LS steering shaft *Write Up*

[popo8]

If the vehicle (in many vehicles) is involved in a front in a front end collision, there is usually a colapse pin that will break and allow the column to collapse rather than stay rigid and stick the steering wheel into the driver's chest.

[mastawyrm]

Just an additional FYI for anyone looking to do this. If you can't seem to get your LS1 shaft to separate, you haven't ground enough yet. I really thought I had ground the entire tab down but my air chisel was only digging lines into the end piece. After getting really frustrated and grinding another few, seemingly unnecessary, mms further the air chisel pushed the end right off without much issue.

[captainofiron]

I was looking to do this mod on my WS6 because the rag joint is pretty fried.

Just out of curiosity, is the bottom connection on the rack a splined connection? like on the old cars with the steering gear?

If so, what is stopping you from just clocking the bottom connection at the rack instead of cutting and welding?

[Sahara54]

Just out of curiosity, is the bottom connection on the rack a splined connection? like on the old cars with the steering gear?

If so, what is stopping you from just clocking the bottom connection at the rack instead of cutting and welding?

No, the rack cant be clocked. If i remember correct the top is a slip fit with a bolt down the center and the bottom has a notch cut of for a bolt to lock the shaft in place. It's very easy to grind the crimp away and have it tacked up. If you don't have a welder, I'm sure and exhaust shop would do it for a few bucks. It not like it need much of a weld. I've done 3 of them and it takes like 20 mins total.

[captainofiron]

No, the rack cant be clocked. If i remember correct the top is a slip fit with a bolt down the center and the bottom has a notch cut of for a bolt to lock the shaft in place. It's very easy to grind the crimp away and have it tacked up. If you don't have a welder, I'm sure and exhaust shop would do it for a few bucks. It not like it need much of a weld. I've done 3 of them and it takes like 20 mins total.

ah ok, so the input shaft on the rack is keyed and not splined

I couldnt find a good picture, but from experience almost every steering gear I have worked on was splined, so I was hoping that was the case on these, I guess not

Yea it looks like a reasonably easy mod, and I am definitely going to do it, just as an engineer I have learned to be like Mulder and question everything, hahaha

[The Batman]

Any point to doing this if I already have a rag joint eliminator?

[Sahara54]

Any point to doing this if I already have a rag joint eliminator?

Header clearance...If you don't have an issue, no.

[captainofiron]

from a cost standpoint (for me), I think the ragjoint eliminator might be slightly cheaper, unbalanced sells it for $37

the cheapest LS shaft I could find was on ebay for $35, and add anything that a shop charges you to tack weld it.

the one thing in my mind that could be good or bad is what condition the U-joints on the shaft are in compared to the one you have

[SSlowBoat]

from a cost standpoint (for me), I think the ragjoint eliminator might be slightly cheaper, unbalanced sells it for $37

the cheapest LS shaft I could find was on ebay for $35, and add anything that a shop charges you to tack weld it.

the one thing in my mind that could be good or bad is what condition the U-joints on the shaft are in compared to the one you have

but a rag joint eliminator doesn't help clearance issues with headers like an ls shaft does

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[Stormyweather]

Dont PS LT clear?

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