#26 - Mar. 18, 2009

[FORDification]

It's been a while since I tried to stump you all, so I've got a couple parts I'm gonna try with.



I really can't give too many hints without giving it away. Not all bumpsides have this item...it's fairly specific to certain trucks. What's the part and what trucks use this? (This piece is about 3/4" square and maybe 1/4" thick.)

[fordman]

i have to say that i have never seen one of these that i can remember. or they were never on any trucks i took apart. so for now i am stumped. could you say what part of the truck it comes from such as enigne frame or body? reminds me a some sort of drivetrain part.

[FORDification]

Hmmm....well, I can tell you that this piece would be located on the front half of the truck...and it's not an engine piece. (I'll give another hint later if nobody guesses it.)

[70shortwide]

just a guess, steering stops for a 4wd?

[kaptnkaos]

eye da kine wita puka init... Looks like a piece with a hole that doesn't go all the way through in it.

KaptnKA S

[heep70]

Part of the joint at the base of the intermediate steering shaft. Mine are laying in the driveway.

[Joshpow]

That might be a good indication if your look like that heep. Are they there intentionally or accidentally?

[heep70]

Intentionally I put PS and had to build another intermediate slip shaft with u-joints on both ends. Those pieces never made it to the scrap pile.

[FORDification]

Part of the joint at the base of the intermediate steering shaft. Mine are laying in the driveway.

We have a winner....and I was just gettin' ready to give another big hint.

Yes, this is part of the U-joint at the end of the intermediate steering shaft, between the steering column and the steering box, of a 4WD truck. There are two of these on the end of the intermediate shaft, and engage into slots in the steering box coupler. The pieces are in this area:



In this shot, you're looking down the intermediate shaft of a '68 F100 4x4, towards the steering box. You can see how the end of the shaft will use these pieces to engage the steering box coupler.

[fordman]

how is that column shaft bolted into the socket where those keys goes into? does it have to do with the slot i am seeing? and is that some sort of cover that fits into that slot and then bolts to the shaft and keys into the slot. to hold it all together.

[Joshpow]

As long as it didn't begin with uh oh you're ok heep70! Glad somebody got it. I've never had a 4wd bump to experience anything related to these!

[FORDification]

The U-joint that slides into those two slots in the coupler isn't bolted in place...it has to slide forward and back, as the body flexes. It's kinda like the slight give that's handled by the rag joint in a 2WD. However, if you look closely at the rear edge of the coupler you can see a cut-out groove. That's to hold a snap-ring, but I believe that just keeps the small rubber boot in place (not pictured above).