Steering coupler disc

[raygreenwood]

You know....you can by the cord reinforced heavy duty rubber sheet from m9st,rubjer houses in several rubber types. Where this part goes you can use anything from Neoprene to Buna-N.

You can buy 1/2" thick neoprene sheet with one layer of fiberglass cloth per 1/4" cast into it. Its 55 durometer....so its about the same hardness as your average suspenaion bushing or tire. A 6" x 6" sheet is $38.

Yeah its a little pricey and the international guys wont do so well with that price.....but the point is....that this material and other reinforced sheet goods like it....are typically available at any rubber supply house by the inch or foot for cheaper than a place like Mcmaster Carr.

Mcmaster also had Nitrile and Viton.....but not thicker than 1/4".
Look online for rubber supppy houses.

These are not hard to make as lomg as you start with sheet goods that are high enough strength. In fact.....joints like this that connect pumps and shaft drives are precisely why these rubber houses carry these materials. Most also carry a wide variety of steel rule dies and cutters to stamp out common size shaft linkages. Ray

[74 Thing]

Maybe ask this seller to use a multimeter and check resistance in this type of coupler...
https://www.thesamba.com/vw/classifieds/detail.php?id=2069470

[Peters Van]

its all happening today......
my "rag joint" arrived in the post
thats another project after i do the fuel line
will post some pics after i do the resistance tests and installation
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1965 Type 3 Panel Van
1963 EH Holden Station Wagon

[Peters Van]

got around to testing the rag joint that arrived last week.
good news is no conductivity.....so no flat battery.
looks and feels like the original so now to installation and test drive.

_________________
1965 Type 3 Panel Van
1963 EH Holden Station Wagon

[raygreenwood]

That looks exactly what I was going to "make" from readily available sheet material fro McMaster Carr and other rubber supplies.

As long as this joint is not floppy soft....meaning it must be precise enough not to make steering "gummy".....or is not rock hard to cause a safety issue or high vibration...and has high torque/tear resistance for steering.....this part should not be rocket science to make out of readily available, proper durometer rubber that is scrim/cord reinforced.

I have made joints just like it...for high torque, moderate horsepower pump and worm shaft drives in factories with no issues.
d love to just be able to simply buy an adequate part....I think I can make a fully functional one just as easily. Ray

[gtixpress]

Not to disrupt the thread, but is it recommended to use castle nuts on this, and if so, where can they be purchased? Mine just has normal nylon lock nuts.
_________________
Joe P.
1969 VW Type 3 Squareback
2002 VW GTI 337 (Limited Edition)
2018 VW Atlas SE VR6 4Motion
2019 VW Beetle S Final Edition Convertible

[Peters Van]

[Peters Van]

[raygreenwood]

Also bear in mind that there are castle nuts and slotted nuts. They look about the same but the slotted nuts have bigger teeth on them. Most like Mcmaster carr just list them all as castle nuts.

You can buy class 8.8 castle nuts, 8mm x 1.25 at Mcmaster Carr for $2.66 for a pack of five.
They are on page 3291 of the catalog.... part #93760A222.

You can also get some at Fastenal.

Here are the 8mmx 1.25 "slotted nuts".
https://www.fastenal.com/products/details/90690

Ray

[74 Thing]

I am glad you found one that worked! Where did you buy it (link)?

[Bobnotch]

[Peters Van]

took a pic of the original and sent it to an old mechanic friend and he studied it for a bit and said leave it with me and i will see what i can come up with and this is the result.
i didnt ask him where he got it or what its off but now i will have to find out.
_________________
1965 Type 3 Panel Van
1963 EH Holden Station Wagon

[raygreenwood]

Back when I lived in Dallas Texas....there was a business near me that I did business with for years. Old, established and experienced.

It is called Texas Rubber Supply. https://texasrubbersupply.com

They have every type of rubber sheet, tube, laminate....they also make hoses of every description, make conveyor belts, supply hydraulic couplings etc. And....they have a rubber "shop"....that includes die cutters and punch presses and water jet cutting.

They have walls full of steel rule dies that they use for punching out precision shaped products just like this coupler. In fact....they had a whole ton of dies for couplers very similar to ours....mainly for customers who order industrial pump shaft couplers, conveyor belt roller to drive motor couplers etc.

They have been in business so long....I would be stunned if they had not made a steering coupler for someone at least once.

My point is that there is at least one or more industrial rubber shops just like this in ebery state.....especially where lots of industry is.

Its what I have been saying in all of the threads that the steering coupler comes up. This part....is nothing special. Find a reinforced rubber sheet product or the right hardness/elasticity range and right thickness.....and either make one or have it made.

The die to cut these out.....would cost less than $100. About 12" of single bevel serrated steel rule and four punches. You could punch these out on a harbor freight 12 ton press, any die cutter....or you can have it made into a hand punch to use with a three pound sledge.

I have never really worried that this part is disappearing or that what is being made is junk....because I know this is a part I can source material for and make in a hour or two. Ray

[blues90]

Dorman makes one that's real close . I bought one of the crappy ones thought it was the real deal yet not so. I went to autozone and matched the cheapo up and the Dorman is real close , close enough that the inserts fit yet the holes in the Dorman were a tad closer CTC yet not enough to cause any issues and it's rubber with the same type layers of reinforcement . I have not installed it since the old original is still in pretty good shape . Since the metal inserts fit tight a small bit of inside hole trimming the Dorman would fit perfect. I don't recall the part number need to look it's for a ford which had 2 sizes this is the smaller one .

[EasternNotch]

4 pages on this? Didn't realize it was this complex. I replaced the one in my Notch last Summer and used the old round type with cloth in it. They are still available for like 5 bucks

part number 111415417

-Lucas
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1964 Notchback
1966 Squareback
1969 Type 34 Ghia
1969 Fastback
1989 Doka AFN TDI

[EasternNotch]

here you go sorry $5.95 not 5

https://www.ssaircooled.com/111415417
_________________
1964 Notchback
1966 Squareback
1969 Type 34 Ghia
1969 Fastback
1989 Doka AFN TDI

[Peters Van]

[quote="EasternNotch"]4 pages on this? Didn't realize it was this complex. I replaced the one in my Notch last Summer and used the old round type with cloth in it. They are still available for like 5 bucks

part number 111415417


yeah i didnt think it would be a 4 page answer when i asked the question either..

it was hard to source the correct part here in australia, i think somewhere in the 4 pages there is a quote for shipping for the "rag joint" type and it was $60.

even on the aircooled site the disc is quoted as being
"coupling disc, rubber, steering box to steering shaft"
which is exactly the same discription as the "conductive disc" shown in the top right hand corner of the picture.

anyway its all fine now i have the correct part
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1965 Type 3 Panel Van
1963 EH Holden Station Wagon

[Nikon-User]

Just got mine from this US company but currently I have no time to replace the current one...

Also waiting for my steering box to be back from overhauling to replace
all parts from my 64' notchback

[Peters Van]

[EasternNotch]