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The steering shaft on my 93 disintegrated at the rubber. I picked up another shaft from the local junk yard, but I'm running into a few issues.
1) The old shaft looks to be held in with roll pins? They are hollow. How do I remove these things? They are in a terrible spot to be hitting on them if they are roll pins, and they are likely frozen. Most of the truck is rust.
2) The new shaft was bolted in, will this work on my box and column? I grabbed the bolts when I pulled it, I just don't want to pull this apart to find that the new shaft won't work for me.
ALL of my truck was rust (frame broke) and i was still able to remove the roll pin. I tried forever with all sorts of the wrong tools for the job...Allen sockets, screwdrivers, you name it. Wised up and went and bought a roll pin punch set. Found the right size, turned the wheel to the right position, set the punch on it, put the deadblow to it and boom, damn thing started moving after just a few hits. Now you're right, there is little room to swing the deadblow, but there is enough (battery and tray out). Oh...mines a 4x4...2wd I've seen schematics of and they look more difficult space-wise.
And yes your junkyard parts should work but I can't say for sure.
Thanks! I didn't even know a roll pin punch was a thing. I was hoping not to touch the battery tray, but I suppose its better than not getting the shaft out. Do you recall the diameter of the roll pin punch used? I plan to buy a kit, but want to make sure the one I need is in there.
Also, mine is also 4x4, I was a 2wd in the junkyard, doesn't look fun to me.
Yes just like above you can swap them. I did have the bolt on version on mine before I completely rebuilt it with new custom parts due to complete failer of the rubber on the vibration dampener. The best way to remove roll pins is with an impact hammer with a conical tip. Here is my build if you want to see it. https://dodgeforum.com/forum/1st-gen...ing-shaft.html
So I got the bottom roll pin out. The upper however is in a terrible spot. I turned the wheel to get a hit on it from between the brake booster and the valvecover (I bought long punches and made an 8-10" brass extension for the punch) and I just cant get it to move with a 3lb hammer. Am I missing something or do I need to pull the brake booster to get a good solid shot at it? I'd really rather not.Suggestions please!
I pulled the little rubber liner to get to the lower shaft pin, does the inner fender come out separate on these trucks? Is that easier than pulling the booster? And will it give me room to get a good hit/swing on it? I've never taken an inner fender off on one of these trucks.
Well I managed to get the shaft off. Some daylight and an oxyacetelyne torch helped but it still put up a fight. No way would it have come off without the torch...
so as for the picture, how sure are you guys that the shafts are interchangable? The lower end for the box is the same. The upper end for the column is completely different. The stock shaft is a splined shaft, the newer bolt in one has 4 "corners" to it and is much smaller. No chance of it fitting... So the real question is, now what?
So i have answered my own question. I decided since the u joints are still good and I don' really care to spend money on this truck that id cut the old end off and weld it to the new shaft.
I cut the ends off both shafts on a bandsaw then slipped the old end on the new shaft.
The old shaft was a hex at the end and the new one is rectangular so I lined it up best I could putting a rectangle in a hex hole... and then welded it on both in and outside. I think that'l hold it pretty well.
now I just have to find one of the roll pins that fell to the gravel when I drove them out to put it all back together.
1993 Dodge Dakota steering shaft
