Steering Coupler "Rag Joint"

[Ike]

Hi Ike,

I mentioned this issue to John, as I needed a double setup for my '66 cars too. as they all have doubles as I bought two kits also last year.  Then realized the same as you, the bolts are not long enough.  Finally found a good one on my 5 parts cars, and cleaned up and used.  Yep, you can get the double disks, but I have searched all over and could never find the doubles kit anywhere.  Interestingly, my '65 Eldo uses a single disk.   The '66 steel part of assembly is shorter.   In theory, a '65 with the long shaft and single rubber disk may have worked in my '66, but I wanted to put back as the factory installed, as maybe there was a reason for going to the double rubber disk setup.  Please let us know how your rebuild works. 
I do have two single kits extra as they are useless to me
Chuck

Chuck,
         Funny, If you look up the coupler for a 66, it still shows single disc. I checked E-bay. I think someone posted earlier in this thread to make your own, thats what Im doing.   

[Cadman-iac]

  Don't forget Oldsmobile also used the Saginaw gearbox.


  I always thought that they used the thicker disc to help eliminate any type of road vibration transfer to the steering column.
And if I read the parts manual correctly, it is only available from GM as an assembly, that's the disc and the flange that bolts to the gearbox for 67 to 75, maybe 76 as well, my book stops at 75. The part number for this is a 7813352.
The reason I believe this is the thicker disc, or "coupler" as GM calls it, is because of the price, for one,  but the others listed include both flanges and the ground wire, and still cost less than this one with just one flange.
Unfortunately, as GM was well known for doing, there's no illustration of any of the discs, just a few of the flanges with a column breakdown.

   Rick

[Ike]

After looking at a lot of these gearboxes, Ive noticed they all mount the same, 4 bolt holes but only 3 mounting bolts, This tells me they have multiple applications, and if you have looked at these gearboxes, they have multiple differnt input shafts/ spline configurations.

That said, I think it depended on which gearbox was available on the assembly line as to which one they installed.  Different input spline may have created a need for different thickness disc.  both the  gearbox I removed and the one I installed have an input shaft with a splined shaft separated into 2 sections by a groove going all the way around for the pinch bolt.

I have seen different ones that say they fit  the same year make and model, they have different input shaft set ups. 

[Ike]

There seems to be a lot of variety in those rag joints, and the steering places
are more interested in selling racing parts, than in rebuilding your stock parts. 
Pretty annoying when a car drifts around.  Here is a pic of something I eventually
put together on my 79.  You cannot tighten a nut against rubber without it coming
loose, so 2 nuts against each other do it, and 3 are better yet for critical stuff. 

My research shows the DORMAN 3100 3 1/4" dia ruber disc kit
that fits older stuff, available a lots of stores. AND the 31002,
DORMAN 31011.  Found with much more at SUMMIT RACING
under steering-Rag-Joints

I found some at Jegs

https://www.jegs.com/p/Borgeson/Borgeson-Rubber-Coupling-Rag-Joints/755269/10002/-1?q=755269&catalogId=10002&Ns=P_Margin%7C0%7C%7CP_SKU%7C0&langId=-1&storeId=10001#

I was not happy with the way a u joint transmits road vibration,
and before a huge number of miles, it got loose too. 
good luck, you will need it    Bruce Roe

I will not use a u-joint set up, it's a Cadillac, needs to drive and ride like one

[scotth3886]

This is all very interesting since I haven't gotten around to addressing this yet or really even looking at it.  I just looked and below are pics of what is in my 66 Fleetwood that I bought a year ago.  Everything else was original so I'd presume this is too.  It looks like I'd better get around to this sooner than later.

And yes, this is a single disc.

[Ike]

It's easy if you have the right coupling   Singles are a dime a dozen

[Ike]

Here is my fix, will install tomorrow

[Ike]

Done, Fixed, works great, drives like a Cadillac

[Chuck Swanson]

Nice work
Chuck

[Ike]

Thank you sir