i have an 88 150 ram 4x4 purchased it for my son..
I need to replace the steering shaft coupler/universal joint.
its sloppy..not the rubber disk...the actual joint the attaches to the steering box.
who makes a new one?
also does anyone know what range of yrs the part is the same...as an 88 model.?

You can buy a kit to replace the internal parts of the coupler for about $10.

There's a how to here.
http://ramchargercentral.com/articles/?sa=view;article=85

People say the 4x4 trucks tend to wear the coupler out pretty quick for some reason though, so many people go to a u-joint style shaft made by Borgenson for about $200.

http://www.borgeson.com/xcart/catalog/7993_Full_Size_Dodge_Truck-p-1452.html

I'd like to get a Borgenson, but I rebuilt the couplers on 2 trucks so far and it helped the sloppy steering a lot.

i had a rebuild internal guts kit...i installed it a few yrs back on this truck for the owner....it arleady sloppy again..(actually its been about 5 yrs..but he had a gravel potholed driveway..
im ..thinking its the cast piece worn out..
i may do the borgenson deal...and be done with it.

could this be why my steering shaft feels loose coming out of the column? sorry to hijack the thread

I put a Borgeson shaft on my truck 11 years ago...got tired of the coupler rebuild every two years. Never touched the Borgeson and it's still as tight as a drum. Just spend the $250 and be done with it.
Mopar shoulda been shot for that BS design they had...

I don't get why the truck ones wear out so fast though, and the car ones usually seem fine even on a 60's Mopar? It's not like it's any harder to turn the steering wheel on a truck with power steering than a car.

On mid 70's trucks, that coupling was just below the steering column...the "rag" joint was down at the box. It just made a lot more sense that with the coupling up high, it wouldn't wear out because of all the crap from the highway getting into the joint. My old Ramcharger (75) had the rag joint at the box. Never wore out.

http://www.speedwaymotors.com/AFCO-30305-U-Joint-3-4-Inch-36-Spline,41050.html

There is boot w/2 hose clamps & it's a mopar part that works wonders

Do a search over at RCC for an article about building your own "Borgeson" shaft from a couple of pieces from pull-a-part. Did something similar for a Samurai I built a while back and it worked great.

Tim

Gonna resurrect an old thread!

I see Dorman makes a new coupler end but it is listed as 79-87.

I have a 91 and trying to figure out why it doesn't go up to a 93?

It appears that the Borgeson shaft is listed for 79-93, so one would assume the splines on the box is the same....

Anyone know what is up with this?

Don

P.S. If the Dorman one is going to work, I think I will put a grease zerk on it.