Steering coupler / rag joint help !!!

[DAVEN1256]

Does anyone know if the rag joint shown in my first two pictures is actually available anywhere?

This rag joint is shown in at least two parts catalogs but when you order it, you're sent something else.

First, I ordered it from Classic Industries. It is for my '68 with power steering. It is Classic Industries and OER's part number 7828871. What they sent me is what you see in the third and fourth picture. The box was labeled correctly 7828871. So I called Classic Industries. They really had no explanation. I asked the guy I talked to if there was any way to know if the wrong part was put in the right box and if they actually had the part that they pictured. That seemed to throw him a curve he couldn't answer. I am returning that part.

So I look on Heartbeat City's website and I see the same coupler that I want.....the coupler in pictures one and two. HBC part number FEP-1334. Before I order it, I call there and talk to a guy named Jim. I explain what happened with the Classic Industries order and say, before I order this, I want to be absolutely sure I am going to get what is in your picture. He assured me once and then twice that I would. Well, it arrived yesterday and guess what? I got the exact same part I got from Classic Industries, again in an OER Box labeled 7828871. Needless to say, I was a little ticked off! So I called them yesterday and talked with Adam. His only explanation is that OER probably updated their part since that picture was taken. So I'm sending that one back too.

So again, just wondering if the coupler show in pictures one and two actually exists and is available?

Thanks.......Dave

[chevyzl1]

Hello,
Have you looked at Summit? 

[169INDY]

Dave, I am not sure if ANYONE is making an Exact Technically-duplicate of the "OLD" steering joint.
Dorman Steering Couplers make a Muti Layer (7 I think) Manual  use coupler.

I was exasperated about this same topic & found after reading the Technical paper I am venturing on Rebuilding mine since the Rubber and structure is sound.  I was reading some old posts and a Joint called Corvette Steering used to be a rebuilder but I have found no such contact.

Others will chime and claim as it is a Safety Item (Since it is)  & resuing old parts might be foolish, so this can be an area where a compromise is a must.

[DAVEN1256]

It took some hard looking but I ended up getting the rag joint that I wanted after receiving the two that were nothing like what the suppliers had pictured on their websites.

You can see in the earlier pictures I posted what I had wanted and then what I had ended up getting.....twice!

I started looking around on Ebay and saw a few sellers advertising the power steering RG I wanted and using the picture of what I wanted. They all said they were OER part# 7828871. One of them listed a phone number you could call with questions. This was Ebay trading name STMCSS396. They have a physical store called South Texas Muscle and Classics. I called and got a guy who was working alone, trying to handle a bunch of phone calls, and a little stressed out. I told him what happened twice before and said I won't buy another one of these till someone actually pulls one off the shelf and tells me it matches the advertised picture.  Despite being very busy, he was nice enough to do that, confirmed that it matched, and that's exactly what he sent me!

This RG is not 100% factory correct but it's 90 or 95%. It has the four ply reinforced rubber disc. It has the correct diamter shouldered bolts like the original. One 5/16 dia. and one 3/8 dia. The 5/16 bolt had the correct copper plated finish. The two studs that are opposite of the bolts are actually riveted like the original. On the two RG's I had received previously, they were threaded into the housing. One of the plies of the rubber disc has the wire mesh embedded in which I believe is for horn grounding. (Correct me if I'm wrong on that.) The one noticeable difference between this rag joint and an original is the round bolt head extensions on this one. I'm not sure the purpose of that but I can live with it.

Interestingly, the first two RG's I received were in a plain brown cardboard box with OER stickers (third pic). This one came in a nice box with all of the OER graphics on it (fourth pic). Maybe the first two RG's are more current where they're using a generic RG and plain boxes to cut costs and the RG I just received is an older one made before cost cutting measures. I don't know......just a thought.

Anyhow, I'm happy with what I got.

Dave

[emdoller]

I too have been trying to find one. Even the best OER one isn’t close enough for me.

Ed

[tomstiel]

I believe the box with the ORANGE sticker on it came from Heartbeat City

[Kelley W King]

Not positive but I think all the OER stuff I have bought came in the colored boxes Many counterfiters out there.

[firstgenaddict]

The most difficult mod to the OER piece would be the riveted pins which need the step on the top - easier -than the radius which appears to be at the base of the originals.
The two threaded pins - copper and other- are nothing to replace with original bolts.
The only other visible thing I can see is the forged or cast piece may have some extra grinding work on the original - -