Need Help Upper steering shaft problem

[easyg]

Here is some background: 75 with 302, C4, power steering 1" body lift, old 3" rancho suspension lift?, 33 BFG's A/T
OK I recently installed the body lift and while prepping to do so I noticed the rag joint was looking worn so I decided to replace it with a new lower shaft with U-joints.
Ordered one up from WH timely delivery no problems. These shafts are pieces of art, they are expensive but worth it IMO. Back to the problem.

Everything was going fine until it came time to remove the rag joint coupler that is pressed on to the bottom of the steering shaft at the end of the column.
It would not come off. I tried every puller I have to get this thing to move with no luck. Applied heat that didn't help. (I have been soaking all the components with PB blaster for the last week.)
The cave man in me came out and I ended up cutting some slots in it to try and break it off. Finally the F'n thing came loose.
What I found was that the end of the shaft was mushroomed so the coupler couldn't slide off. Not sure how this could have happened??
Now I have splines that are boogered up and the shaft is mushroomed and there is no way to get it to mate up.
I have pulled the shaft out of the column and I am getting ready to start grinding. I doubt I will be able to salvage this but I am going to try.

Nobody sells this shaft you have to buy a whole new steering column. Does anybody know of a source for these or other Ford applications that use the same shaft?

Steer me in the right direction so I can get this mess turned around.

 

[Viperwolf1]

I would say the shaft end was mushroomed when built. Ford didn't want those couplers coming off.

 

[easyg]

I doubt it was done at the factory. They would have had to do it with the coupler in place which would have meant it was already in the engine bay.
The column wouldn't fit through the firewall with the coupler on it.

 

[easyg]

I have been grinding and filing. I am very close the two splined parts are mating up just need to massage it a little to get it to slip all the way in.

 

[JSBX]

Mine was the same way. So what I did was cut the shaft right behind the splines and ground a flat spot on both sides of the shat. I traded my splinded ujoint for a double d ujoint. Installed it on the shaft drilled a hole part way through the shaft and installed a set screw through the u joint and into the shaft. I think all the pre 76 models with power steering have the end of the upper shaft mushroomed from the factory.

 

[thegreatjustino]

Nobody sells this shaft you have to buy a whole new steering column. Does anybody know of a source for these or other Ford applications that use the same shaft?

Tom's sells brand new upper shafts:

http://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/prod...stock-replacement-74-77-early-ford-bronco-new

 

[broncodriver99]

Tom's sells brand new upper shafts:

http://www.tomsbroncoparts.com/prod...stock-replacement-74-77-early-ford-bronco-new

Beat me to it. I knew I had just sen them somewhere the other day.

 

[easyg]

Not sure how I missed the part on TBP site, what a dumbass.
What I ended up doing was grinding the mushroomed portion of the splines down so the shaft would fit in the U-joint. This still preserved enough splines to get a good bite and I cut a groove for the set screw. Everything fits tight and seems ok. I drove it around with no problems

 

[Chief Master Sergeant]

Thank God for this post. I have the same issue with a steering shaft I just bought and wasn't sure how I was going to get the new joint on the mushroomed end. Did you happen to take pictures of it? I may just go ahead and weld the joint on as well...just to be sure.

 

[NYLES]

Grind n file Chuck.....if you weld it never comes off....and youll never be able to re align your steering wheel after a suspension mod.

Well i gues you coulkd use the other end......this day needs to end