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I am upgrading the steering from manual steer to power. With that I bought, from Summit, AGR 292317 and the new pitman arm.
While doing this I noticed that the rag joint looked like it needed replacing, and then decided to go ahead and try to get rid of the rag joint all together and go with a U joint from Borgeson or Flaming River.
My issue is the top flange of the rag joint on the steering shaft. I tried to use a puller to get it off the shaft, and that just broke my puller. After further inspection it looks to me as if the shaft is flared inside the rag joint flange.
I have seen articles where people have cut off the top flange from the shaft, but that was on more late model vehicles. My other option was to replace the steering shaft, but not sure where it starts or ends. Any help on this matter is appreciated. Thanks
Every time I did this the upper bolt next to the steering column had to be completly removed in order to remove the shaft. Same goes for the lower (or any) rag joint. In the picture I can't see the lower joint. If it's a GM column it is usually 1" double D or 1" spline. When ordering parts I get the upper U joint to fit the column and 3/4" double D shaft. The lower U joint to fit the shaft from the box and, again 3/4" double D. Have you concidered a new chrome column? If you can't get the rag joint off, maybe cut it and grind flats on the shaft to accept a double D U joint.
Have you looked into the Jeep Grand Cherokee shaft,I have heard guys are modifying them from the junkyard slightly,not sure if they work on the earlier A bodies.
Oops, an ad was covering the lower joint. It does appear that the only way is to replace the rag joint or cut the shaft and grind for a double D.
I ordered the rag joint this morning after talking to Gil @ Borgeson. I was going to cut the top flange of the rag joint off of the shaft and then cut the flare off of the shaft, but after that I would have just had a round shaft. Your double D suggestion, I think would be to correct that issue, but I do not know what a double D is. Do you have pictures of this at all?
You can look it up on Flaming River or Borgeson for a picture. It's just a 3/4" shaft with both sides milled down so that it is flat on two sides and round on the other sides, looks like two "D" back to back. The U joints made for this just slip on with a set screw to hold it in place and no chance of it turning on the shaft.
11-11-2014, 08:31 AM
Rag Joint Flange Removal 
