Upgrade steering parts

[454cid]

I'm not sure the airbag is any indication.....more of a year thing, I think. My 99 1ton has no air bag, but I can't use that shaft as it would put a 3rd joint in.

 

[alpinecrick]

I'm not sure the airbag is any indication.....more of a year thing, I think. My 99 1ton has no air bag, but I can't use that shaft as it would put a 3rd joint in.

Thanks 454.
So my 96 and 97 K1500's are NOT candidates for this steering shaft, correct?

 

[454cid]

Thanks 454.
So my 96 and 97 K1500's are NOT candidates for this steering shaft, correct?

I'm not clear when the change in design happened. I thought it was a mid-year change....95? 96?, but I've only ever had my 99, so a lot of the particulars on changes escape me since pretty much everything had already happened by the time my truck was made. I suspect you have the later design, as I do, so this shaft would not be a bolt in solution.

 

[Schurkey]

pics yet ?

I haven't actually swapped, yet. The "old" steering shaft in the photos below is the original to the truck, removed years ago in favor of a Treasure Yard replacement because I was too stupid to understand that all the salvage-yard shafts were going to be just as faulty as my original rag-joint was.

Photo 1. Label on GM box.

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Photo 2. New shaft

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Photo 3. New and old shafts

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Photo 4. New and old shafts, side view.

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Teeny-tiny disappointment: It would have been nice if the new shaft came with the two bolts, and the nut.

So my 96 and 97 K1500's are NOT candidates for this steering shaft, correct?

Correct.

My '97 (NOT PICTURED) has a soft-plastic bellows around the shaft, but there's no joint under the brake master cylinder area like is shown on the photos above. I guess that means that the joint is farther "up" the steering column; adding the C3500 steering shaft that has the additional joint would be a very bad idea.

 

[Schurkey]

I haven't actually swapped, yet.

New shaft is installed. Mostly.

Teeny-tiny disappointment: It would have been nice if the new shaft came with the two bolts, and the nut.

How do I say this? The new shaft is a drop-in replacement...except...

I think I need the Official Genuine GM Special Bolt that would have gone through the splined end of this shaft. I re-used the bolt from the "stock" shaft; but I don't like the "feel" of how it's tightening up. Or "not" tightening up. I'm scared to put any more torque on it, it feels like there's not enough thread engagement and the threads are stripping.

At the other end, under the master cylinder, the "old" bolt and nut fit just fine.

Photo 1. Old splined end, with bolt. Note that the non-splined section is to the left of the split that the bolt tightens.

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Photo 2. New splined end. Bolt is too short. Note that the non-splined section is to the right of the split. I don't think this actually matters; but it's interesting that GM would do this. This means that the original shaft had the bolt above the steering box splined input shaft, the new shaft will have the bolt below the steering box splined input shaft.

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[ShaneM]

This thread is confusing lol.

for those of us with later models, for example 99 Tahoe/burb-/1500, what part is required to replace the rag joint? My steering play is terrible like an old green screen movie where the guy is not watching the road and turning the wheel back and forth

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

New shaft is installed. Mostly.


How do I say this? The new shaft is a drop-in replacement...except...

I think I need the Official Genuine GM Special Bolt that would have gone through the splined end of this shaft. I re-used the bolt from the "stock" shaft; but I don't like the "feel" of how it's tightening up. Or "not" tightening up. I'm scared to put any more torque on it, it feels like there's not enough thread engagement and the threads are stripping.

At the other end, under the master cylinder, the "old" bolt and nut fit just fine.

Photo 1. Old splined end, with bolt. Note that the non-splined section is to the left of the split that the bolt tightens.

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Photo 2. New splined end. Bolt is too short. Note that the non-splined section is to the right of the split. I don't think this actually matters; but it's interesting that GM would do this. This means that the original shaft had the bolt above the steering box splined input shaft, the new shaft will have the bolt below the steering box splined input shaft.

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Any resolution on the bolt length or did you just run with it as is?

 

[Schurkey]

Any resolution on the bolt length or did you just run with it as is?

Running as-is.

This truck has proven to be a series of problems, after being my most-reliable vehicle for about fifteen years. I haven't put more than a few hundred miles on the thing since stuffing a fresh engine into it about two years ago.

Yeah, I should get off my ass and locate a longer bolt.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

Running as-is.

This truck has proven to be a series of problems, after being my most-reliable vehicle for about fifteen years. I haven't put more than a few hundred miles on the thing since stuffing a fresh engine into it about two years ago.

Yeah, I should get off my ass and locate a longer bolt.

11610555 comes up as the bolt GM used with that shaft for me on my GM parts interface from work. The picture I found online it looks a bit longer.

You're pretty particular on the parts fitment, what's your take on using this shaft? I'm not happy with the jeep shaft I went with.

 

[Schurkey]

Thanks for that. I intended to just head for a hardware store and match something from their assortment, paying attention to the head-markings for the strength level. I'm gonna check The Internet to see if I can get the "real" bolt.

I'm very comfortable with this shaft--GM engineered for a similar application, in the same body-style (GMT400).

As said, this shaft won't work for a truck with the steering-column U-joint in the cab (trucks with air-bags, I guess.)