Technical Anyone Weld A Steering Shaft?

They do have some good super glue out there just sayin

 

I should have mentioned that i will not be doing the welding but my neighbor will. He's a very skilled welder and has been doing welding/blacksmithing for a long time along with building motorcycle frames/race car parts also worked with a team who raced ihra top fuel cars. He also owned a big shop in Canada before he moved here. He also has a lathe.
This is also going in a car that's under 2000 lbs and has 12x4.5 wheels on it and a 4 cyl. So not to heavy.
I can't have it sleeved as i wouldn't be able to service the steering box if i did.

 

Grind both ends down with a chamfer, weld with enough heat and amps to get to the center, let cool, weld around again to get to the outer OD. Grind back to correct OD and you are done.

Just how much force are putting on the steering wheel anyway? For you to twist off a correctly welded shaft, your steering wheel is going to bend first! And if you are in an accident, the shaft breaking is the least of your worries.

Mine has been welded for 20 years, guess I just lucky!

 

It's a good thing a lot of these naysayers weren't around at the beginning or there wouldn't be such a thing as "Hot Rodding".

 

ive welded pitman arms many times . didn't think about it . but if I could get the correct part for 60/80 dollars ??why are we even discussing this?

 

I'm surprised nobody mentioned, if you have the length, you could cut a V notch or key into each half so they fit together like a puzzle prior to putting a sleeve over it and welding. I'd feel confident doing that.

 

If you are a good welder, no problem. If not, then no.

 

I wouldn't have any problem welding that joint with a quality weld. Stress in that part is actually well below factor of 2. Just be sure to grind the ends for a V-groove for 100% penetration, do a good weld, let cool gradually.

Be VERY wary of the stock Corvair split shaft coupling. They are junk, strip their splines readily. My brother had a 'Vair in the day and the steering shaft came out while he was in driving. I have a 'Vair gear in my Willys and while driving down the road my steering wheel suddenly rotated 360deg with no effect on the gear. Got it home and found that coupling completely stripped. Replaced it with a Borgson and problem solved. So far.

 

Welding a steering shaft? Will you get the shaft? Or wait, can you buy the shaft? Will you get shafted?

Then again who's the black private dick that's a sex machine to all the chicks? SHAFT!! You damn right...

 

Shaft shut yo mouth John Shaft damn right !

 

ok then

 

I welded a 2" shaft on a machine that separated led from dirt on a shooting range in the '70s. In the field. Tapered both ends to a point and welded it with LoHi rod. The shaft was what drove the separator and was driven by a 4-71 Jimmy. I have not been to that range since the early '90s but they were still using the same machine and it was still using the same welded shaft.

Oh Mr @tubman unless that get you with criminally negligent homicide you are well past the statute of limitations.

 

Weight of car doesn't matter much. Weld will (usually-you hope!) break when you're sitting still or barely rolling when turning the wheel.

Even if your buddy is a 5 star welder, IMHO, it's plain foolish to weld any steering component when the correct size component is available for $60!

Don't cheap out here. If $60 is the end of the world to you, take the $ from somewhere else via a small sacrifice from your small luxuries in life; brown bag your lunch to work for a week. Starbucks and 7/11 diet. Skip going out to dinner or the bar once. Pass on that round of golf or going shooting with your buddies. Work a few hours of overtime.
The $60 is there. Just decide what "silo" it's coming from. Trust me, you'll live through it.

Vehicle accidents resulting from questionable home hammered chassis work is another step closer to State or National "Street Rod" inspections. Ask our Brothers in Europe and Australia. Sure don't want that type of legislation here.

 

Just thinking, if this friend has these skills, why are you even asking us. His answer to you when asked should have been all you needed to know.

 

I would not be afraid to weld the shaft. Properly welded it will be ten times stronger/better that some of the Chinese made steering components people are using without any thought about strength/quality.

 

We can have this same discussion about every structural component on the car that's welded.

 

My .02$ and it's worth just that, but there is very little torque on a steering shaft except on a hard lock turn. A driveshaft can have 300-500+ foot pounds of torque. I have never seen a driveshaft weld fail but have seen lots twisted like a twizzler.

 

My dear departed Dad welded the 65 Cadillac spindles to a 38 Dodge front axle kingpin boss. It was on this truck and he drove it daily, 21 miles one way on Detroit freeways.
Never a wimper...

 

Actually this is probably good advice considering the cost for machine work and welding in general. I have a tendency to look at the cost to buy v the cost to work a part. If it costs less new or is comparable new I usually buy.

A piece of steel (most metals) properly welded is just fine. What happens is that people who do not know what they are doing try and do it. Then the part fails and the internet goes wild. fear will keep you from doing a lot of things.

 

Amen to this just buy the correct part and avoid welding the steering shaft

 

These companies sell splined stub shafts for welding onto steering shafts just like you want to do.

http://www.piratemfg.com/splined-steering-shaft-5-8-36-dune-buggy-vw-baja-bug-00-3143-0
https://www.dansperformanceparts.co...-shafts/splined-stub-adaptor-only-3147-9.html
http://www.sandparts.com/Steering-Shaft-58-36-Spline-12-Inch_p_72006.html
https://vwparts.aircooled.net/Splined-Steering-Stub-Shaft-Each-p/5578-30.htm
https://www.extremebajakarts.co.uk/2-inch-long-five-eighths-inch-36-spline-steel-stub-shaft.html
https://www.chircoestore.com/produc...ft-2-long-36-spline-for-dune-buggy-sandrails/

Biggest warning on any of their sites is they cause cancer in California.

Get rid of this piece of junk and get a good coupling.

 

This is assuming you have the finances to indulge in the aforementioned luxuries , including lunch , I never did , perhaps the OP doesn't either ...

 

Ya know, I just remembered something. When I was a kid, my go-kart axle snapped.

My dad took it to a friend who had a lathe and put hole on both ends, pinned, chamfered it and welded it up.

 

Down here, NO, never. Do it once, do it right! Never skimp on brakes, steering or suspension, your life or someone else's could depend on it.

 

Yall are full of shite....pin it,weld it....spline it, weld it...sleeve it, weld it. Tig, low heat, know what you are doing...been done thousands of times.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

As someone famous once said "Do you feel lucky punk? Well, do ya?"

 

Take a look at a class 5 - 8 commercial vehicle intermediate shaft. (Random internet google image attached)See those u-joints, those are welded on... and seam between the bellow and the white label...that’s a weld seam. So, for ANYONE, that says “NEVER weld a steering component” you should amend your statement. Maybe add “never weld a steering component without the proper engineering and equipment” or “don’t weld the steering shaft in your photo” But blanket statements about never welding steering components are incorrect even though they come from a place of concern for safety (which is a good thing) but they are still wrong.

of c

 

I had a tilt/tilt away steering column from a Mustang, I took it apart for an inspection and found that the factory welded the shaft. It was sleeved and plug welded in a few spots, and welded around the ends of the sleeve.
This was a column that had never been apart- ever.

 

I had a 36 spline to 3/4" round connector on my Willys Jeep Build. I just couldn't see drilling a couple of pin holes to anchor the round side. SO I called Borgenson that made the coupler the Tech there told me no reason to not TIG weld the coupler to the shaft. So I cleaned it up to 220 grit and took it down the road to the local Fab shop the guy took it home at lunch (where he likes to do his fancy stuff) and by 3:00pm it was back and beautifully welded together. Cost was $20.00 he said I bought him a nice lunch!