To keep the rag joint or ditch it

[needsmoarturbo]

My current setup is 75 bronco with 2" body lift with a stock power steering shaft that has been sleeved to extend it for the BL. I would like to change to a slip shaft for safety and for easy adjustment when i reduce the 2" bl to 1" in the future.
I was looking at the Borgeson lower shafts and the 000976 looks like it would bolt in to the steering box and the rag joint easy peasy. But I saw the 000974 that looks like it has a 3/4"-36 spline on the column end that I have heard is what you will find if you remove the rag joint flange thing off the end of the upper column?
So has any body done this particular job with these parts? is it worth keeping the rag joint for vibration damping, or better to go with the ujoint on the upper end, so I dont have a rotten rubber piece to replace eventually?

below are links to the ones in question.
https://www.cjponyparts.com/ford-br...1316in36-spline-steering-box-inc/p/BRG000974/

https://www.cjponyparts.com/borgeso...opic-steel-1973-1975-ford-bronco/p/BRG000976/

 

[SteveL]

I know you can buy the flaming river shafts also with upper and lower joints. Durability wise I'm not sure what will last longer. The u-joints or the old style rag joint. I've had pretty good life out of rag joints and the old socket type ends. The flaming river joints are a little smaller than the borgen sons and sure look clean.

 

[blubuckaroo]

My '77 still has the original rag joint. Steering is so tight it takes some getting used to.
I vote for the rag joint.
They used a rag joint for a reason.

 

[jckkys]

My '77 is also still using the original rag joint that contributes no play to the steering linkage. It also looks new when clean. I don't know why you refer to yours as rotten.

 

[pcf_mark]

On my 68 I went to Flaming River joints and D shaped shaft when I added power steering. Upside is I removed any slop in that part of the steering (also had the box rebuilt). Downside (and why they used the rag) is I get a steady vibration through the wheel at all speeds. Not brutal just not what it had with the rag joint.

 

[SteveL]

On my 68 I went to Flaming River joints and D shaped shaft when I added power steering. Upside is I removed any slop in that part of the steering (also had the box rebuilt). Downside (and why they used the rag) is I get a steady vibration through the wheel at all speeds. Not brutal just not what it had with the rag joint.

This is good to know. I guess I'll be keeping a rag joint on one end. Might not look as sexy but dont want any extra vibrations.

 

[75MIKE]

These may be the ticket for vibration though the steering shaft.

Not cheap however.

http://www.flamingriver.com/index.php/products/c0005/s0010

 

[SteveL]

Ouch!!!, that's alot of cash for a ujoint

 

[lars]

Hm. This morning I replaced a worn Flaming River u-joint at the bottom end of my collapsible column and a serviceable Flaming River u-joint at the upper end, with a Borgeson u-joint and rag joint, respectively.

I installed the Flaming River collapsible column when I switched to a 4x4x2 steering box several years back. First thing I noticed was all the noise being transmitted through the steering column. Ugh. I lived with it until today. The aforementioned lower joint was worn, and steering column bearings were shot. I was able to re-use the Flaming River collapsible double D shaft. Noise-be-gone. Ahhh...

The mistake I made back when I swapped in the 4x4x2 box was removing a perfectly good OEM 76-77 collapsible column and replacing it with the Flaming River assembly, when in reality all I needed was to swap the OEM 13/16-36 splined u-joint for a 3/4-36 u-joint to match the new steering box.

I only have a 1" body lift; rag joints don't live as long when operating at severe angles, but that's not an issue in my case.

Since the double D Flaming River shaft parts were still good, this is what I used at the upper end:
https://www.borgeson.com/xcart/product.php?productid=596&cat=3&page=1

At the bottom, this:
https://www.borgeson.com/xcart/home.php?cat=2&keep_https=yes#rfplist

Those parts are available from Summit for a little less.

 

[needsmoarturbo]

Thanks for the input guys. Sounds like keeping the rag joint is a good thing for vibration reduction sake. Those vibration absorbing joints look nice, but dang they are a pretty penny.