Steering Shaft ???

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straightlinespeed

straightlinespeed

Sometimes I pretend to be normal
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So question regarding steering shafts. I know they are injected with a plastic of some sort and in a accident that plastic breaks and the shaft collapses. If they collapse are they still usable?

The reason i ask is I bought a manual steering shaft from a member here. I installed it into the column and finally got it installed into the car. It was short by about a inch of reaching the steering box. My brother pulled on the end of the shaft and it slid enough to make it to the correct mounting spot on the box. I know nothing else moved and it was the shaft that moved only! I cant see it ever separating since its inside a tube, but just thought I would ask before I tear it back out.
 
There are other senerios besides an accident to consider. Not long ago a member here thought he might just yank the steering wheel off the shaft. He yanked the whole works out. He didn't know a previous owner had defeated the pin.
So lets imagine your car dies in the street for some totally unrelated fault like ballast resitor failure. You reach through the window to steer while others help you push the car out of harms way. After the ballast resistor is replaced you discover the signal switch, horn switch, other, was ruined by your pulling on the steering wheel.
 
Red, I understand what your saying and that does make sense.

Before I installed this shaft I did look at the plastic injection points and they were all there and in place. That is why I choose to install it into the column. Now that I noticed we could pull on it I just wonder if those plugs dont always fall out when the column is collapsed. I have the power steering shaft and a firm feel adapter. Do you think I should just remove this manual one and install that set up?
 
straightlinespeed said:
Red, I understand what your saying and that does make sense.

Before I installed this shaft I did look at the plastic injection points and they were all there and in place. That is why I choose to install it into the column. Now that I noticed we could pull on it I just wonder if those plugs dont always fall out when the column is collapsed. I have the power steering shaft and a firm feel adapter. Do you think I should just remove this manual one and install that set up?
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I dont have those firm feel parts. I could replace the sheer pin(s) with abs since I do have that material on hand. Plast-aide might be a good substitute this application.
 
just use it. it will be fine. 0r pull the shaft and drill out the plastic pins and install shear pins.
 
If you can pull the shaft out through the top, even with no sheer pins in the shaft, something else is VERY wrong.
 
crackedback said:
If you can pull the shaft out through the top, even with no sheer pins in the shaft, something else is VERY wrong.
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Its fixed very well at the top, no movement at all. He pulled it from the engine side and that is where is slid.

I may pull the shaft out inspect it closer and if needed replace the shear pins, I would rather have a manual shaft than the power with the adapter.
 
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