[OldMav]

I never had a issue on corrugations. i fitted one to my now departed Dads 1988 GQ ute sometime in the 90's due to the rag joint had broken. That rig did twice around the clock and then some because it had the odometer broken for some time which is usual for a GQ. 2 or 3 times a year he would do his usual Weipa fishing trip. In those days the cape had real corrugations 800 klms of them. The steering column is still fine. A family friend has the ute now and i do see him often, and i still do its services. I haven't noticed any column play or wear. I will check it next time in detail.

The other thing i noticed that could be a bonus is bouncing about rocks, the steering doesn't seem to have that annoying spring back or that flexing and no turn you get at times. The Mods has been around for years and by now there would be quite a few that have done this mod. I haven't seen or heard any ill effects.

The rag joint does deteriorate or gets a bit loose as time passes so for most or you, you just got use to the extra flex. If you fitted a new rag joint it would feel very much the same as this solid uni joint if not the same that is why the steering has that very much positive feel now like a new rig...

 

[geeyoutoo]

Cleaned up the rag joint and tested, holding one end in a vice and gripping the other end with multigrips I can feel very faint movement in the joint after 22 years. Of course this would be multiplied by the load of tyres on the road.

 

[Benny Jahmin]

Finally got a moment to swap mine out. Only took 20 min. Maybe because I have undone every nut and bolt on the car (other than the doors) in the last 5 years helped.
Plus I have much better top access than in a zd30 GU. I still did most of the job through the wheel arch.
The old one had seen better days and was probably a serious danger.
Putting in a vice and grabbing with multi grips I could probably get 5 degrees of rotation out of it.

 

[OldMav]

It will feel like a new car with that rag joint replaced its would move a lot more than 5° in the car.

 

[rgren2]

To pose a question, how will the dreaded wheel wobble feel now?

 

[Benny Jahmin]

It will feel like a new car with that rag joint replaced its would move a lot more than 5° in the car.

Yeah I hope so.
Other than the upper control arm bushes and window weather strip's this was the only other rubber part that hasn't been replaced.

 

[Benny Jahmin]

To pose a question, how will the dreaded wheel wobble feel now?

This is a little concern I have had as it does have a strange bump steer/vague feeling at times, generally over a large undulation on the highway. Never under short sharp bumps. And that time I blew a power steering hose I got the death wobbles which the consensus here was lack of PS fluid should have no effect to that. I haven't changed anything since then and it has been fine.
Either way I have had a feeling there is something not quite 100% in the front end.
Maybe it was this rag joint all along. Haha

 

[rgren2]

Maybe it was this rag joint all along. Haha

That was a thought I had too, a bit of play in the joint could have some ramifications with other components. Only have to see what happens with worn bushes. 🤔

 

[Benny Jahmin]

That was a thought I had too, a bit of play in the joint could have some ramifications with other components. Only have to see what happens with worn bushes. 🤔

I can't really see how. I would have thought all the load is taken though the hydraulics and gearing in the steering box.
It doesn't take much force to turn the steering wheel (while the engine is running) so that is all the force the rag joint is going to see, whether that is input from the driver or feedback from the wheels.

 

[geeyoutoo]

To pose a question, how will the dreaded wheel wobble feel now?

Theoretically it should feel a little better, but if the true cause of the wheel wobble has not been rectified any difference would be marginal. When I checked mine it was still in reasonable condition nothing like the one @Benny Jahmin has shown, that would have had a magnifying effect on the start and end position of the wobble period I reckon.

 

[rgren2]

Was just thinking.
Nissan uses a shock absorbing flexible joint and Toyota uses a ‘rigid’ connection. Both are a flexible joint, one has give and the other doesn’t.
Too much time on my hands for sitting and thinking. The engineering is well beyond my abilities.

Tried to post this earlier, but the site went down.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Was just thinking.
Nissan uses a shock absorbing flexible joint and Toyota uses a ‘rigid’ connection. Both are a flexible joint, one has give and the other doesn’t.
Too much time on my hands for sitting and thinking. The engineering is well beyond my abilities.

Tried to post this earlier, but the site went down.

According to Johns post HERE the toyota has a flex coupling up further.

I'm not really expecting any issues but JIC I had a good look at mine the other day and as said found a tiny bit of play in it, I reckon a section of 10mm multiple ply rubber like industrial belting would do the job nicely, I'll have a look around and see what is available. Another project whooo hoooo

 

[geeyoutoo]

Drove down to Lakeside and back today, first long drive on a highway, and yes there is a difference it feels better, really hard to put into words. I'm wondering whether a rebuild of the genuine one with firmer material would render similar results. Very happy with it except for one small detail, even though I tied the steering wheel in place the new joint must have gone on one spline out, the steering wheel is slightly off centre to the left, when you are OCD this drives you crazy, instead of removing it and trying again I'll adjust the drag link tomorrow, I'm off on a trip Tuesday and couldn't bare to look at that for hundreds of K.
Anyway if you have pulled a std joint apart this is what it looks like inside, you can see a bit of movement around the bushings. If I can find some 10mm multiple ply belting I'll give it a go, just need to hole punch the material for the bushings to solidly push in.

 

[Benny Jahmin]

Just got back from a weekend out at Condamine Gorge.
It made a big difference compared to the old flogged out rag joint it replaced. And to my surprise it seemed to reduce feedback to the steering wheel.
The dirt roads were all in really good condition do no corrugations, only a few potholes in the low sections.
The windy roads felt alot more positive in the corners and on the highway less wandering.
Having said that I doubt the Mrs will notice next time she drives it.

And like Ross I must have miss aligned the splines as not the wheel is slightly to the left when it was slightly to the right before. Haha

 

[Benny Jahmin]

And some comparison photos of my rubber bit that was just hanging on.

 

[OldMav]

You probably set the spline right it was the rag joint that was offset a bit from use. I found the same thing when i have changed the rag joint in the past probably 6+ time or more cannot remember how many i have changed over the years. Every time i have changed to the uni system the steering was always out usually right for some reason.

 

[geeyoutoo]

You probably set the spline right it was the rag joint that was offset a bit from use. I found the same thing when i have changed the rag joint in the past probably 6+ time or more cannot remember how many i have changed over the years. Every time i have changed to the uni system the steering was always out usually right for some reason.

Likely, you know me and I was quite surprised after finishing the job.

And some comparison photos of my rubber bit that was just hanging on.
View attachment 546913
View attachment 546914 View attachment 546912

A lot worse than mine.

 

[geeyoutoo]

Steering wheel back on centre ready for tomorrows trip, adjusted drag link, OCD in temporary hibernation.

 

[geeyoutoo]

OK, spent 3 hours getting to our destination this morning, the majority on highways, I had said earlier it was hard to put an absolute definition on how it has improved mine, after said 3 hours I know what it is, straight line is greatly improved as the steering doesn't get feedback from varying road conditions, a lot less minor corrections and this gave me a better feel for the road.

 

[OldMav]

Will be interesting to hear your comments about corrugated dirt road conditions. I found it was the same as the hard top, Less feedback and twitching and to be honest i actually thought there was less shake from corrugations. Hard to imagine as i had assumed the rag joint was meant to absorb that shake but in reality it doesn't, it emphasises it. So i am not too sure what the purpose of the rag joint is.
As said i will be very keen to hear your comments. I am assuming you are going to find a corrugated road to test it out on soon.

 

[geeyoutoo]

As soon as possible