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96 dakota steering shaft #2816360
09/02/20 06:08 PM
09/02/20 06:08 PM
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volaredon Online content OP
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the intermediate shaft for a 4wd 96 Dakota has been long NLA. I need one for my truck. Anyone have one? Does Borgeson make anything for them possibly,
or is there another application that will work or place to buy the Ujoint couplers and a shaft to build something that will work? This is stock height 4wd.

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: volaredon] #2816470
09/02/20 09:19 PM
09/02/20 09:19 PM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline
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A couple steering U joints and a Double D shaft will do the job. I can't remember if I just used the stock shaft or if I used the one I made up on my current project, but the front clip is off the truck, and I can do pictures tomorrow, if i remember...

I usually use Borgeson U joints and shaft, but there are less expensive pieces available, just watch the country of origin. Gene

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: poorboy] #2817123
09/04/20 08:39 PM
09/04/20 08:39 PM
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I haven't been driving this one lately cuz it's getting harder to steer than my son's 80 d150 with manual steering, but haven't taken it apart yet cuz I need to be able to move it around here, but does any know the diameter and spline count on the steering box so I can order what I need to make a new int shaft?

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: volaredon] #2817160
09/04/20 10:06 PM
09/04/20 10:06 PM
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I believe it is a 5/8" 36 spline. I have a steering box with the joint off of it. I can measure and count the splines tomorrow. Gene

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: poorboy] #2817203
09/04/20 11:40 PM
09/04/20 11:40 PM
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Originally Posted by poorboy
I believe it is a 5/8" 36 spline. I have a steering box with the joint off of it. I can measure and count the splines tomorrow. Gene

That would be great/ and appereciated!!!!

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: volaredon] #2817735
09/06/20 10:49 AM
09/06/20 10:49 AM
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well my truck is officially dead in its tracks.
I pulled the shaft, and I had to cut it to get it off. the sliding portion was seized too. along with the upper U joint, could not articulate either direction in my hands, the lower U joint is siezed one direction but moves the other. I put the seat belt thru the spokes in the wheel to keep it from spinning (stupid airbag) while I figure out what to buy besides finding a good used original. Its a double D coming off the column and a yet uncounted spline at the box (I aint going back out in the rain to do so, right yet)

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: volaredon] #2817864
09/06/20 03:46 PM
09/06/20 03:46 PM
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Would a solid double D shaft be ok or should I get the sliding kind like the original one was?
At this point I'd rather find a good used original one and stick it on there to get mobile again and then scrounge for parts to make up a new one.

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: volaredon] #2817970
09/06/20 08:24 PM
09/06/20 08:24 PM
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Freeport IL USA
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I didn't see that you wanted the shaft measurement and the spline count until late last night, and yesterday I got all caught up in working on my truck and forgot I told you I'd get the info, sorry. Its going to be probably Tuesday before I can get the info for you, Sunday and Monday of the Holiday weekend are my wife's time.

The only reason I can see for the sliding shaft would be for serious 4x4 off road action. I suspect that in normal on the road driving, the shaft probably doesn't move, or would move very little. For the shaft to slide in and out, the cab and frame would have to be moving in different directions. The only way that's going to happen is at the body mounts, and frame flex.

Where in IL are you located? I'm in Freeport, 30 miles west of Rockford. Gene

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: poorboy] #2817982
09/06/20 08:48 PM
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Yeah I know where freeport is, been there/thru there a few times over the years. I'm in Kankakee. Like an hour south of chicago, which is a place I avoid like the plague.
I got a good length, as it's out of the truck now. Mainly I need to count the splines and measure the diameter. I see that when they were available from Mopar this one was a 2 year only part.
I saw a pic of a 93 steering column elsewhere online, and I see that it too is splined like the gearbox. Mine is like a hollow double d.
One thing I see is that if I put it together as a solid shaft I will have to pull either the column or the gearbox to be able to slide it onto one end or the other.

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: volaredon] #2817990
09/06/20 09:30 PM
09/06/20 09:30 PM
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A solid double D shaft will slide inside your Dodge hollow shaft, just be sure it slides in enough it can't fall out, because it won't lock in like the factory unit does. All you need is a length of solid shaft, and the correct U joint. The 96 factory steering shaft has a vibration dampener at the end (probably the biggest change from the earlier versions), just before the U joint. Elimination of that dampener will probably give you some minor vibrations through your steering, some people it bothers, and some it doesn't. I think Borgeson also offers the dampener. Gene

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: poorboy] #2818133
09/07/20 12:00 PM
09/07/20 12:00 PM
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Yeah I've seen that dampener offered on ebay,
And the hollow part of the shaft that I'm replacing is welded to the lower coupler which u joint is seized 1 direction.
Or are you saying I can stuff a piece of double d into the hollow end of the column that is now exposed after having taken out the intermediate shaft and I can eliminate the top u joint? I've done this job before, just never on a Dakota and never on a vehicle whose replacement intermediate shaft is made of unobtanium. I do plenty of them on 06 and newer F-150's as unfortunately ford is the truck of choice at my work /which happens to be working for the miserable state of Illinois.

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: volaredon] #2818299
09/07/20 07:50 PM
09/07/20 07:50 PM
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Freeport IL USA
poorboy Offline
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Now your really taxing my memory, its been a couple months since I did my steering shaft. I will look at it in the morning and will provide pictures if I can tomorrow evening. Gene

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: poorboy] #2818469
09/08/20 10:30 AM
09/08/20 10:30 AM
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So, I went out this morning and took my column apart.
The steering box has a 3/4" diameter 36 spline steering box to column coupling point.
On my set up, with the slide nearly completely compressed, the distance between the center of the U joint to center of U joint is about 12" (notice that is not the end to end, but the center of the joint itself) you will need to adjust that length to fit your needs.
The column end is a double D shaft.

The parts you need would be:
1 U joint with a 3/4" -36 spline on one end and a 3/4 Double D on the other end.
12" length of 3/4" Double D shaft (if your slide is extended way out, you may need a longer Double D shaft)
1 U joint with both ends having a 3/4" Double D end.
If you feel the need, you may want to add a vibration dampener. Adding a vibration dampener will reduce the length of the Double D shaft you will need.

The coupling at the steering box is the same on the 96 4x4 as it is on a 92 4x4, and I believe its the same as a the coupling end on a 2wd steering rack.

The hollow shaft on a 4x4 fits over a 3/4 Double D shaft. If you feel a need to have a sliding shaft, you can attach a short Double D shaft to the lower U joint, then attach the bottom of the hollow shaft to that short Double D shaft (pin or weld) and then slide the hollow shaft over top of the Double D shaft that is connected to the top U joint. The hollow shaft has about 6" of useable movement which should leave 2" of the double D to hollow shaft engagement if the lower end of the hollow shaft is welded to a short Double D shaft that is attached to the lower U joint. Gene


Last edited by poorboy; 09/08/20 10:33 AM. Reason: clearifying the measurements
Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: poorboy] #2818763
09/08/20 10:03 PM
09/08/20 10:03 PM
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ok lets try this again. between Infolinks and getting a popup saying "Congratulations I was the 7 millionth person to do something (IDK what, even) when I tried this post on my phone at lunch time.... and I lost everything I started, as this "congratulations" thing consumed my phone, only way I could get out of that was to shut the phone completely down... I HATE REDO's!!!!! I HATE REDO's!!!!!
Thanks Gene for your help.

I got all my parts ordered in Borgeson parts to build a shaft. Dam, was that expensive..... and that was with getting a huge deal on the lower coupler. I looked at cheaper (un named) brands, with the miles and age on this truck the cheap (probably Chinese) parts would have probably gotten me by but who knows> Borgeson was the only company I could find a sliding shaft in..... and IDK how well that brand plays with the competitors if one tries to mate them up..... with 226k and counting who knows how long this truck will be running......
I went with a sliding 3/4 DD into 1" DD shaft because after I saw the original one seized to a point I could not slide the halves together enough to dislodge the gearbox coupler, and had to cut the intermediate shaft as a result, made me realize that I would have to remove either the gearbox or column, in order to install a new built up coupler with a solid DD shaft.
I found a DEAL on a lower U joint coupler/vibration damper, brand new but out of package/ the guy had like 10 of them... $32 shipped. (I used the "make offer and he accepted/ everyone else wanted $90-100 more for the same thing in the same brand...) sliding shaft 18" $60 shipped.... and the upper U joint coupler everyone was priced the same at $75...... with tax, etc it'll wind up right at $175 about double what it should have cost me..... "aint much" of the total, but with now charging tax, I have another reason to hate Ebay..... my state varies from 6.25 to 9.some % and EPay pegs everyone at the highest rate, even though I live in part of the state that charges among the lowest sales tax percentage.....

I need this truck mobile again, tired of watching it sit..... I did move it from driveway to yard and back before I cut the shaft, rendering it dead..... it had sat long enough that the lifters all rattled when I 1st started it.... truck never does that if it sits less than a week-10 days/ish....
This has been demoted to backup truck/winter beater as I work 35 miles from home and all country roads in between...... but I like driving the 96 a whole lot better than my slow doggey 3.9 in my 99 2wd Dakota.

Re: 96 dakota steering shaft [Re: poorboy] #2821096
09/15/20 01:50 PM
09/15/20 01:50 PM
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Ok we're back mobile again thanks to borgenson and ebay got a screaming deal on the lower u joint/damper, found a seller who had pile of them that were apparently display units that had never been on a vehicle. $32 shipped, he was wanting $40 with a best offer option.
Sliding 3/4 to 1" DD shaft and upper u joint I had to pay prevailing price for, $75 for upper coupler and $60 for the 18" sliding shaft

Shaft came with 2soft rivets thru it holding the shaft extended but overlapped about 5-6". 18" overall. I had to break the rivets, slide the 2 halves into each other further and cut 1-1/2" off of each end in the chop saw to get it short enough to work.
I drill/dimpled the shaft ends where the setscrews would land, and red loctite the 2 ends of the shaft that went to couplers and blue loctited the ends that go on the gearbox and on the column stub shaft.
All ujoint ends had 2 setscrews each except for the end that is splined for the gearbox, it only has 1. Maiden voyage with new steering shaft was pulling my utility trailer with 2 garden tractors on it, much better than it was
Once the original started binding up, it was steady for a while with the amount of increased effort to steer /and then all of a sudden within a few days it got really stiff.







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