Hello -
A few months ago, I was moving my '68 Z28 in my lot. I was puttling it back into the garage, and I started turning the wheel, and it "let go" for a second, and spun about 90 degrees. I turned it in the opposite direction, same thing.
I popped the hood and found that the half of the rag joint that clamps to the steering box shaft had slipped on the shaft. I tried to tighten the bolt, just to get the wheels straight to get the car in the garage, but it snapped off, and I lost ALL steering. I had to dolly the front wheels and get a few of my employees to help me muscle the car back into the garage, where I put it up on the lift.
Needless to say, it freaked me out a bit. Thank GOD I wasn't driving the car or I may have ended up with a VERY expensive wreck.
Anyway, I'm aware that many of the vendors out there offer a complete rag joint setup and correct bolt, so it doesn't seem like getting a new rag joint setup should be a problem.
However, may main worry is that the splines on the shaft coming out of the steering box might be worn, and I'd run the risk of losing steering again. They don't APPEAR to be worn, in that they're fairly sharp and well defined, but my experience with steering boxes is nil, other than removing and replacing a few over the years.
The car has manual steering (hate it, but it's original), and the car is an unrestored driver. I'm wondering if I should pull the steering box and sent it out the have it checked out and rebuilt. The car seemed to steer fine before I lost the rag joint, but I haven't driven it much since getting it 2 years ago, and as far as I know, it's the original box (It's a Saginaw, but I haven't looked into the exact ratio or looked at any of the casting dates, if there are any).
Any words of advice from someone who has been there, or has experience with this kind of thing? Anything I MUST have checked, or look out for?
I want to get it back on the road and drive it this year before tearing it down for some much needed work on the quarters and paint.
Thank you.
Chris Kirk
Monroe, CT
