Need a longer intermediate stering shaft for my 53 S10 Conversion

[snipes]

I'm doing a 53 3100 swap onto an 89 S10 (Auto/Non tilt) and am coming up short with the column. Looks to be about 8-9" short roughly from intermediate shaft to column exiting the firewall.

Been searching for hours and don't see too much info about what everyone does to remedy this.

[joedoh]

Borgeson 450036 Telescoping Steering Shafts ( 1)
Borgeson 014931 Steering U-Joints ( 1)
Borgeson 015252 Steering U-Joints ( 1)

got mine from Jegs, The upper U fits the existing DD on the s10 column and the lower replaces the rag joint, which will come apart if you try to have any higher angle on it. was about $290 total. You also can save a couple bucks by using just a DD shaft instead of a telescoping shaft. but the factory s10 shaft was collapsible and getting stabbed in the chest during a front end collision might delay your retirement. Steering is not a place to look for the most cost effective solution in my opinion, save money on hubcaps or side trim.

[snipes]

Thanks man^^^ Just what I was looking for.

Just didn't know if there was possibly a safe alternative, IE another year GM vehicle that could accommodate the issue.

[joedoh]

the problem is the angles. you cant get the column to point straight at the box without steering with your feet, so you need at least a pair of u joints, even with a different intermediate shaft. you can get cheaper u joints, in fact you could probably have a 90s jeep cherokee steering shaft lengthened, it has u joints that fit the s10 column and box, and a telescoping shaft, and only costs about $120, but again, a steering shaft is one of those components I likenot to skimp on. just my opinion though.

and I said $290 but it looks like prices have gone down since I bought these, looks to be about $230 for all 3 now, thats shipped from Jegs.

[snipes]

Thanks, I'm gonna go with the parts you suggested.

[OrrieG]

If you are not concerned about looks look at using a AstroVan unit with DD shaft. Not as pretty as the Borgsen units but GM engineered joints I got for $10 at local junk yard. I used Astrovan ends and 74 truck center section to get mine to work. Also Borgsen has a great tutorial on laying out steering shafts on their site.

[msaintg]

unless you need to jog around headers or something, why not just lengthen the original shaft.

[joedoh]

my column wouldnt point directly at the steering box, it was at the same angle but offset, like you see in orries picture. It was also offset to the side about an inch. if I moved the column down enough and over enough to line up with the box it was too low in the cab.

it occurs to me that a lot of this depends on where you position the column in the cab and how high off the frame you mount the body. yours looks like a pretty straight run.

but what I said is true, make sure not to use the rag joint to compensate for any misalignment, a rag joint is only supposed to isolate steering vibrations from the steering wheel, not take any angle, so it would eventually come apart if used to align a column and box.

[OrrieG]

Go to page 25 in this catalog and read the different design options. Read the degree offset limits for the single and double joints. then use a piece of round wood or 1/2" metal conduit the mock up the travel path; duct tape can be used to mimic the u joints. measure the angles at max and min suspension travel, if memory serve me right 30 degrees is the max for a single joint. For most street applications and straight shaft is ok. In my case shown above I need the slip joint because I know how much the frame and suspension will flex off-road compressing and extending the shaft.

http://borgeson.com/Images/100th_Catalog.pdf