Build update 2

[Gary Lewis]

Pretty sure that boot is not available separately.

Don't know that the steering box is likely to leave you stranded unless the seal fails catastrophically and you loose all the fluid.  But I've not seen that happen.

Still, I think you'll really like the difference with a new BT box.  

[Ifitaintbroke]

Well that's great. Guess I might have to look for another shaft.

[Ifitaintbroke]

Well, I got a 88-91 steering shaft. Didn't look at it closely enough though. The u joint at the top is missing a cap. I'm not finding any replacement for it. Hopefully thats not a non-serviceable part.

[Gary Lewis]

A cap as in something protective, or something needed?  I don't think it is replaceable.

[ArdWrknTrk]

E8TZ 3B676-A. is sold as a complete assembly from the steering box pinch spline to the double-D socket for the upper shaft.
Even the rag joint is riveted together.
The only things it doesn't include are the bolt & nut that hold it at each end.

Perhaps someone in the aftermarket, 30 years ago, made a part or kit to service the universal joint alone (like Dorman/HELP used to do with the complete rag joint on the other end) but IIRC the universal is staked in place.

You can see it in the illustration Gary posted in the lower steering shaft page

[Gary Lewis]

Looks staked to me.

[Ifitaintbroke]

Those ends on the joint in the picture. That's them. Equivalent to the caps on a regular u joint. Well, now it looks like I have to find another shaft, and I have one I can't use.

[Ifitaintbroke]

Screenshot_20231117-085828_DuckDuckGo.jpg

To bad it's $63.99.

[Gary Lewis]

Remember that the rag joint isn't removable in the later shafts, which yours should be.  The joint in your screenshot is for the early 1980-81 shafts that have removable rag joints.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Rag joints up through '86 are the larger ones that bolt together.
As Cory said my '87 up to '92 is smaller diameter and riveted together. (not serviceable)

But I drilled them out and put it back together with elevator bolts and low profile distorted lock nuts.
That worked for another 15 years.

But he has the flange from each end!....
Any decent fab/weld shop can do what I did.

[Gary Lewis]

Right. He could have one made using the fittings off the shaft he has.

And the point I was trying to make, but didn’t, is that the removable rag joint is a different diameter to the non-removable one. So you can’t easily order a new removable one and use the rag out of it to replace the rag on the fixed-joint shafts.

[Gary Lewis]

I measure the newer rag joint at 2 3/4" and the larger one at 3 1/8".  So the holes won't be at the right place.

And, btw, the 2 3/4" measurement appears to be the same for the later E8 shaft's rag joint.  But instead of what looks like a tire's sidewall the E8 joint is solid rubber, or a rubbery material.

[Ifitaintbroke]

That's odd. O'Reilly list it as for the later models. I have seen errors in the parts system before though.

[Ifitaintbroke]

Y'all are getting way over my head now. Speak slowly please.

[Gary Lewis]

And there are errors in the MPC as well.  But Ford says the detachable one was for 1980 & 81 and the rag joint was "Part of 3B676 after 2/81".

[Ifitaintbroke]

Jim, are you referring to having a fab shop make me a shaft like yours? I'm getting kinda lost here.

[ArdWrknTrk]

It's listed as fitting '86. So therefore it's 3 1/8" diameter and is held with bolts, like the picture.

Gary showed the '81-86 style next to the '87-91 style and a '92-96 style shaft.

[Ifitaintbroke]

"Part of" as in "this isn't supposed to come apart". Nice. Thank you Ford.!

[Gary Lewis]

Jim was saying that if you were to order the new shaft for a 2009 F150 you could cut the fittings off of your Bullnose shaft and have a welding shop graft them onto the new shaft.

I was saying that the detachable rag joint in your screenshot isn't going to help you for two reasons:

1. The rag joint on your shaft shouldn't be detachable since it is on an '86

2. The detachable rag joint is larger in diameter than yours so won't be easy to use on yours.  In the pic below I've put one of the larger/earlier rag joint shafts end-to-end with the smaller one used on the Bullnose trucks.  And below them is the E8 shaft used on Bricknose trucks - the same diameter as the later Bullnose rag joints.

[ArdWrknTrk]

Gary Lewis wrote

I was saying that the detachable rag joint in your screenshot isn't going to help you for two reasons:....

Let's,at least, post the picture in the thread.