Steering column coupler

[fattogatto]

Having terrible issues separating the U-joint at the steering rack prior to body removal. Kroil, heat and an impact driver are all seemingly ineffective in loosening the Phillips head bolts (two in opposite directions) that hold the lower U-joint together.

Any help?

Thanks,

[RogerFrench]

Why take the coupling apart? Remove it from the splined steering column and pinion.

[TroonSprint]

I agree. Remove it, discard it and fit a proper UJ coupling, available from the usual suppliers.

Mike

[512BB]

You will need to take the bolts right out, as the shafts are grooved to fit the bolts. A safety measure, of sorts.

Personally, I have never had a problem with the original coupling, with either the leather or plastic joining piece. Only replaced one in nearly 40 years of Lotus ownership.

Leslie

[fattogatto]

Why take the coupling apart? Remove it from the splined steering column and pinion.

That was the first thought but the IPO (IDIOT previous owner) decided to heavily coat the entire unit with thick silver spray paint. Completely stuck onto both pinion and steering column. Hopefully I will not have to resort to grinding the heads off the bolts and cutting the U-joint halves in half.

[Bud English]

Coat the whole thing in citrus paint stripper gel and wrap a plastic bag around it. Come back tomorrow and take it apart. I doubt if it's rusted together unless that IPO coated it heavily to hide the rust.

[fattogatto]

Great idea. Thanks.

[billwill]

Generally you have to remove the bolts that clamp the joint to the steering column and to the rack. As Leslie says, you have to take the bolts completely out.

Then you may need to tap a cold chisel into the gap of the clamp to ease its grip on the splines.

You might even need to make something like a nut splitter (one that opens instead of a loop) so that you can force a wedge into the joint to open it up a bit. Then it should pull off by a tug on the steering wheel.





There doesn't seem to be such a tool ready made. This is the closest, but I suspect it is too small.

[billwill]

Having terrible issues separating the U-joint at the steering rack prior to body removal. Kroil, heat and an impact driver are all seemingly ineffective in loosening the Phillips head bolts (two in opposite directions) that hold the lower U-joint together.

Any help?

Thanks,

In your original message, I don't quite understand which bolts you are trying to undo. Here are some photos from the gallery on this site of various steering U/Js, which one looks like yours?










If you separate the two halves of the joint, you will STILL need to get the bits off the splines and it will be MORE difficult.

[fattogatto]

The one shown in your second picture. There were some soft material washers installed under all four Phillips head bolts. Unfortunately, the IPO put so much torque on these bolts that the very end of the bolts came through the holes and deformed by crushing into the shafts. Ergo, they mushroomed and are not going to come out. I was able to pry the coupler off the shafts and, for grins, thought I would take the unit apart. Manual impact hammer did not work. Air impact wrench - no effect. I guess I could use a cut-off wheel and grind down the mushroomed parts of the bolts. Easier to buy a proper U-joint.

Thanks,

[billwill]

Urgh.

On those, I presume that the soft washers you mention are rubber and it is those that provide the fexibility of the joint. Tightening them down so far as the IPO did would turn it into a SOLID coupler.

At least you got if off. Definitely get a new one and of a better type.