[geeyoutoo]

@geeyoutoo you should try one Ross, for you and your driving style X racing you will appreciate the better steering feel like the mini on rails feel.. I have meant to talk to you about it every time i drive your rig but forget to tell you when i get back.

Thanks, Have copied the part # from the pic and will head to Bursons tomorrow and see what they can do.
This could well be my next project (after my current one)

EDIT: Just went through PatrolApart cattledog and they have it if Bursons don't. $185

Genuine Toyota Steering Coupling suits Nissan Patrol GQ / GU Shaft

Genuine Toyota Steering Coupling suits Nissan Patrol GQ / GU Shaft

patrolapart.com.au

 

[geeyoutoo]

Hmmm! I wonder if Garry can source them, will have a chat to him? Will let you guys know what price Bursons can do.
Lol, see what you have started @OldMav

 

[geeyoutoo]

Have contacted Nizzbits (Garry) to see if he can source the part, will let you know when he comes back to me.

 

[geeyoutoo]

OK got a reply from Garry, he had heard of it as a replacement, had a look around and he can get them in from Japan, 2-3 weeks waiting time and around $120, I've ordered one.

 

[geeyoutoo]

What's the best way to order with Nizbits/Gary? It been a while and I want to grab one of these too. While mines not stuffed yet the current coupling has seen better days.

email is the best, [email protected] and say you heard about it on Patrol4x4.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Mine arrived today, now all I need is the time to do it. Garry has a new card also.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Mine arrived this morning.

Cool, which one of us will get there first and do the how to? 🙂

 

[geeyoutoo]

I somehow doubt it will be me....

I need to wait until the rainband finishes its work so that I can put the Trol in the driveway beside the house to work on it, room is a bit tight for an aging body in the double garage and shed at the end of the side driveway is too full of crap to fit it in there Lol.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Hopefully there is enough room to slide bits back and forth, it is pretty tight in that area of the ZD30, not sure about 4.2 - 2.8 - etc, don't really want to remove steering column or box! Will remove the rubber panel from under the mudguard for a look when I get a chance.

 

[geeyoutoo]

I was hoping someone would do it before me. Was wondering if the steering column need to be unbolted and pulled back. Obviously the rag joint setup is different and should be easy enough to remove.
Mine should turn up today too.

Just had a look over the top, there appears to be enough spline on the top section to slide the joint back disconnecting it from the steering box. Could be wrong but there appears to be another bolt slot a bit higher up the spline so maybe this shaft also fits something else. We'll find out, but not for a few days, rain and my friggin knee is killing me.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Doesn't like you have good access. Maybe I'll get mine done first. Will let you know how it goes if you don't send all your rain down here this arvo.

No, access is bloody awful, can't even get my hand down from the top.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Might be easier through the inner guard?

Yes, I mentioned earlier I'll pull the rubber panel off for a look when I can, but look forward to how you get on.

 

[geeyoutoo]

There is considerable 'sliding' room within the uni, hopefully enough.
Might pay to give the splines a good coating of reductaur h72 a few hours before attempting to move.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Removed the rubber panel from under the guard, being the eternal optimist I'm 95% confident this job can be done without removing anything else (of course there is a 5% chance I'm totally wrong 😱). Looks to be enough wriggle room. When I feel a little better I'll tackle it through there. Turn the steering wheel until bolt heads face outwards, mark the splines in case something moves in the process.

 

[geeyoutoo]

I could be wrong but I don't think you can misalign the splines as the locking bolt won't go through where the flats on the splines are?

Therein may lie an issue, after posting the pic of my rag joint I noticed the clamp bolts are on the same side, the uni joint has the bolts on opposite sides, [email protected]

 

[geeyoutoo]

I just replaced mine, took me 20mins including packing up tools.

First step turn steering wheel until it locks, mine locked with the rag joint bolts facing upwards.
View attachment 546591

View attachment 546595
Remove the rubber shield.
Spray wd40 on the splines. I used this setup to undo the bolts from the top.
View attachment 546592

Use a screwdriver to pry the split apart a little to free up some movement.
Then tap the rag joint up the steering column till its free of the steering box, push the column towards engine and slide rag joint off, this took some gentle taps with hammer.
View attachment 546593

Slide new uni joint onto steering column, push on as far as it will go, lift the column above the steering box spline and lower it down wriggling as you go.
Once its lined up gentle tapping to seat it all the way home.
View attachment 546594

View attachment 546596
Install bolts and your done.

Cool that was what I had anticipated, but there is no way I will ever get it from the top, can't even slide my hand down to it from the top, so I will need to put lock on to get it to face outwards.
OK, 2 questions,
1. As I mentioned in my previous post the the bolts on the genuine rag joint are on the same side of the joint, whereas with the new one they are on opposite sides! so did the bolts just slide into place easy?
2. How does it drive?

Will take pics for the ZD30 guys, wife is in Brisbane today so will tackle it tomorrow, thanks for the confirmation.

 

[geeyoutoo]

On my new one they are on same side.
And I havnt driven it yet, taking mum and niece to floriade.

Also the bolts go in easy when the uni joint is all the way home.

by opposite I mean this, from your pic and my earlier pic the original joint have the bolts coming in from the same direction, in your pic on the upper side.

In this pic and yours of the new joint as well yes they come in from the same direction but opposite side of the splines.

So did the bolts just slide over the splines or are they a ring groove around the spline shaft(s)?

Hmm, another project.. what size bolts are needed for the Toyota part?

Use the original bolts, 8mm.

 

[geeyoutoo]

The Patrolapart page seemed to be saying that the original bolts don’t fit.

My apologies, I just took the bolts out of mine and they are 10mm whereas the toyota joint is 8mm. so yes that is correct. I've got plenty of 8mm HT setscrews here so no issue, I reckon you would have a heap as well considering your playing with Patrols.
Just started and will be doing it through the side so will writeup when I'm finished.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Man, getting the rag joint up the steering column spline was a job and a half, getting movement on the steering box was easy, anyway just got the rag joint out after a lot of awkward coaxing with a brass dolly. As suspected it makes no difference the screws being opposingly aligned as the box spline has a full ring groove, only the top has the flat section on the spline.
Getting there, hope to be finished by beer o'clock.
Pics to come.

 

[geeyoutoo]

In and done, if a 76 year old with crook shoulders and right knee can do it then anyone can. Only way for me to do this job is to tackle the job from under the mudguard.

Spayed plenty of Reducteure around.

After several minutes I turned the steering wheel so the set screw heads were point outward like the first pic, man they were tight had to use a long breaker bar to crack them. Once bolts were out I turned the steering wheel until bolt holes were pointing upwards, then tied off steering wheel to grab handle Just In Case.

Spread the clamping bosses with a couple of large screwdrivers and sprayed more Reducteure, it was easy to get the bottom bit moving but top wouldn't budge, finished up using an old brass dolly I've had for 60 bloody years to tap it back enough to disconnect the front, but I did need to lever the bottom bit back against the rag to make it fall out. This worried me a bit because the Toyota part has no flex .

The set screws that hold the rag joint together are 9's so if you don't have any HT 8mm bolts you can undo these and use them to hold the uni on the splines.

Getting it in place is not that easy, line up with the flat on the column spline then you must push the uni back up the spline as far as you can possibly make it go (you may need to spread the clamp boss a little, mine would not slide straight on without doing that. Even with the uni pushed back up the column spline the lower section of the joint won't just pop onto the box, took me several minutes to work out a method, don't try and fit to the box from the lower side, won't happen, too much flex required due to higher angle, come in from the very top, rest it in place with slight pressure then lever down a little, there is enough flex in the column to get that 1mm you need, not easy but doable.
Then it's all over red rover and minimal skin missing.

Won't be driving it today, by the time I get all the bits back on and tools cleaned up it will be beer o'clock, so tomorrow is test day.
Have a warm fuzzy feeling, another project out of the way.