| Re: [GMCnet] Power Steering issue [message #111945] |
Thu, 13 January 2011 19:26  |
KB
Messages: 1262
Registered: September 2009
Karma:
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Senior Member |
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>
> Andre, sounds like the constant velocity U-joint in the steering shaft
> located just above the steering box. Even with the boots on them if you do
> not rtv the connector clamp, they will accumulate water and rust up.
> Solution, take it off and clean it out and inspect it. re lube or replace as
> necessary. When you reassemble, tighten the connector clamps securely and
> seal around them with rtv. If the CV joint has seen better days, I think Jim
> K has them in stock.
Having done this recently, here are some tips:
- mark the orientation of all the parts to each other before disassembly
- scribing them works best. any kind of paint or ink will rub
off in the copious amounts of grease. If you don't mark it well,
you will be spending a LOT of time trying to figure out how it's supposed to go.
It's extremely hard steel, so a dremel tool could be used to scribe.
- wear rubber gloves. It's a messy job.
- I found it much easier to undo the 7 bolts on the top cap that hold it to the cv joint
rather than removing that clamp bolt thing that attaches the cap to the bottom
of the steering column. The clamp bolt was hard to remove and hard to put back on.
You have to undo the 7 bolts either way. Once the 7 bolts are out,
you can swivel the joint clear of the steering column and pull the whole assembly out
of the lower shaft. (mark everything first!) There may be shims or lock washers
under the 7 bolts, depending on the year of the gmc. Watch for these as you
take the bolts out.
- You can just put a bunch of grease on the joint, but better to pull it out and clean it up first.
You don't have to take the cv joint off the shaft to grease it, but you do have to if you want
to replace the rubber boots. JimK stocks replacement boots (upper and lower).
There's a castle nut that holds the CV joint to the blue splined shaft -- mark the orientation
if you decide to pull it apart! You'll need a new cotter pin when you put it back together.
Grease the lower shaft too when you reassemble.
- You may want to put in some shims between the blue splined shaft and the lower shaft if
there's any play between the two. PO had put long shim strips in, folded them over the
top of the lower shaft, and held in place with a zip tie. I thought it odd, but it worked fine.
Clean and inspect the blue plastic coating while you've got it out. The coating can be repaired.
- use a grease that has lots of moly content. Do NOT use regular cv joint grease;
it's not thick enough and the joint will bind severely.
- if you do decide to undo the clamp bolts, make sure you torque them back up tight.
I'm told this is called an Rzeppa joint (after its inventor). It is known for binding,
especially if insufficiently greased. I had two joints to compare, one with lots of
corrosion and pitting, the other in great shape. Both of them bound up severely when not lubricated.
Both of them worked just fine when cleaned and given some good quality moly grease.
Once greased, I couldn't tell them apart functionaly.
Karen
1973 23'
1975 26'
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Karen
1975 26'
San Jose, CA
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