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Sat Aug 14, 2021 12:34 pm

Trying to adapt a race column with Double "d" or spline to a vw steering box on a dune buggy. . . not married to Double "D" but cant locate a universal joint that converts,

Any insight?

Think the steering box is 62 spline. Super hard to count.

Sat Aug 14, 2021 4:46 pm

It's call adapt.... BORGSON make's about a 100 different U joints but none fit.... This is where you may have to cut/weld/drill to make something work....

https://www.borgeson.com/xcart/home.php

Sun Aug 15, 2021 1:38 pm

Its been a while since I did mine but I think I used a 5/8-36 Chrysler ujoint.

Like: https://www.borgeson.com/xcart/product.php?productid=121&cat=2&page=1

I had to ream it out a bit and then I added a second stop screw (drilled and tapped). Grind two small flats on the steering gear stub shaft (180 degrees apart) for the set screws to rest on. Then plenty of red loktite.

Sun Aug 15, 2021 7:37 pm

Perhaps a double D to VW adapter? Just thinking out loud here...

You can take a 2 rag joint couplers and assemble it into 1 that is female on both sides. Then you may be able to take a short section of double D shaft, chuck it up in a lathe and and turn it so one end is 16mm. That end will fit into the female end of the VW rag joint coupler, You will have to file one flat side just a little more to accept the stock retaining bolt.

With that you have a VW steering box adapter ending with a double D shaft to connect to your steering column with a U-joint, or other shaft and coupler arrangement as needed.

My Mini-T steering column (stock '62-'67 VW Bug) is extended with with 5/8 inch steel rod with the groove for the VW steering shaft clamp bolt filed into each end. I have a VW rag joint coupler made from 2 female halves and the stock rag disc. I used this to add 10 inches to my steering shaft length.

Tue Dec 12, 2023 3:19 am

Does anyone know what the bolt spacing is on the rag-joint?

Thnx
Robert

Tue Dec 12, 2023 4:35 am

I struggled with it too. I found what I needed at Sweet mfg.. and Appletree auto.

Tue Dec 12, 2023 7:47 am

The Borgeson universal is a great piece. It's been a bit, but if I remember correctly, the column was an "I Did It" Chevy re-pop with DD connector, Borgeson DD to 5/8 or 7/8 set screw and before it was all said & done, I had the u-joint tacked to the (OEM VW thing) rag joint flange

Maybe this'll help

https://www.borgeson.com/Universal-Joints/

Tue Dec 12, 2023 7:49 am

The Borgeson universal is a great piece. It's been a bit, but if I remember correctly, the column was an "I Did It" Chevy re-pop with DD connector, Borgeson DD to 5/8 or 7/8 set screw and before it was all said & done, I had the u-joint tacked to the (OEM VW thing) rag joint flange

Maybe this'll help

https://www.borgeson.com/Universal-Joints/

CRAP! Old age has struck again! It might have been a borgeson... but it was this one :oops:

https://carolinadunebuggies.com/xcart5.3/suspensio...-vw-1.html

Tue Dec 12, 2023 6:03 pm

I took the steering box input shaft and a stub https://www.cip1.ca/c13-3143/ from Cip1 into a machinist who cut/welded the two together. I removed the necessary amount from the collapsible section to get the steering wheel where I wanted it on the interior side. It was easy to weld the other stub into the end of the steering shaft collapsible section. There are many ways to do this, I didn't see the point of having a rag joint + a u-joint.

Wed Dec 13, 2023 4:21 am

slayer61 wrote:

CRAP! Old age has struck again! It might have been a borgeson... but it was this one :oops:

https://carolinadunebuggies.com/xcart5.3/suspensio...-vw-1.html

Thanks!!!

That might be the elusive "missing link"!!!

Wed Dec 13, 2023 8:01 am

OCD Garage wrote: I took the steering box input shaft and a stub https://www.cip1.ca/c13-3143/ from Cip1 into a machinist who cut/welded the two together. I removed the necessary amount from the collapsible section to get the steering wheel where I wanted it on the interior side. It was easy to weld the other stub into the end of the steering shaft collapsible section. There are many ways to do this, I didn't see the point of having a rag joint + a u-joint.

Indeed. The rag joint can be deleted and the 2 halves bolted directly together! :thumbsup:

Thu Dec 14, 2023 3:48 pm

I have done this several times. I "think" (sorry,....brain not what it used to be :( ) I used this one https://www.borgeson.com/Universal-Joints/Steel-3-4DD-X-5-8-36-Chrysler.html

The splines really don't match that great (nothing that Borgeson sells does) but I sand the bore opened a little with a Dremel sanding drum until it fit very snugly. I then drilled and tapped another locking stud (this the right term??) 90 degrees from the existing locking stud. I then slid it on the the steering box and marked the two stud locations on the steering box shaft so I could grind two small flats onto the shaft for the locking studs to engage to.

Then of course some red loctite.

Worked well....super smooth