My setup is for a Borgeson steering box, so it looks different than stock stuff.
 
Wow, wish these would of been available a year ago when I had my steering stuff apart! Just my luck.

I did find out about the clip and searched and searched some more to no avail, found out they quit making them years ago.

Funny, when I saw the picture of the wire retainer I knew EXACTLY what it was.

I went with the steer and gear solution and it is holding up so far so good. Gosh, I thinking of buying a clip just in case I need one for later!

Thanks for sharing.

Here is the steer and gear cover:

http://www.steerandgear.com/Chrysler_Catalog.html#TXTOBJ7DB1219F302938E3
Steer-Gear.JPG
 
Drawback to steer and gear design is to install it column has to be removed from car and they are known to split with time. Proximity to hot exhaust and slip over design may exacerbate this.
 
MT_Mopar said:
Wow, wish these would of been available a year ago when I had my steering stuff apart! Just my luck.

I did find out about the clip and searched and searched some more to no avail, found out they quit making them years ago.

Funny, when I saw the picture of the wire retainer I knew EXACTLY what it was.

I went with the steer and gear solution and it is holding up so far so good. Gosh, I thinking of buying a clip just in case I need one for later!

Thanks for sharing.

Here is the steer and gear cover:
Click to expand...
The springs are all over eBay right now. Apparently the guy has a ton of 'em. It appears to be a fella who saw a market and ramped up to produce them maybe? Decent customer service, too. He answered all my questions promptly and helped with advice.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/301479730667?_trksid=p2060353.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT
 
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