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change top steering universal joint. 

 

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 Post subject: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:01 am 
Getting Side Ways
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Hi all,

My car has perfect steering and undercarriage now, however my steering shaft has let the side down somewhat..

the universal nearest the firewall in the engine bay has slack and it's driving me nuts..

I took a close look and it's attached to the steering column with a spline and a torx bolt..

problem is I can't see any easy way to get a torx bit onto the bolt as the angle is wrong and it's right up hard with the firewall..

anyone changed one of those and did you have to pull the column out to do it?

ta

Frank
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 2:05 am 
Getting Side Ways
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Must admit, I'd not even considered that these things would wear out in the life of the car since it has pretty efficient power steering and it has little load on it.
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:25 am 
Getting Side Ways
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i'm fairly sure you mean the intermediate shaft with the uni on each end.

turn the wheel till the nut is at an angle you can attack it on. undo the nut on both the top and bottom (at the steering rack) uni then slip the whole intermediate shaft up over the shaft where it comes out the firewall then pull it out.

but i think you and i may be thinking about different things, as the unis in mine are 10mm nuts not torx bolts...

as for the slop in the uni, i've just replaced my steering rack, and i'm about to do bushes, tie rod ends and ball joints, but i know there is a bit of slop in the intermediate shaft unis.

i dont know how or if you can get the unis off the intermediate.

hope that was of some assitance to you... maybe... maybe not :lol:

 

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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 8:26 am 
Getting Side Ways
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oh and dont be a C**k and do what i did and turn the wheel when the intermediate shaft is out.

i'm so glad i had a spare clock spring! :lol: :oops:

 

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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 12:56 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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Hi Nicco,

I don't think the intermediate shaft has a uni at both ends... the top uni stays on the end of the steering column shaft and the intermediate shaft splines into it and then slides down and onto the steering rack spline. Those are all 10mm bolts.. ( I know this because I took my rack out recently to fix it.) I have an spare intermediate shaft here and it only has the bottom universal on it. (I also checked my 2 EL's and the EF fairmont currently at my house and they are all the same.)

If you look to see the top universal it is splined onto the steering column shaft and tightened with a torx bit but it is right up hard and partially recessed into the firewall so I can't see how to get a torx bit onto it.

Like I said.. the top uni's shaft mount split is actually recessed slightly into the firewall...

Just occurred to me that I should check my gregories and see what their recommended method is but it probably involves removal of the steering column.
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:46 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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sorry, of course you are right, there is only a bottom uni on the intermediate shaft. :oops:

in that case, i cant really offer you any useful advice. sorry about that. i'll sit back and see what you get though as, like i said, i might need to do mine soon too.

 

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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Oct 29, 2009 1:55 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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yeah.. thanks for trying anyway...

I've done my tie rod ends and tie rods and most of the rubbers and stuff.. is all perfect now except for that d@mn uni joint at the top...
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:47 am 
Oompa Loompa
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frankieh
i am not sure what happen to your steering problem in fact steering spine and shaft can be diffrent design on el and ef model as this has happen to me before :x

goofyman
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 9:56 am 
Oompa Loompa
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I might able to send couple of photoes of steering spine as one of is off set where tora bolt fitting on the shaft of steering box housing

goofyman
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Wed Nov 04, 2009 12:29 pm 
Getting Side Ways
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WA, Australia

I'm changing the dash out soon for one that hasn't been badly painted black soon so I figure while I'm changing that and the pedal box (putting in a manual one) I can do that top uni joint too..

question becomes why did it wear out in the first place? with the power steering beign this easy it hardly has any load on it... must have been a previous owner turning the wheel with the engine off or something.
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 10:48 am 
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i went down this track a while ago and the uni is not available as a part you have to change the whole shaft and sit down when they tell ya the price

best get a good one at a wreckers and make sure you check the spline as they are different for ef-el
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:07 am 
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^^^^^^ I found the same thing, and my solution was as written above as well. It's the cheapest and simplest way.

 

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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 11:51 am 
Getting Side Ways
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Ride: BA XR6T (mix of BA, BF and FG)

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WA, Australia

oh well that's not so bad... I have a full spare EL in the shed that didn't have any slop in the steering at all and had less than 200k on the clock..

I just don't understand how they are wearing that much when the power assistance of these cars is doing all the work. My EL has less than 150k on the clock so I was a little surprised by this0

Also, why in gods name would they change the spline between EF and EL?

Does that mean the spline on the steering racks is different too?.
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 Post subject: Re: change top steering universal joint.
Posted: Thu Nov 05, 2009 5:48 pm 
Oompa Loompa
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Frankien
said
Also, why in gods name would they change the spline between EF and EL?

Does that mean the spline on the steering racks is different too?.

Yes :P this correct about 3 or 4 spline different offset on EL and EF however other model falcon as l am not sure. Best way go and make a visit to Steering Specialist in your area
:mrgreen:

Cheers Goofyman
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