Steering Shaft BROKE !!!

Wow. That's crazy. How was the alignment of your steering shaft / front end? Was there any sort of 'binding' in the system?

 

I've never seen anything like that.

 

Glad you were okay,
Ted

As I was leaving home my steering wheel was slightly off center (like out of alignment) and I said to myself that I would watch this..... as it seemed odd... and .... well it snapped. Thank goodness I was not making a turn. 

Ralph,

 

This shouldn't be a difficult fix.  Hopefully your mechanic is familiar with older VW bugs, since your donor car and pan seems to be from a '73 bug.  Not sure where you live, but there may be a parts house near you that carries older bug parts.  If not, there are lots of places online.  The main thing for you is to have a mechanic that is familiar with older bugs.  If you have that, the rest is easy.  Any good mechanic will not only replace the broken steering parts, he will check other steering/suspension/brake parts for undue wear. replace anything questionable, and may suggest an alignment.  You should be back in the game ASAP. 

I guess the Germans designed it to give you a little forewarning. Thank goodness you were not blazing down some mountain's winding road with a long drop off a cliff.

 

I had a 59 bug many years ago and the steering was getting loose. I thought it was the steering box just wearing out. I had driven Jeeps that handled the same way. I was blazing down a mountain road - Hwy 190 coming down from Camp Nelson for you Cali people - and going around a corner the steering gave way and the car started going straight. I got the car stopped just before going over. Very frightening. My friend and I pushed the car to a safe spot to take a look at what happened. There is a nut that held the ujoint to a splined shaft that was just... loose! I was able to tighten it up and man, all of sudden I had great steering again - which of course made me go down the hill even faster! I was only 18 at the time and back then I was immortal - but only for a limited time!

Aaah CRAP!

Now I've got broken steering shafts to add to my lengthy 'Paranoia List'

 

This is a hell of a lot more serious than the inconvenience of sputtering carbs or a mechanical break down...This is a potential KILLER

 

Sassy,

Was you're first notice of a steering wheel 'off center' misalignment just prior to the break? 

double crap ...... I just finished being convinced that my steering wheel was off center because it was removed and replaced by a mechanic working on a small electrical issue

"How do I fix this ????"

 

If you have a normal "Crush Cage" on your steering column (which is what your drawing looks like) then the cage is welded to the steering column shaft and cannot be replaced as a sub-assembly - you have to replace the entire steering shaft.

 

Most of the VW service manuals tell you to replace the entire steering column, which is a good alternative in this case.    Not cool, though, if you have a column color-matched to the interior.

 

However, if all you want is a new steering shaft and leave the existing column in place (because of color match to the interior or whatever), then:

 

You remove the steering wheel,  remove the fastening hardware from the top (steering wheel side) of the coupler down at the steering box, disconnect the battery, Remove the circlip on the shaft just below the steering wheel, pop out the top bearing in the column, insert the ignition key and turn to "on" (to release the shaft anti-theft stop which will prevent the steering shaft from being removed) then grasp the steering shaft and pull it up and out of the column.  

 

Be careful when the crush cage gets to the bottom of the steering column - just guide it into the bottom of the column tube and continue to slide the whole shaft up and out.

 

Replacement (after you get a newer, good one from a salvage yard) is the opposite process.

 

gn

TRahn - Carey uses a  different steering shaft design that doesn't rely on the crush cage thingy.  No worries there.

 

definitely a relief     thanks Lane

Don't see new ones on VW sites - so find a used local one.  I have extra earlier solid one if you can't find one more local.  It might skewer you but won't break.

Lane, who is Cary and would his steering shaft design work as a replacement for my broken shaft ? 

 

Carl, 2 days previous, to the failure,  I noticed the steering wheel slightly off center and went to the golfing range, next time I took the car out it broke.

 

Wolfgang, thank you, I shall let my mechanic know and shall contact you, again, Thank you 

Carey Hines @ Special Edition, makers of the Beck Speedster.  You can reach him via their website www.beckspeedster.com.  Best customer support you will ever find, but they're shutdown for the holidays.

I think I'll add to my emergency tool bag two 4" steel bracing plates and a couple of circular ratchet hose clamps! 

.....and hang a St.Christopher off my ignition key!

"Carey uses a  different steering shaft design that doesn't rely on the crush cage thingy. "

 

What does this look like, and how does it work?

Alan Merklin aka Dr. Clock and myself have crowed about this for many years. An important part of the Spring inspection is to check this part of the shaft for cracks along with checking the rag joint which connects it to the steering box.

I usually give a look see at these parts any time I have the left front wheel pulled for any reason.

This is the only the second report of this during my many years of Speedsterdom.

Thankfully, most of these failures happen when the car is at rest or rolling very slightly. This is when the most resistance or strain is put on the steering system such as when parking. Be careful out there.

 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/VW-bug...c0e3cb96&vxp=mtr

 

Gordon, I'm doing this from memory, but I'll attempt a description.  There is one straight shaft from the steering box and one that has a double curve from the steering wheel.  The double curve makes the wheel shaft offset from the box shaft.  A coupler links the two.  Impact forces affecting steering box are absorbed by slippage of the coupler, and do not affect the wheel shaft directly. 

 

Here are a couple of pictures to go along with Lanes description