'66 300 Rag Joint. "am I the crazy one?"

[Mike66Chryslers]

Chrysler continued to manufacture these rubber couplers until about the time of the bankruptcy and Fiat takeover. I purchased two from the dealership parts counter before they went out of stock. At the time I think they were $100 CDN each. The ones you find on ebay are likely not 40+ years old, more like 20 years old.

If I needed a new coupler now, I would use the Rover part. I already purchased two of those as spares. Regarding the solid metal replacements, Bouchillon specifically states to not use them in 65-66 C-bodies. As people have pointed out already, the steering column is not in-line with the steering box so the coupler needs to flex. Apparently this was corrected for 1967.

As @Ross Wooldridge said, do not run without the heat shield! The exhaust heat will bake the rubber and greatly shorten the life of the coupler.

TIP: While you have the heat shield off the first time, use a thin cutoff wheel on a die grinder / Dremel and notch out the screw holes to the end of the shield. Then it is easy to remove and install the shield. You merely need to loosen but not remove the screws from the steering column and slide the heat shield off/on the end of the column.

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Show us a pic of the mod @Mike66Chryslers , as I'd forgotten you had done that!

 

[300rag]

Chrysler continued to manufacture these rubber couplers until about the time of the bankruptcy and Fiat takeover. I purchased two from the dealership parts counter before they went out of stock. At the time I think they were $100 CDN each. The ones you find on ebay are likely not 40+ years old, more like 20 years old.

If I needed a new coupler now, I would use the Rover part. I already purchased two of those as spares. Regarding the solid metal replacements, Bouchillon specifically states to not use them in 65-66 C-bodies. As people have pointed out already, the steering column is not in-line with the steering box so the coupler needs to flex. Apparently this was corrected for 1967.

As @Ross Wooldridge said, do not run without the heat shield! The exhaust heat will bake the rubber and greatly shorten the life of the coupler.

TIP: While you have the heat shield off the first time, use a thin cutoff wheel on a die grinder / Dremel and notch out the screw holes to the end of the shield. Then it is easy to remove and install the shield. You merely need to loosen but not remove the screws from the steering column and slide the heat shield off/on the end of the column.

Screws? That would be easy. Mine is held on with this...

a royal pain in the *** to remove or install.

 

[Polara_500]

Screws? That would be easy. Mine is held on with this...
View attachment 432414

a royal pain in the *** to remove or install.

They are indeed!!

 

[Ross Wooldridge]

Yup - another BRILLIANT design option for those things - I'd forgotten about those too. No wonder so many heat shields seem to be MIA.

 

[NormanPlombe]

Thanks for the pics. As I look at mine, (and I'm just talking-- not going to do it), it sure looks like the lower coupler is unnecessary and could be eliminated. It certainly looks straight and it shouldn't have to telescope. Other makes sure don't have that thing, and just use a single rag joint to do it all. Why did Mopar do that? I am going to rebuild mine AND put a grease fitting on it. I'm a sucker for grease fittings...I'm thinking of putting them on my front wheel hub dust caps too.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

I don't think Chrysler intended the heat shield to be removed in the car. They probably just pulled the column and serviced it out of the car.
My 69 didn't have the coupler along with the rag joint and I found it easy to take apart out of the car.

This is the type of project where I see someone fighting an hour where they could have pulled the column and done it faster.

Alan

 

[NormanPlombe]

I'm of the opinion that not only is power steering too light, it's totally unnecessary in normal passenger cars. The whole reason I'm focusing on my steering column (and I'm glad I did, 'cause I never would have seen my split coupler under that heat shield) is to swap from power to manual. Now in that case, the rag joint surely has to handle more load which logically will wear it quicker. But I think time, heat and flex cycles are the main contributors to wear and that the incremental difference between power and manual steering is negligible.

My manual box is 24:1 which should give pretty light steering too, as long as the wheels are rolling even a little. My dad would always get uptight if I shifted rudder without the car rolling because he thought it would prematurely wear the tires. Hard to argue the logic, but I think that wear, too, was negligible. Anyway, he's dead and now I can drive his old Chrysler any way I want! (lighten up--it's a joke...and one he would have liked).

I think, manual or power, the key is to have a well-aligned, properly greased front end with good tires (tyres to you...ugh) properly inflated.

Notice I also swapped to manual brakes...While I wouldn't call them "effortless" I certainly don't miss my booster.

I think all these silly power options were marketed to women (sheilas...again...ugh). What they DIDN'T market to women was the complexity of engineering, producing, assembling, maintaining and repairing all that stuff....we ball-hangers have to to that. (ok...a lot of that misogynist angst is about my mom...)

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

I don't think Chrysler intended the heat shield to be removed in the car. They probably just pulled the column and serviced it out of the car.
My 69 didn't have the coupler along with the rag joint and I found it easy to take apart out of the car.
View attachment 432417

This is the type of project where I see someone fighting an hour where they could have pulled the column and done it faster.

Alan

Your heat shield is a very different design. The earlier design is fussy because there are small Philips-head screws and no easy way to get a screwdriver straight onto them. Then when reinstalling you also need to hold the heat shield itself in place.

My Windsor's engine has Edelbrock heads and used to have HP cast iron exhaust manifolds before I replaced them with headers. The only way to access #7 plug was to remove that heat shield to make room, and then climb underneath the car. NO WAY would I be ok with removing the steering column every time I needed to access #7 spark plug! Having to remove the heat shield relatively often is why I came up with the idea of notching the holes to make it easy.

 

[NormanPlombe]

I was considering eliminating heat shield, but I'll put it back on....I'm wondering, though, if it's really a heat shield or a dust cover? Unless mine was clocked wrong, it only covers the top like a hat rather that winding all the way around the side to the bottom which would protect it from all the radiant heat from exhaust. I may roll mine around if I can to make it hang on side of the column between coupler and manifold.

 

[Mike66Chryslers]

I was considering eliminating heat shield, but I'll put it back on....I'm wondering, though, if it's really a heat shield or a dust cover? Unless mine was clocked wrong, it only covers the top like a hat rather that winding all the way around the side to the bottom which would protect it from all the radiant heat from exhaust. I may roll mine around if I can to make it hang on side of the column between coupler and manifold.

Definitely a heat shield to block heat from the exhaust manifold. Perhaps yours was installed incorrectly? IIRC, in addition to the 2 screws, there should be a small tab on the end which fits into a hole on the column to indicate the correct alignment.

Did cars with manual steering from the factory even have the rubber coupler?

 

[NormanPlombe]

Now I'm really wondering if mine was clocked wrong. Mine came off easy...just three screws across the top. Am I missing something? My shield is just a half-circle.

 

[300rag]

I was considering eliminating heat shield, but I'll put it back on....I'm wondering, though, if it's really a heat shield or a dust cover? Unless mine was clocked wrong, it only covers the top like a hat rather that winding all the way around the side to the bottom which would protect it from all the radiant heat from exhaust. I may roll mine around if I can to make it hang on side of the column between coupler and manifold.

Seeing that mine is on with a Corbin clamp, I have mine clocked so the opening is at the 9 o'clock position, looking from the front.

 

[NormanPlombe]

I won't do this either...but one could make a "sock" out of that reflective heat insulation with a zipper up the side (like a cheater CV boot). That would go over the whole coupler and come off without tools. With no power brakes and a single pot M/C, mine's pretty accessible from the top.

 

[NormanPlombe]

To be clear, in '69 they eliminated one of the couplers?

 

[MrMoparCHP]

To be clear, in '69 they eliminated one of the couplers?

My 69 CHP Polara only had the rag joint - manual steering
The other Polara I had and my current one only have the coupler - both power steering.

Not saying that is the difference, just that the cars (all 69 Polara) I have were that way.


Alan

 

[NormanPlombe]

Is that a 20:1 box on the CHP? Is it a pain to steer while parking? I have a manual steering nova, and it's no problem at all, but there's not an elephant sitting on the front wheels. I'm sure my 24:1 will be easy enough. Of course I wanted a 20:1 but you know they don't exist in the real world.

 

[MrMoparCHP]

Is that a 20:1 box on the CHP? Is it a pain to steer while parking? I have a manual steering nova, and it's no problem at all, but there's not an elephant sitting on the front wheels. I'm sure my 24:1 will be easy enough. Of course I wanted a 20:1 but you know they don't exist in the real world.

Don't recall the ratio, slow tight maneuvers could be a little difficult. Normal driving was fine, definitely hand over hand.

Alan

 

[73Coupe]

Here is a link to my escapades with the steering coupler.... using the British part.

Steering Column Overhaul

If I were to do it again I wouldn't grind it down, just use as-is and the column and steering wheel moves back about 1/4". The only potential problem area would be the shift needle lining up with the cluster.

 

[rd92west]

I've modified 2 of the range rover units. First one i ground it thinner. Made a big mess but it worked. Second one I sliced it with a zip cut.
This worked much better. Took a fraction of the time. Way less mess and less burnt rubber stink.