Steering column retainer: tips to change out

[hemi68charger]

Hey gang..
Working on rebuilding the complete front suspension on my Daytona, including the steering gear box and steering wheel column retainer. Anyone know where I can get a good quality repair/restoration kit for the retainer that attaches to the gearbox input shaft. I want black, not the orange that was out there for many years.

Troy

PS: Now that I have a steering coupling kit, are there any pointers or "words of wisdom" on changing out the retainer? I hear trying to bend the tabs are a bear....

[tan top]

  used the orange one on mine , thought it was rubbish , its not rubber as original , more like a neoprene ( spelling ) last trip round bending the lock tabs ( need to do a little at a time ) clamped it down too tight  , & it split   , rubber would not have done that , im sure !!  ended up reusing my original one ,
 will get round to  buying a new rubber one one day !!  have seen them , but cant think where right now  ,  had this on short cut  , dont say rubber though

http://www.hooverautoparts.com/products/Suspension/2800741.php

[hemi68charger]

http://www.hooverautoparts.com/products/Suspension/2800741.php

Excellent... Thought Jaime had 'em at MegaParts, but didn't see anything thing..... Maybe I didn't search properly........

[hemi68charger]

 Now that I have a steering coupling kit, are there any pointers or "words of wisdom" on changing out the retainer? I hear trying to bend the tabs are a bear....

[The70RT]

Now that I have a steering coupling kit, are there any pointers or "words of wisdom" on changing out the retainer? I hear trying to bend the tabs are a bear....

Yeah i did mine, that retainer is a joke especially if the engine is in the car.

[Hemidog]

http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,46108.0.html
http://www.dodgecharger.com/forum/index.php/topic,65234.0.html

I'm not sure where you can get it (if at all anymore), but as you can see in the lower thread, there exists a wire retainer to hold the poorly designed coupler retainer.

[The70RT]

Nice fix, i will have to see about getting one. Thanks for the info.

[Hemidog]

No problem, the P/N was 2996935. It's called a Coupler (wire) clamp.
Maybe these guys still have some if you can contact them on Moparts: http://www.moparts.org/Tech/Archive/steering/2.html

[BrianShaughnessy]

I've seen E-booger do that stupid retainer a bunch of times in about 10 seconds but I can't do it to save my butt. 


There was a guy off moparts that sold those wire clamps but can't find him anymore.   I have one somewhere... lost.

[440]

Often overlooked the rounded sides of the shoes go towards the outside. I bought the mopar rebuild kit and the spring that spreads the shoes didn't fit.

[tan top]

Now that I have a steering coupling kit, are there any pointers or "words of wisdom" on changing out the retainer? I hear trying to bend the tabs are a bear....

is the black seal rubber  Troy ??

   how i done mine  , was clamp the metal retaining ring thingy with G clamps , slowly with  large water pump pliers , bend the tabs , little at a time  ,  move on to the next ,  think i made 4 trips round , to clamp it ,  then i used a small rectangle punch or blunt chisel &   hammer , with coupler suitably supported , & carefully , tap bend / shape the tabs down & along the coupler , found it easier with the punch deal , because the G clamps were in the way , when final clamping  with the water pump pliers,  just quickly made this diagram  ,  makes more sense than my writing  
if just bend the tabs diagonal over the lugs on the coupler , will pull off ,  


also pratice with the original retainer first , when you heve the hang of it  ( in my case all morning messing about with the Damn thing , till i worked out how to do it  as good as factory ! ) then fit the new one  


also , in the second picture i drilled & taped a small hole , as high up & fitted a tiny bolt , only use one long enough to be  4 or 5 threads showing inside , when tight ,  so  , just enough so the shoes can not slide past it , but dont touch the main shaft & impead its movement up &  down yes over kill , & no need for it , if retaining ring is fitted correctly,  but i'm nutts like that  

[tan top]

Often overlooked the rounded sides of the shoes go towards the outside. I bought the mopar rebuild kit and the spring that spreads the shoes didn't fit.

the new spring is really stiff to press down  & it only goes one way  really ,  has a little sloped metal tang on the edge to help it  slide into coupler ,
*****EDIT *************
just looked for a better picture , to show what i'm on about  ,  first picture i found it has the metal tang/ tab thingy on both ends ,     the one i had only had on one end  , that end goes in first  ,  

[Alaskan_TA]

Pre-bend the tabs (if they need it) then work it over the top of the box. It does not take much.

[HeavyFuel]

How do you know when the coupler needs to be rebuilt?

I never considered doing this, I just added some lube to the old one and popped it on the steering gear shaft.  The rubber seemed tight enough around the shaft.      (Okay.....that didn't come out right, but you know what I mean.)

[BrianShaughnessy]

How do you know when the coupler needs to be rebuilt?

I never considered doing this, I just added some lube to the old one and popped it on the steering gear shaft.  The rubber seemed tight enough around the shaft.      (Okay.....that didn't come out right, but you know what I mean.)

Just check for excessive movement.    The kits are cheap enuf.    Drill a hole for a grease zerk and use it.   Per E-booger,  use mopar long strand grease.   http://autoorder.net/product/Mopar-Multi-Mileage-Lube-145-Oz-Cartridge.html

[HeavyFuel]

How do you know when the coupler needs to be rebuilt?

I never considered doing this, I just added some lube to the old one and popped it on the steering gear shaft.  The rubber seemed tight enough around the shaft.      (Okay.....that didn't come out right, but you know what I mean.)

Just check for excessive movement.    The kits are cheap enuf.    Drill a hole for a grease zerk and use it.   Per E-booger,  use mopar long strand grease.   http://autoorder.net/product/Mopar-Multi-Mileage-Lube-145-Oz-Cartridge.html

Gotcha.  Mine feels snug enough for now. 

Thanks for the grease link!

[hemi68charger]

Hey guys..
Thanks for the input.. Over the weekend I put mine to together and felt the pain of parts not "exactly" correct (shoe spring)..... Anywho, I got it together in a pretty easy way... Got the cover on fairly easy and packed the coupler with grease. I'm going to finish up detailing the engine compartment side... What is the finish of the coupler and that of the shaft. I'll have to clean off the paint from the white (bushing/bearing)...