Steering Column Uj Advise

[Guest Alan_builder]

I was thinking back to post seven where the OP said his car has a single UJ. I need not have added that after your post and come to think of it the flexi-disc type joint will probably all be on monocoques and early monocoques at that.

 

Nigel

 

No Problem Nigel, I thought I may be reading what I wanted to read rather than what I intended to write.

Alan

[Guest slimesub5]

My bottom UJ is worn so I need to change it.

The original was welded to the shaft, I have now cut this off and bought a new Ka UJ. One end fits the rack great but the other end is to fit to a round rod!

Could I have "your" views on this detail, didn't want to weld as I believe the heat wrecks the UJ?

[sj-bradley]

There are two ways I would suggest.

 

You can put a bolt through from the inside between the clamp and out the back. I would personally not put two bolts holes through the UJ as this would weaken it and it might rip apart if you hit a hard enough pot hole.

 

I would actually put the bolt in the clamp hole and tighten. Then suspend the UJ in a bucket of water leaving the top part out far enough and weld the top to the shaft. The water will act as a heat sink and keep the UJ cool.

 

Obviously, water and electricity don't like to mix at parties so take care to keep them apart

 

(This has also been suggested in the CBS catalogue)

 

Simon.

[fry61]

Not sure about your method Simon (& CBS's) would the thermal shock between welding temp & cold water produce a very steep heat affected zone? Embrittlement between the two? I have no knowledge on this, just my thoughts, I never quench welded parts for this reason. Words of wisdom needed from they who know please.

[sj-bradley]

I don't think so. The heat affected zone is usually just around the weld area even on normal welding.

 

The water would just act to keep the UJ cool and a constant thermal gradient from the weld area to the water level.

After all, there already exists a very steep thermal gradient from the molten weld pool to the solid metal adjacent to it.

 

The water just helps prevent the heat from propgating to the UJ and destroying it.

 

You could also stitch weld allowing to cool between each stitch as well.

 

Having TIG welded up a silencer in order to insert a new baffle after the previous owner had chopped out the old one (nice) I found out that you could see the heat affected zone in the immediate area and it left a blueing you could visually see.

 

Even though the hot area was much further down the silencer, the heat affected zone was much shorter.

 

Simon.

[Guest mower man]

the welding technique mentioned i.e. bucket of water is at least as old as me and prob a lot older ,like any thng approach it sensibly and you will have no probs stich weld is the way and let it cool between each tack mower man

[agent_zed]

Slightly related question - On the sierra triangle shaft to UJ is there a specific way the triangle tube needs to sit in the UJ?

 

I only ask as i took my steering apart to fit the kart axle bearing (worth while nod) and put it back together and i didn't notice anything to stop the triangle tube slipping out if the 2 bolts came loose. Don't want to take it all apart as its really difficult to get too so just wondered if that is how it should be or whether i missed some locking lug or anything which is now possibly not aligned corrrectly if i put the triangle tube in the wrong way. 1 in 3 chance if that is the case

 

I had a feeling the gulley for the triangle tube in the UJ didn't have anything sticking up or any holes for a pin but can anyone confirm.

 

hope that makes sense

 

thanks

[sj-bradley]

No, I don't remember any kind of alignment lug or hole. The triangle tube is just held on with the pinch bar across the V of the UJ. I would suggest that even though the hole is threaded, that you add an extra nylock nut on the back as the inspector brought that up.

 

I did mention that I had used threadlock so it passed and I added the extra nut for piece of (my) mind.

 

Simon.

[Guest Alan_builder]

Less is more

[agent_zed]

thanks thats what i was thinking but just wanted to be sure. the triangle tube sits nice in the groove so think it is fine then. My one has a metal washer with tabs that bend up to stop the bolt undoing. i'd forgotten to bend them up for sva and examiner made me do that before it passed.

 

thanks

[Guest mower man]

The clamp is entirely good enough , it allow column collapse i in a frontal impact so long as it is tight it will do mower man