steering box and column

Steering wheel wobles as you turn it took the column out of the Envemo coupe the shaft is bent .The shaft apears to have been cut and a sleeve welded in I would like to know if it was made longer or shorter does anybody know the lenght of the v.w shaft? Also as I was pulling the column apart I noticed the box turns more to the left then the right .What is the proper way to center the box and how may turns should lock to lock be? Thanks P.V.R

I think there is a mark on the shaft coming out of the box that you can line up with the split to center it.

I was going cut my shaft and weld in a sleeve to lengthen it.

Instead I made the thing in the photo to use with two flexible disks to add about 2 1/2".

My shaft from about a '63 VW is 36 3/8".

Try to find yourself a Zf box for that car its a shorter raito.

It looks to good to use a poorly crafted patched up peace of poop.

At least get a new vw box and use a superbeetle steering link cut and welded, If you cant find the other dohickey . a super is fairly common you can cut it to the length you need and do a neet job fairly easy.

Keep the box a stock part you can replace again and again as needed.

The stock later VW steering shaft with the collapsible end is 37", the ones just before the collapsible section was added are a smidge shorter, the early style is 39". Enough of the length adjustment can be taken up in the bracket/coupler and steering wheel/column positioning that cutting the shaft isn't always necessary. If the wheel wobbles too much side to side at the steering head, check to see that the corrugated metal spacer/collar is in place. On the older columns it was a nylon collar that the metal steering wheel center section slid into. A small amount of bend in the shaft isn't the end of the world and you ought to be able to straighten it easily, it's made of mild steel tubing.


If you end up shortening/lengthening another steering shaft, do it with a length of pipe inside the shaft. Drill holes and plug weld it. If you use double flex couplers and a short connector, make sure that you have a second bushing or support bearing at the bottom of the column. The shaft is unsupported at that end. You're only allowed a single coupler or swivel u-joint with an unsupported shaft.


All of this is Easy Peasy, really.

Luck,

TC




Oh! And one more VERY important tip ! ! ! If you end up buying a steering coupler, DON'T buy it here:

http://www.pelicanparts.com/catalog/shopcart/356M/POR_356M_SUSstr_pg1.htm

Scroll down and click on the "Steering Coupler" image/listing. Check out the VW molded in logo and part number, now check out the $105.00 price tag ! ! ! ! !

No lie, $105.00 for a VW piece that sells for anywhere from five to twenty dollars from any of the vendors on TheSamba.

TC,

In my double flex scheme one is urethane and one is rubber.

The urethane one is quite stiff. I don't think I will have much more flex than with a single rubber one.

But, your post has me thinking about a bushing or bearing at the bottom of the tube.

My tube is 1 1/4" copper pipe. Do you have a suggestion about what to use for the bushing or bearing?

Also, my current plan is to have some rubber around the tube where it passes through the body. Do you think the possibility of a slight amount of there is a problem?

Thanks.

Michael,

A nylon insert with some of the grease used with urethane bushings will make a perfect lower column bearing. Hardware stores usually have a pretty good selection of them.

Great idea using a hard urethane along with the factory rubber coupler. I wouldn't have thought it that, but it's really a neat solution.

The rubber collar idea is also a neat one. Keeps things quiet and air tight. The stock VWs came with a rubber piece like your suggesting so I'll bet that it'll work out great. I have a spare rubber VW collar that fits a 1.5' OD column, a quick wrap or two of black electrical tape at the bottom of your column and it ought to work fine. If you want, lemme know where to send it.

Luck,

TC

I wasn't really that clever combining the urethane coupler with the rubber one. It was just that the one I bought 20 years ago was urethane and the new one was rubber.

I have two different kinds of the VW rubber things for where the tube penetrates the body.

You can see my column opening in the photo. I cut a slot under the gas tank. Then I glued in a plastic pipe coupling to make the round hole. I stuck my column through the hole with some foam pipe insulation to create clearance and fiberglassed over the top.

Looks fine, probably works great.

I notice that you're using the old ratchet as a clutch pedal stop trick, SLICK ! !

I have a "C" clamp currently holding my engine in place and a vise grip in place of the passenger side window crank . . .

I took the column apart. I was able to straighten the shaft I added a bushing at the bottom of the tube ,cleaned the inside of the column put .Centered the steering box and readjusted the stops all is working ok Thanks to all P.V.R Next reinstall engine