My experience with these began when I turned around in a rough
gravelled parking lot and felt the wheel clunk and jerk in my hands. I
inspected the ball joints and indeed they needed to be replaced, which
I did. I still could feel that clunk. So I went into the steering,
thinking that I would see the same type of U-joints as used on my 90.
I found one joint wafer in good shape and the other nearly torn in
half. There's no telling what would have happened if I had not
inspected these things. If your steering isn't smooth, it's worth an
hour to inspect them.

Jim

On Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 11:26 AM, neil N <musomuso@gmail.com> wrote:
> Wow. Thanks man.
>
> I'm sure someone else will cross this path. That's useful info.
>
> Yah for laffs maybe I'll cut one of the old ones open to check out the
> weave. And post pics. (but really. who would look at that type of
> thing?? <grin>) For sure I'll take pics of the parts before they come
> out/when they're out. It's possible they were causing the mysterious
> "clack" I heard several times before it disappeared. The 2 on the gear
> box have at least 6 cracks each. Easy items to overlook.
>
> Until subscribing to this list, I'd never given fasteners a second
> thought. Important to use the right one. And I "get" what you mean in
> terms of the nut in question. I could feel it had a certain "bite" as
> I removed it. Just wasn't sure of the technical name
>
> As for the rubber recompression, good to know. I will also install
> them the way I took them out.
>
> Thanks again,
>
> Neil.
>
> On Sun, Nov 16, 2008 at 7:37 AM, Mike <mbucchino@charter.net> wrote:
>> Your welcome, Neil.
>> I don't think you'd have any worries about 're-compressing' the rubber.
>> There is a fabric weave inside these to add structural strength to these.
>> It's like a tire sidewall/ tread cord.  I have one that I just changed from
>> a '62 Beetle that has almost no rubber left.  It's all gone away and the
>> only thing left is the bushings and the cord fabric.  Yet, it still
>> functioned perfectly!  It looked as if the thing would have stayed
>> functional for many years, even if I had decided to have left it on there!
>> But I'm too anal about safety to do that.
>>  You are apparently looking at  a "high-temp" locknut.  It's all-metal
>> construction has a crimped area on one end of the threads to 'jam', and not
>> be shaken loose by vibration, nor affected by high temps.  "Nylock" nuts
>> will melt in a high-temp application (which a steering coupling is NOT.)
>>  A nylon lock nut will be perfectly safe in this application, but remember,
>> that the bolt must have sufficient length to allow at least 1.5 threads
>> protrusion beyond the nylon portion (due to squeezing outward) to have
>> sufficient contact with enough threads to be able to do it's job properly,
>> while providing 2 or 3 threads of friction area all the way around.
>>  A high-temp lock nut could be almost flush with the bolt end and still
>> squeeze enough threads to do it's job properly.  I believe .5 thread
>> protrusion is the minimum allowable for these type.  They should be
>> available @ Lowe's, IIRC.
>>
>> Other perfectly safe alternatives are;
>> 1. 4 drilled bolts using 4 'castellated' nuts and 4 cotter pins (the same as
>> on my '62 Beetle's coupling) securing it all together.
>> 2.  'Double-nutting' would also be a safe method, which is what's also used
>> on my '62 Beetle's steering damper end.
>> This accomplished by counter-tightening the nuts with 2 wrenches,
>> simultaneously to jam them tightly together.
>> 3.  Steel lock-plates that go around both ends and are bent up to the bolt
>> head and nut 'wrenching-flats' after tightening, like the steering shaft
>> coupling fitting pinch bolt, again on my '62 Beetle.  You'd have to
>> 'custom-make' these for your application, but it would be pretty simple, and
>> allows you to use 'normal' nuts and bolts.
>>
>> HTH,
>>
>> Mike B.
>>
>> ----- Original Message ----- From: "neil N" <musomuso@GMAIL.COM>
>> To: <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
>> Sent: Sunday, November 16, 2008 3:02 AM
>> Subject: Re: Re-use Used Steering Coupling Disks? (PICS)
>>
>>
>>> Thanks Mike. Appreciate that.
>>>
>>> I too saw the listing on Rock Auto. Thanks for the link.
>>>
>>> Maybe I'll reuse the ones I have. They feel pretty solid to me. My
>>> concern was that since the washer under the bolt head compressed the
>>> rubber a little (normal) I wasn't sure if recompressing the rubber
>>> (reseating the washer) would have a negative effect on the material.
>>>
>>> Of note, I have read that these parts have a weave of some kind of
>>> material bonded within the rubber.
>>>
>>> Do you know specifically what kind of nut to use?
>>>
>>> They don't look like the type with a nylon thread. (self locking)
>>>
>>> Thanks again,
>>>
>>> Neil.
>>>
>>> On Sat, Nov 15, 2008 at 8:17 PM, Mike <mbucchino@charter.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Neil,
>>>>  I bought one from Rocky Mountain (now Mid-America) Motorworks,
>>>> and it's so hard, that it has practically NO flexibility; it appears to
>>>> be
>>>> made of plastic instead of rubber.  The non-reuseable locknuts should
>>>> be available in many places other than the dealer.
>>>>  Yours look great, should be fine to re-use.
>>>>  However, if you want, new OEM quality are still available;
>>>>
>>>> FEBI Part # 251419417BF Steering Shaft Coupling    251419417B
>>>>
>>>> USED ON;
>>>>    AUDI 4000 CS QUATTRO (1986 - 1987)     AUDI 4000 S QUATTRO (1984 -
>>>> 1985)
>>>>    VW BEETLE (1954 - 1978)     VW FASTBACK (1966 - 1973)     VW KARMANN
>>>> GHIA (1956 - 1974)     VW SQUAREBACK (1966 - 1973)     VW SUPER BEETLE
>>>> (1971
>>>> - 1979)     VW THING (1973 - 1974)     VW VANAGON (1980 - 1991)     VW
>>>> VANAGON SYNCRO (1986 - 1991)
>>>>
>>>> available for $11.10 each @
>>>>
>>>> http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/raframecatalog.php?a=G-autoparts
>>>>
>>>> Probably for less @ one of our list vendors, though...........
>>>>
>>>>  Mike B.
>>>>
>>>>> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/steeringcouplers
>>>>>
>>>>> Is it safe to reuse these?
>>>>>
>>>>> (with new nuts from what I read. Dealership only item?)
>>>>>
>>>>> Thanks!
>>>>>
>>>>> Neil.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Neil Nicholson '81 JettaWesty "Jaco
>>>
>>> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
>>> http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
>>> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>>>
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>>
>>
>
>
>
> --
> Neil Nicholson '81 JettaWesty "Jaco
> http://groups.google.com/group/vanagons-with-vw-inline-4-cylinder-gas-engines
> http://web.mac.com/tubaneil
> http://tubaneil.googlepages.com/
>
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