Steering Coupling Flange Splines

[surfbus23]

As long as I have peoples' attention can someone help me out with where the horn ground attaches on the underside of a late bay. I only took a picture of the top broken piece and can't remember where the bottom goes and can't search up a picture.

[surfbus23]

I think I'm just supposed to mate the top and bottom per this:

[Wildthings]

[surfbus23]

Alright. Got that all fixed up. Looks pretty good and safe. Re: the Jesus Bolt can anyone confirm a torque of 14ft-lb?

Bentley shows an entry for "flange to steering worm" but this is only up to 72. It's sort on entries in from 72. I'm thinking maybe this is just the extra entries though and these other ones are still good.

[Tom Powell]

I think the flange is used on several years so the torque requirements should be the same. OG is a castellated nut with cotter pin, but I used a nylon lock nut on mine.

Aloha
tp

[surfbus23]

[raygreenwood]

I have seen a few copper plated bolts in some of these through the years as I think Wildthings mentioned.
While copper has no sacrificial anode qualities per-se to steel in open air....its a great anti-seize lubricant in this highly rust prone location. Same reasoning behind copper plated nuts on exhaust studs and mufflers.

It does bear thinking about...that this part and its bolt would be ideal candidates for a simple zinc plating. Ray

[Terminatez]

So, what would be the correct bolt/grade to use before getting a visit from Jesus?
_________________
1972 Westfalia P30 hardtop Campmobile [On-going Restoration]

[surfbus23]

[raygreenwood]

[surfbus23]

Hi Ray,

I'm curious. I don't know much about lock nuts. I went with one of these https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/90681 which are the oval shaped lock nuts. How do these compare to a Nylock version?

Thanks!

[Tom Powell]

IMO:
If the lock nut fails, you will not immediately lose steering. The clamp will no longer be tight and the flange will move/rotate slightly on the shaft. The bolt will still be in the groove and the symptoms will be slop not failure.

Aloha
tp

[Wasted youth]

More of my opinion...

The shitty spines you are seeing on the flange are the result of the harder steel steering box shaft's splines indenting into the softer flange metal. You are looking at ghosts... it's not supposed to carefully index like a true male and female spline arrangement. The one set of splines on the male shaft provides a nice grip to that flange when you tighten it. It's ribbed for her pleasure. That's correct that the new female flange is smooth.

[Wildthings]

The correct torque for an M8 10.9 bolt is about 24 ft*lbs. With a lock nut, especially a distorted thread locknut you will use up some of the torque just forcing the bolt through the locknut, so if you don't go high enough you will not be getting sufficient pinch in the clamp to prevent relative movement of the mating parts. I really prefer Loctite for such uses even if I might still use a locknut. Clean the bolt and nut well, spray with cleaner and blow dry, and then apply Loctite and torque to spec for the 10.9 bolt or higher grade bolt you should be using.

Note that you can probably find 10.9/12.9 Nylocks either at your local hardware or at a place like Fastenal. Buy a whole box if need be, you will eventually use them.

[Amskeptic]

[raygreenwood]

[Terminatez]

Thanks for the info. When you guys mention locktite, are you talking about the blue thread locker?
_________________
1972 Westfalia P30 hardtop Campmobile [On-going Restoration]

[raygreenwood]