Replacement Steering UJ - Best Option

[DanMi]

On 23/07/2024 at 09:59, Colin Lindsay said:

As a general rule I'd say repro usually have some kind of mangled or flared bolts to prevent movement or removal - see the the ends of the ones in the first photo; originals have bolts that are tied with wire.

Not quite true, the factory produced both the ones that are wired and the ones with the bolts that were "splayed" to fix. I believe only the wired type can be easily re-bushed. I think the non wired ones were later and possibly mainly fitted to later spits. I have a NOS one in a Unipart box

[mpbarrett]

I have fitted the James Paddock coupling to my Herald.

They are real pain to fit. They use an Allen headed bolt which has been turned down and then rethreaded. Access to the head to get a Allen key is very difficult, I had to cut down a key to make it fit, and the bolt is too long and will catch the chassis and stop you turning the steering. Finally you need to put washers under the nut to move it away from the body of the joint otherwise you cant get a spanner on the nut. In the end I took the shaft out from the steering column and fitted the coupling and then fitted it to the rack spline.
The joint is OK, no play but the bolts used are not good enough. I did email them about it but never got a reply. And you still need to add the earth wire as well!

I am sure I have seen better ones possible from a Ford. The Paddock one is better than the replacement originals ones I have tried.

mike

[johny]

ouch which one of these two they offer was it you used?

[mpbarrett]

this is the one from Paddock. You can see how long the bolt is and that you cant get a ring spanner on the nut due to the closeness of the metal.
It needed to be done up very tight to get it to pinch the spline.

 

 

washers to make space for a ring spanner on the nut. I actually reduced the number of washers and cut the bolt length down.

taking the column out to fit the coupling

[GFL]

1 hour ago, mpbarrett said:

this is the one from Paddock. You can see how long the bolt is and that you cant get a ring spanner on the nut due to the closeness of the metal.
It needed to be done up very tight to get it to pinch the spline.

 

 

washers to make space for a ring spanner on the nut. I actually reduced the number of washers and cut the bolt length down.

taking the column out to fit the coupling

Thanks for posting the photo's and info.

I think I will refurbish an original with Supaflex bushes looking at all the hassle you had!

Gary

 

[Iain T]

1 hour ago, Gary Flinn said:

think I will refurbish an original with Supaflex bushes looking at all the hassle you had!

Good choice!