Scary steering find

[1971lubr]

So I'm rebuilding my 71 column and decided while it's apart I'll rebuild the bell connector at the steering box. While I'm waiting on parts, I took my original apart to clean the shaft up and found this. Nearly 3/4 of the splines are gone! The input shaft is much harder steel than this connector, so it still looks great, but how many of us are driving around with this ticking time bomb at the end of our steering shafts?

 

[B RON CO]

Hi, mine was not that bad but I opened up the slot with a cutoff tool so the thing would clamp tighter.

 

[1971lubr]

Hi, mine was not that bad but I opened up the slot with a cutoff tool so the thing would clamp tighter.

Probably not a bad idea. The worst wear is near the clamp bolt, so it's been sawing there.