I'm having trouble finding a shop to cut splines in a 3/4" steering (column) shaft. I need one end with 40 splines to fit a Lincoln steering wheel , the other, 36 splines. I'd like to have the work done locally in the San Francisco Bay Area (preferably the East Bay). I really don't want to weld up two pieces with different splines on each end. Any referrals or assistance would be appreciated. Thanks!
i know it's not what you're looking for....but a common way to get around this problem is to find an original 40 spline steering shaft and grind a "double D" on the other end, and connect that to the steering system, using the street rod type parts. To do what you want probably just requires a milling machine, an indexing table, and someone willing to take the time to set it up.
This is not rocket science - any machinist worth spit can help you do this. You'll need a dividing head (indexing head) and a mill. The hardest part will be to know how deep you need to cut your splines. Find your self a SAE HANDBOOK all the AUTOMOTIVE spline inspection info will be in there - let me know if you can't find one - I know I have one somewhere cause that's where I got the info when I cut mine. Since I am a amateur machinist I first got a chunk o scrap and milled in two splines opposite one another and mic'd across those - you mic "over wires" to determine the proper depth. Once the depth was determined you just index away - the splines are so small that you don't need multiple passes - at least I didn't. This is a job that is kinda slow in setting up - so you probably won't get people lining up to do it - but you might entice someone by trading work. Just an idea.
Thanks! Hadn't really thought doing it this way, but not a bad idea. Finding someone willing to cut splines is proving to be a major chore.