Steering flex shaft is "Unobtainium" 9485812 9485808

[abscate]

I’m a big fan of breaking the steering connection in the car, then Separating the coupler from the rack on the bench.

You can torch off the pinch bolt, that’s still available or can be substituted

[RayF]

My friend/former boss has a couple V70s picked-over parts cars, one has the same steering shaft I need, and it looks greasy and uncorroded. But it's a turbo and there's too much stuff in the way to get the pinch bolt out from above. I will hack out the rubber passthrough and maybe on Monday, with permission, cut a flap in firewall for access to bolt.

Thanks, levalexi, for your offer. Funny, I have been aware of that parts stash in, I thought, Barrington. My friend has been involved in helping find a buyer for the lot.

[RayF]

Update on this. Still no answer. The parts stash in Barrington, NH, doesn't include the part I need, reportedly.

Trying to get one of these off a junkyard car doesn't appeal to me tho I may have to go that route.

Today, after more hacksawing away the sides of the pinch block, I managed to get its remains off the steering rack shaft so at least if I get a new one I can install it.

Grafting part of the newer V70 shaft on won't work because tje newer cars it fits have a squared off shaft out of the steering rack. Mine has many fine splines.

Also nearly unavailable are the lower steering shafts from the 850s. I have a used but good one available locally and I think I found a seller with a few. They are too short and top end isn't shaped right for V70s, but they have the correct splined pinch clamp for the steering rack shaft.

Here's my current plan: I cleaned up and painted the remains of my old shaft. The cross part of the universal seems fine. The roller bearings had fallen out of the bearing cups at either end on the aluminum pinch-clamp end, and that's where the play was. So, I'll take one of the 850 shafts, get someone to use a milling cutter to just remove the staked places in the aluminum that hold those cups and bearings in, press the cups out, remove the pinch-clamp lower part of the shaft, remove also the seals and washers, then install that end over my 4-way cross piece and press the bearing cups in from either side, with washer and seal. Then I'll need to come up with some reliable way to stake the cups in so they don't work loose. I'm thinking maybe a tack bead of TIG welded aluminum at a few points around each.

So here's the score, lower steering shaft/flex shaft/u-joints are unavailable for all Volvo 850s, 93-97. Lower steering shafts are unavailable for V-70s, S-70s, and C-70s, for '98, '99 and some part of '00.

[scot850]

Have you tried Erie Vo-Vo for the part you need?

Neil.

[foggydogg]

Sounds like you're getting good local advice. Let me know if the idea I sent you PM will help.

[ZionXIX]

Time to fabricate a steering linkage.

[RayF]

To Neil'scot850: I just called Erie Vo-Vo, "Unfortunately, we don't have anything that old."

I am well along on grafting the pinch-clamp end from a used 850 steering shaft onto my original shaft. Just used a diamond bit from a small set I got at Harbor Freight to grind away most of the aluminum from the 12 staked points that hold the bearing caps in, and will shortly try tapping them out. I will post results here.

[foggydogg]

PM sent a few days ago, get back to me if this plan doesn't succeed.

[RayF]

Foggydog:

I'm kinda a technical Luddite - - how do I find and read your PM?

[scot850]

Scroll to the top of the screen and on the top right you see 4 icons, one looks like a letter. Click on that.

Neil.