No more rag joint steering shaft

The next step in fixing the steering on the Wrecker. Square body steering shaft upgrade to get rid of the old school rag joint.

[@offroadrecoveryteam]

For those who missed it, the steering wheel on GM trucks has a master spline, only fits on the column in one spot. That is why we needed to twist the shaft. The shaft is 5/8 solid square stock, a little heat, and twist will not weaken it.

[@Rx7man]

That job of die grinding the yoke was "Embiggening" as AvE would say

[@wolfgangnebel2673]

@recoveryteam Many thanks for clarifying! I wasn't aware ... --> my fault.

[@007twm]

I like how you explain what you are doing and why you are doing it. Thanks for sharing.

[@gearhead2017]

I remember when the frame broke behind the cab(yeah I've been subbed that long) and he found a new frame and did the tedious job of Transferring the wrecker body to the new one,things like this happen,not to many times but it does unfortunately,I've seen alot of wreckers in my lifetime but they don't hold a candle to this beast

[@badgerpa9]

Excellent explanation of why you are doing it your way.

[@fiveninegarage]

OG of Offroad recoverys!

[@patrikfalk5684]

I have Bern subscribed for several years an just att this moment realised what the bsf is Short for....🤣 Att 7:03 . I like the Chanel even more now!

[@joshpasstheaxe]

Years ago, Me and my buddy were driving a K5 Blazer down in the river bottoms and broke a rag joint and lost steering. We were young at the time and had all our money spent in beer. We went back to the farm and used a big hole saw in the sidewall of an old tire to replace the rag joint, took it back to the truck drilled it and wrapped it with like 15 metal zip ties to get us home. Good memories

[@maxironpaw]

Excellent fabrication to get things right where you want them. Enjoyed this video a lot!

[@steveschmitt2849]

Totally enjoying your steering repair fix, thanks Eric. Stay safe you guys.

[@TheOldaz1]

Doing a nice job there and explaining along the way - great teaching video, thanks folks.

[@KB-gs8zi]

Hey Eric !!! OKS !! Great showing what was in the way to put another reinforcement behind the frame ,but couldn't tell if you used oversized washers on the bolts to help to prevent them from pulling thru again !! Great work with the steering column too !! A little twist was ALL that was needed !! Guarantee you'll be watching for the obstacles that will break it again when on the trails !! Have a good week & Thanks again !!

[@99unclebob]

Wow thx Eric, great to see it coming together, the upgrades from PSC really good products and stout from what i have heard and seen, its just common sense, moving everything up in the steering of the wrecker will give it some longevity from rocks and tree roots, great video, Sundays mornings, BSF,MORR, Fab Rats, and DirtLifestyle is just tough to beat with fresh coffee 👍

[@wolfgangnebel2673]

Hi Eric, good to see that the square body will come together soon! I'm looking forward to see it again "in the woods"! One question: You twisted the steering column, but why? Wouldn't it have been easier to loosen the steering wheel and repostition it?

[@jamessmith7691]

Around here most call that a burring bit. I usually pick those burrs out of my clothes for a week. You seem to have a lot of experience doing this type of work and I'm learning a few things. Keep these videos coming.

[@orangepickel2]

Nothing greater than a series of ideas that's times have come; Eric.

[@haroldphipps3457]

Great improvements !

[@MrMarkar1959]

lol, Just dropped by and wtf? Beetlejuice X3,,"She's a Hurricane in ALL Kindz of Weather" is a Good song!! lmao. i had the movie. ✌🏼 i gave wrenching ?1985. StaySafe

[@chrisslky7018]

Tricks of the trade all. Cheers!

[@t.l.robinson2162]

Excellent work!

[@briand01]

Looking Good will be better than new soon.

[@johnrosier1686]

Thanks for taking us through the process. Hopefully the improvements will pay off big time.

[@wreckerjonny6144]

My power wagon has same shaft on steering column. Tightened right up the response on steering

[@Brimstone667]

great vid!! never knew that, good ider, gonna have to remember that for my rigs

[@j.j.clingman4083]

Awesome video buddy!! I wish that you would do longer videos like closer to 20 minute videos but definitely not longer than 20 minutes!! I guess I’ll just weight for the next video for a little more content!!! I guess a person just has to do what works for them!!! Remember keep up all the hard work buddy!!!

[@lloydrobinson7081]

cool video, keep them coming

[@25slider]

Thanks for the awesome video

[@CDNBVR1]

Why not just move the steering wheel on the steering shaft? They're splined.

[@jimmccabe801]

Great job.

[@phased-out-24-73]

Excellent...this will improve steering...but there's no hope for the "Loose Nut Behind the Wheel"!

[@92sportster26]

If you didn't want to heat up the shaft could you have pulled the steering wheel and put it back on straight ?

[@HalfCutGarage]

Well done sir!

[@billythegreat5616]

All the early ford f250s 4X4 used that style steering shaft from the beginning but GM never did.

[@juliuscullum6596]

Won't heating it up and swisting it make it weak?

[@nicolasroque163]

That tow truck been thru a whole lot in rhe woods n u still get it running

[@agabert1]

Luv the xj

[@imzackson]

Good stuff well worth it!!!!!!

[@NBSV1]

I do wonder if the crossover steering contributed to the old box pulling off the frame. With the crossover steering it’s pushing and pulling the box perpendicular to the frame. With the short drag link it’s more parallel to the box. I think the reinforcing and modifications will help a lot though. I’m sure people will say you should just go full hydro. Always easy to just say throw all the money and time at it from the Internet.

[@mwfarms]

Good looking upgrades Eric. I remember when you hit the side of the bank and tweaked the frame that time. Was it even the same spot in the trail maybe? Always good to see these old trucks repaired and improved rather than tossed aside for something a lot newer and half as durable. Been enjoying your adventures for years. I recently referred back to your video on swapping the power steering pump the last time you did it. I had to change it on my '79 K20 and lucked out with being able to set mine up exactly like you did in that video. Worked great. Love these old trucks. They don't build em like this anymore. Take care man. Thanks for the help!

[@turboman4736]

Nice job

[@rcman75]

Very cool steering setup it all looks very stout keep those big tires from tearing up stuff. I was wondering why you wouldn't move the steering wheel as you heated and twisted instead.Was it to persevere factory 12 o'clock mark ? Any benefits ?

[@danzmitrovich6250]

Today on bsf recovery 4x4 off road show how to put your wrecker back together with the new parts

[@gayle4804]

Can hardly wait until the record is back on the road again

[@scottygunter6644]

The mad mud scientist at it again !

[@douglasevans932]

Awesome cool 🆒️ 😎 👍

[@Bigdaddyslasher]

Ole tow truck will drive better than new when you're done.

[@silentjde]

Should have just gotten a borgeson steering shaft

[@ridgerunner7980]

winner..winner...they bolt right in without having to do a hack job

[@markwilson9760]

Doing gms a long time. Looks good to me.

[@henkoosterhof5947]

Isnt the steeringwheel an spline? Cant you rotate the steeringeheel on the shaft?

[@kevinhitchcock7062]

Stupid question. Why didn’t you pull the steering wheel and just straighten it. It would have been pretty easy.

[@chevrolet1ism]

Yes putting a plate on the inside is alot of work. But I think it it worth it! Looking forward to seeing the wrecker out on the trails with the new set up!!

[@danzmitrovich6250]

I talk to some of my machanics and i wish chevy would bring back the old school square body trucks and for the dodge power wagon guys and girls the old school butterfly hoods

[@HBJFishing]

Just realized I’m not subbed from my channel. I am from my personal one from before I started a channel. Been here a few years lol.

[@phuque2ho]

you could always have taken steering wheel off cuz o shaft (double d) lol no airbag soooooo beautiful

[@damosmithy7725]

Couldn't you just take off the steering wheel and put it back on straight

[@carlellison9430]

👍

[@jeepindave5464]

I hope you did gut your tj rubicon for the shaft lol

[@markmartinez7998]

I might be wrong looks like u might need a cooling fan cluch

[@user-hr5vx4cr5s]

早くなおして、活躍ください！日本から楽しみにしてます。

[@rdaltry777]

Seems like you took an awful lot of meat from the upper joint. I hope that lil' bit of aluminum left is up to the task.

[@MrJeb707]

Should be fine with the hydro assist. Things gonna steer those 37s like a Cadillac, one finger lol

[@joesfamilyfarm]

Eric, isn't that steering wheel on a splined shaft? Couldn't you have just pulled the steering wheel off and put it back on in the centered position?

[@MrJeb707]

Yep he could have, but heating and twisting the shaft was way faster.

[@eddief3326]

reclock the steering wheel.

[@agabert1]

My plate was on the inside and still cracked.😢

[@joeltucker3024]

Should be a lot stronger now

[@richg.8092]

👍👍👍👍☕☕🍩🍩

[@fotinatos]

👀👀🍺🍺👍👍ΕΛΛΑΣ

[@tobydyes]

Boxing the frame may take a lot of work but is well worth it do you want what happened to your last towtruck happen again snap and a half

[@haroldphipps3457]

It didn't break up front, and Eric beefed up the area that broke on the last one already. Time to run it and find the next weak spot.

[@tobydyes]

You should bought the whole truck to make it stronger carries a lot of weight on the back what happened to his old truck is going to happen to the new one

[@haroldphipps3457]

@@tobydyes nope.

[@zeke112964]

Another reason for collapsible steering shaft was in case of front impact the steering wheel won't go flying into the driver

[@NBSV1]

They have collapsible shafts with a section that’s designed to crush before shoving the steering wheel into the driver. Those would basically be a solid shaft with a weak section. But, what he’s talking about is the sliding section which partially serves the same purpose of not crushing the driver. Mainly let’s things move a little as the body and frame twist.

[@SpatialDragon]

Function over form forever.

[@jefflilyea4669]

How Can you get anything done with the beautiful girl around? Jeep parts work because they are made from every other manufacturer

[@hillbillyholler516]

Why not setup your steering to center, get it all together then pull the steering wheel , and cog it so it's clocked correctly?

[@badgerpa9]

Only goes on one spot.

[@hillbillyholler516]

@@badgerpa9 a steering wheel on a square body chevey only goes on one way? When did they start that?

[@raymondanderson7825]

Why didn't you just pull the steering wheel and reposition it since it is splined instead of twisting the shaft and making a week spot

[@stevej6824]

I was gonna say the same thing.

[@offroadrecoveryteam]

GM steering wheels have a master spine, only go on in one spot.

[@chrisnaaa3378]

you could of taken the steering wheel off and moved it on its spines to line it up instead

[@ridgerunner7980]

that was crazy...

[@agabert1]

The biscuits suck

[@arm_luvr1002]

Couldn't you have pulled the steering wheel off and recentered it that way??

[@ridgerunner7980]

your doing it all wrong....borgeson steering shaft...done

[@karl-magnuspolhager8156]

Give your carbody a facelift in the spring . I hate rat.rod-trucks . Why not a brand new color ! God luck ! / KM

[@mysteriousotways]

Agree...the channel is good but everything seems outdated. The annoying intro is gone...a new shop is being built..a new colour scheme for the whole channel would help

[@ridgerunner7980]

why in the hell would you heat your steering shaft up like that and twist it.....reclock the steering wheel