Need advice RE: STEERING COUPLER:

[Brock Samson]

an exploded view would be nice,..

i found this

but..
I need to know what might be causing my charger to suddenly jump to the right.
it feels as though there's some slack or play  at a particular point slightly to the right of dead center....
it's been suggested it's the steering coupler, but I'd like to hear from other sources what might be the cause and a cure..

thanks!.

[Chatt69chgr]

That coupling has rubber in it.  Could be the rubber is bad.  Cheap to replace.  Available directly from Dealer.  I think in the $10 range.  Also available from ebay for two to three times that.  I read somewhere recently that there was a spring device that was made available to dealers when repairing the coupler to retain the metal end cover.  Must have had trouble with them coming off and the grease coming out after repairs.  I have not seen one of the spring retainers myself (except in a picture----think it was a 69 tech service bulletin that covered this) but will be looking for one of them the next time I go to the junkyard since this coupler was used on zillions of mopars.  Not sure I was any help to you but would think that misadjustment in the steering box would be manifested by sloppiness at the centerpoint of the steering travel----used to have this problem with my 66 fairlane GT and had to adjust the sector shaft screw slightly to take out the play.  But would think that the "jumping" you describe is not desirable and could be a safety issue.  Sure wouldn't want it to suddenly completely fail.  Others will probably be more helpful than I have.  Sorry I can't tell you more. 

[Nacho-RT74]

I'm agree about the metallic spring. If is broken then the inner shoes will spin freelly, making the box doen't keep straigh and aligned with wheel/columnshaft

there is no rubber there on that assembly beside the seal itself... some models have a steering rubber coupler like a hockey puck and a intermediate shaft, another models a thin rubber coupler too instead the big "puck", but mostly are C bodies or  laters Mopars

pics attached, thin rubber coupler, big rubber coupler and a view of the coupler cup assemly inside.

[Nacho-RT74]

here the rubber couplers available, depends of model and assembly. Mine is equiped like C bodies with the thin stuff, but I have known about mostly are with the big rubber insert ( laters )

assembly consist on colum shaft with a T metallic shoe where bolts two of coupler insert holes, then the coupler, then an intermediate shaft with same T metallic shoe but crossed with column shat, and then the steering box coupler. The shafts are coupled with bolts trought the mettalic inserts on Big coupler. Thin coupler uses crossed fasteners.

I don't know if that was some confussing, sorry I don't know how explain it better.

[Nacho-RT74]

here a view of a column with the rubber coupler and intermediate shaft, the BIG one. thin one is similar.

[Brock Samson]

GREAT! thanks guys that's AWSOME!! 
the runners gonna be on the road in a week
and i can then get the R/T apart,..
your right,..  it's a safety issue.
things all over the road,.. 
it's funny but at WOT she goes straight and true... but cruising along with minor imputs she darts to the right like she's gonna take out those hated parked cars.. She feels just like Christine...

anjd the cure?..

HAMMER DOWN ALL THE TIME!!! 

[Chryco Psycho]

it could be the caster strut bushing too , if it is bad the lower control arm can move back & cause the car to jump around under braking etc

[Brock Samson]

im gonna be looking at all that,..
front tire wear is bad too,.. but they've been on since '01 so that aint too bad..