-
eMotorsports
Rebuilt Steering Shafts
- For Porsche
-
924s, 944, 951, & 968
Quick Links
Pricing -
How Do I Order
- Shipping
/ Packaging
-
Detailed
Description of Rebuild -
Different Types Of Steering
Shafts
Steering Shaft Measurements
- UPDATE - October 30, 2017
- I AM
NO LONGER REBUILDING THE STANDARD STEERING SHAFTS FOR 944's
The owner of Rennbay (Travis)
now has new steering shafts for sale.
Travis has made a large investment
in this and I fully support him in his efforts to help the 944 community.
Because of this I am providing a direct link to his site where you can
purchase a steering shaft from him.
Link To Rennbay
- I want to thank all
those that purchased units from me.
From the beginning it was all about
keeping more 944's on the road.
- I will still be rebuilding
the shafts for the manual steering racks.
I have one core in stock for these so the core fee
will be incredibly high.
I have not set it yet but expect it to be
about $500 as I no longer have a source for these.
If you have a
steering shaft from a car with a manual rack and need it rebuilt you will
need to contact me
before you send money or send me your core.
Since I am getting out of the rebuilding of these unit I have very limited
stock of the U joints
and there may be a significant lead time to have
your shaft rebuilt.
-
-
UPDATE
August 3,
2015
I am considering a pricing increase due to shipping costs and parts
cost increases over the last year. This will be my first price
increase since I started doing this. Unless I can figure out
another option for shipping I will have to make a decision on this some time
in the next couple of months. Prices will more than likley increas
from $199.95 to $225.00. I will be making a final decision on this
some time in early September.
PRIORITIZING
OF ORDERS
August 3, 2015
2015 has been a very good year so far. We have processed more
orders to date this year than all of last year. Because of this it is
important for customers to understand two things must happen to get your
order in the queue to be rebuilt.
I have to
receive payment
I have to
receive your steering shaft
Once
both of these conditions are met the process starts. For orders that are
using one of our cores (requiring a $150 refundable deposit) as soon as both
the payment and the deposit is received your order is then put in the queue.
- Customer Feedback
I want it!!! Good or bad I need it. If
something is wrong or not up to your expectations I want to know so I can
fix it. If you particularly like something I would like to know as
well.
-
And who knows I
may Quote you here:
"Hi Dean, Received my steering shaft today.
Thanks for the great job & fast turn around time. If I come across
anyone that needs a steering shaft rebuild, on their 944 I’ll past on
your info."
Via Email From "Sam"
4/30/2015
--------------------------
"Dean was really great to work with and very accommodating. I had
a window of opportunity to get this job done, and he expedited getting the
new shaft to me. Also, once I returned my old shaft, he promptly returned my
core charge.
Thanks again Dean for providing a unique service. I don't know what I
would have done otherwise; probably just continued to live with sloppy
steering."
From
Here
The
Story of How and Why I Started Rebuilding Steering Shafts
After not being able to find a replacement
steering shaft for my 924s I decided there has to be a way to rebuild the
original equipment U joints. I felt it was important to retain what
Porsche had originally designed for the car. I also felt that
providing a rebuilt original part designed by Porsche was not only safer but
would make installation for the end user easier. After
an exhaustive search we found replacement U joints for the 924s, 944, 951
and 968!
The U
joints in Porsche steering shafts are pressed in and staked units.
This makes rebuilding them difficult. Because of this the manufactures
of the U joints have not made the parts available here in the USA.
Furthermore the vast majority of the steering shafts that use these types of
U joints have stamped steel yokes. They were never intended to be
rebuilt. Porsche however uses a cast steel yoke that does make
rebuilding possible. However up until now the parts were just not
available from the bearing manufactures. After an exhaustive
search we found two manufactures of the U joints that would fit. I
then narrowed it down to one based on there product being specifically
manufactured for steering shaft U joints. U joints
designed for steering shafts include a rubber gasket that seals the needle
bearings in the cup. This prevents dirt and water from getting into
the bearings. Dirt and water getting into the bearings acts as an
abrasive and destroys the bearings in the U joint. With out this
seal the U joints will fail prematurely. The other problem facing
Porsche Owners is that Porsche has long since stopped manufacturing
replacement steering shafts and all the stock has been used up. This
left you the consumer with only two options.
- 1.
Purchase Used: This was really the only
viable option if you wanted to retain the OE geometry of the steering shaft.
However with these cars getting to be almost 30 years old. This means
sourcing good used parts is getting harder and harder to do. Even if
you get a good one how long is it going to last? It is also 30 years old. The biggest benefit to this
option is that you will retain the original equipment orientation of the
yokes on the Steering shaft. This is important. It promotes
extended service life and insures that you don't get binding of the joints
while it is in service.
- 2. Aftermarket Sourced Steering Shaft Assemblies:
Up until now this was the only way to get a "new" steering shaft if
yours failed and you did not want to go the used rout. However these are
expensive. From our research plan on spending about $250 to have
the parts
shipped to you. You then have to cut the shaft to length and then
assemble them in the proper orientation. With some of these "kits" you
will have to cut the shaft to length requiring special tools and if you make
a mistake you are stuck with a useless part. All this is doable by a
skilled mechanic that has to proper tools. However most people want
something that they can bolt in with out the dreaded "some assembly
required" step. There are a couple situations where these types of
steering shafts are a good option. If you are planning a V8 conversion you
will more than likely have to go this rout as there are clearance issues
with the OE steering shaft and the exhaust manifolds / headers. At
this point you are making a V8 swap it can be assumed you have the skills
and tools to deal with this kind of steering shaft.
What We Do:
1. We take your worn out
steering shaft assembly and remove the old U joints. This has to be done
carefully as the original equipment U joints are staked in place. If you
try to just press the U joints out you will likely damage the yoke. We
have developed a way to remove the U joints with out damaging the yokes.
We then carefully machine off the Burrs in the bore of the yoke while not
changing the diameter of the boor in the yoke that the U joint bearing cap gets
pressed back in to. By doing this we prevent the yoke from being damaged
and allow it to be re used. One of the biggest benefits to our rebuilding
these is that we do not have to take the yokes off of the shaft. This
means we maintain the factory orientation of the U joints at either end of the
steering shaft. This insures that is will function as designed by Porsche.
2. Once the old U joints are removed from
the yokes we wire brush the parts removing dirt and rust. We visually
inspect the parts for cracks or other mechanical damage. Generally this is
not an issue as Porsche made a very robust yoke compared to other
manufacturers steering shaft yokes. If no damage is found we remove the
Burrs in the bore's for the U joint bearings that are created when the original U joints were staked in
place.
3. We then
install the new U joints, weld in the cover plates and dress down the welds.
We then
degrees the part, lightly scuff them with a scotch bright pad as needed and
prime with a rust inhibitive primer and then apply two coats of gloss black high heat paint. The painted finish is by no means a show car worthy finish. There will be
imperfections in the part visible through the paint. It is meant to provide an added
level of protection from rust and dress the part up a bit. If a customer
wants a "perfect" part for a show car please contact me directly for cost and
delivery time.
Scroll to
the end of the page for a much more detailed description of the rebuild process
with Photographs.
Yoke Indexing On Steering shafts
It has come to our attention that Porsche made
steering shafts with two different orientations of the yokes. I had
noticed this in the past during rebuilds but never paid much attention to
it. In the following photo you can see a bunch of cores I have sitting on
the bench waiting to be cleaned and rebuilt. Notice that the 3rd
one up from the bottom and the 2nd one down from the top have a different
orientation of the bolt hole on the right side than the other steering
shafts.
The cars that I have swapped out the steering
shaft in this has not mattered. I would always re index the steering
wheel once the steering shaft was installed. However a recent customer
that has an airbag equipped car found that there was only one way to install
the steering shaft due to how the splined ends are notched for the bolts.
This resulted in his steering wheel being 180 degrees out because I had
shipped him a steering shaft that had a yoke indexed 180 degrees out form
the OE unit. Due to it being a airbag equipped car re-indexing the steering wheel is
difficult. The customer was able to re index the wheel but feedback
from him made it sound like a bit more than a "Shade Tree" mechanic job
Because of this I have now put together a SK
drawing showing the two different types of configurations of the steering
shaft yokes. It is very important that when you order a rebuilt
steering shaft you tell me what type you have (Type A or a Type B).
This will insure that installation of your rebuilt steering shaft will be a
simple process.
Please download the PDF I have created showing the
two different types of steering shafts and compare it to what is on your car
prior to ordering. I have also included it with the order forms that
you can download further down on this page.
>>>>LINK TO
STEERING SHAFT TYPE PDF<<<<
How
Do I Purchase One And What Does It Cost.
A very
good question. Below I have outlined the various options and fees
associated with them.
- Core Fees:
I have always hated them. I have been working on cars for more
than 40 years and they have always irritated me. However, we have to
charge them. Especially if you want us to send you a rebuilt shaft
before you send us your old one. Since these are NLA from Porsche
there is only a limited supply of them out there and we need to keep an
inventory on hand to help people like you.
People have not been returning
the cores and the supply is running out. I have had to scrounge
junkyards and plead with some of the dismantlers I know to get them. They
are just getting very difficult find. There for the core fee is
$150.00 US for standard power
steering equipped cars.
I have one core for a manual
steering rack in stock that has been rebuilt and is ready to ship.
The core cost on this is $400.00 US. The reason for such a high core
fee is the only way I can get another one is to purchase a complete non powered
steering rack that includes the steering shaft. But this does mean that I
can get the rebuilt steering shaft for non powered racks shipped to customers
quickly if needed as these seem to be primarily used by people racing in Spec
944 or in PCA race events.
- The Basic No Frills Rebuild:
If you are not in a hurry and can have your car out of service for a while
and you want to lay out the least amount of cash up front. Send me
your steering shaft. I will either re-build your steering shaft or I ship you back a rebuilt unit from inventory.
If a rebuilt unit is in inventory I can usually get it on its way to you the
next business day depending on when I receive your part. If you want
your original shaft back with new U joints it will take longer. 1-3
days depending on my work load. If you need your specific shaft back
with a fast turn around you must contact me prior to shipping me your
steering shaft to verify that I can provide the level of service that you
need. The benefit to this is you don't pay a core fee unless your
steering shaft is not rebuildable.
Cost For the Basic "No
Frills" Rebuild Service Is
$199.95
This includes standard USPS or Fedex ground
shipping to anywhere in the lower 48 states only. Shipping to Canada and
other international destinations is available but due to the wide range in
costs please contact me for a price quote. Also due to the high cost of
shipping returning of your core will probably not be cost effective and thus
you should figure the cost of a core as well.
Expedited Rebuilding:
If you can not ship me your
steering shaft as you need to keep your car in service no problem. We
offer a core fee based exchange program. This
requires you to send us payment in full plus a core
fee. Please contact us prior to placing your order by phone or email
to confirm stock. My direct phone number is 339-222-2003. At the moment I
have one of the manual
steering shafts for 1983 944's in stock. I have
1984 and up 944, 1986 and up 951 (944 turbo), 1987-88 924s,
and all 968's (power steering equipped cars). Once payment is received we will ship you out a
rebuilt unit from stock. Once we receive your original equipment
steering shaft core and we inspect it and determine that it can be rebuilt we will refund the core fee.
Cost for The "Expedited"
Rebuilding service is
$199.95. Plus a $150 Core Fee
This includes standard USPS / Fedex / UPS
ground shipping to anywhere in the lower 48 states only.
What If We Find That Your
Steering Shaft Is Not Rebuildable?
Quite honestly I have only run into one that was not re
buildable and it was due to damage caused during removal. But in the event
you have shipped us your steering shaft for either an exchange or a rebuild and
we find that the unit can not be rebuilt we will call or email you notifying you
what the problem is. When ever possible we will send you photos showing you the
problem. We will make every effort to inspect the units prior to
disassembly but dirt and grim buildup inside the yokes make inspection
of these areas virtually impossible prior to disassembly and cleaning. At this point you
have two options.
Photos Of Cores.
  
You can see what a mess they are when I get them
and
how difficult it is to asses the actual condition of the yokes with all
the dirt and rust.
1. Pay an additional $150 core
fee and we will ship you a
rebuilt unit from stock.
2.
Cancel your order and we will refund your money less a $50 inspection fee.
At your request we can return your steering shaft for an additional $15 shipping
charge. Returned
steering shafts will usually be partially or fully disassembled and will not
be useable by the customer upon there return.
The disassembly process
destroys the existing U joints.
3. A
possible third option is repair of your steering shaft. I have
welded up several damaged units and re bored the holes in the yoke. I also
have replacement parts in stock and in some cases replacement of a part is the
simplest fastest and least expensive option.
I want to stress that this
is a very occurrence. I have only had one steering shaft that was
not rebuildable and it was due to the customer partially disassembling it during
removal causing extensive damage to the yokes. To date we I have not seen
a steering shaft that is damaged due to normal ware that can not be rebuilt.
What If You Need it Really Fast?
It happens to the best of us. Every now and then we
need it yesterday. I understand this. I use to race in SCCA
and EMRA. Stuff happens. People
forget to get things done. Plans change. We have all been there. I
will be glad to help the best I can. First things first, contact me as
soon as you can via my cell phone (339-222-2003) to make
sure I have what you need in stock. I can ship either USPS, UPS or FedEx
overnight. There will be an extra charge for what ever shipping options
you require as well as applicable core fees. There may also be additional
charges for premium time required to expidite your order.
How Do You Order &
Make Payment?
I only accept PayPal.
If you are not a PayPal user, that is fine. I believe that you can sill
pay using your credit card or debit card through PayPal as a one time payment.
My PayPal is sales@emotorsports.org. Before
you send any money please contact at
dsmith@emotorsports.org or
sales@emotorsports.org and down load the order
form.
Order
Form (click here to download) (Two Pages)
The order form requests the following information
- Name (First & Last)
-
Shipping Address
- Daytime Phone (I must have this for any
international customers to return ship your order)
- Email Address.
- Year and Model of your car. (Ya I know
it is a Porsche)
- Type A
or Type B Steering Shaft (Determines orientation of yokes on steering shaft)
- Tell me if you would like to send in your
steering shaft for rebuilding (avoiding the core fee) or if you would like a
rebuilt one sent to you and a core fee will be applied in the manor noted above.
If you want your steering shaft rebuilt and returned to you, let me know so I
can give you an estimated turn around time once I receive it.
If you
require expedited service please call me at 339-222-2003 and send the an email with
the above information.
I will email you back with confirmation or your order
that includes, shipping address, my phone number and amount to be paid.
Again to expedite the process I only accept PayPal.
My PayPal is:
sales@emotorsports.org
If you have any questions that are not covered here I
can be reached at 339-222-2003 or email me at
dsmith@emotorsports.org.
Shipping / Packaging.
I have found
that the best way to ship is to use a 2" X 18" UPS shipping tube. You can purchase
these at your local UPS store for a couple of dollars. You then take some
bubble wrap and wrap it around each end of the steering shaft and tape it in
place. The steering shaft will then slide
tightly in to the tube. There will be a little bit of empty space in the
tube once it is slid all the way in that I
then fill with a little more bubble wrap to keep the steering shaft from moving
around
in the tube. Make sure that you seal the ends tightly with packaging tape
or better yet fiberglass reinforced tape.
All my prices include includes standard USPS or Fedex
ground shipping to anywhere in the lower 48 states only. Shipping to Canada
and other international destinations is available but due to the wide range in
costs please contact me for a price quote. I typically ship DHL for international
customers. Also due to the high cost of shipping internationally returning
of your core will probably not be cost effective and thus you should figure the
cost of a core when figuring your costs.
Shipping Insurance.
I highly recommend it. I insure all my shipments back
to you. Have you ever noticed that it is only the un-insured packages that
go missing or get damaged? I have also noticed that items that are insured
seem to arrive in much better shape. The box's are not crushed, the corners are
not bashed in. I have got uninsured steering shafts back from customers
that look like they were run over by the delivery truck where as the insured
ones look better than new.
When shipping cores to me I
recommend insuring it for a minimum of $150. I am not responsible for items
that you ship. Insuring an item when shipping it is protecting you from
the item being lost or stolen. This is why I insure my shipments back to
you. This way if it gets lost or stolen I am not out the $$$ when I have
to send you another steering shaft.
Shipping Insurance Special
Cases: If you are sending a non power
steering shaft to be rebuilt I recommend insuring them for a minimum of
$400. These are very hard to find cores for, and if you do find one, many
of them have to be purchased with the manual steering rack.
The bottom line is I insure all my shipments for what
it will cost to replace it. You should do the same!
Detailed Description Of The Rebuilding Process
For those that want a more detailed description and
photos of the rebuilding process read on. In a well known Porsche
forum a poster implied that because I was welding in a washer over the bearing
cup instead of staking that I was some how providing a sub standard service.
This got me thinking. I decided that I should
post up photos of exactly how I rebuild these things so you can see the various
steps and exactly what you are getting for your money.
Step 1. The cores.
This is typically what I get back from people or what I purchase from parts
dismantlers. Something that I have noticed is that virtually all the
steering shafts I get as cores have significant damage to the black paint on the
shaft and to one of the U joints.
I assume is happening to the steering shafts because of the steering shafts
proximity to the master cylinders for the brakes and the clutch. When Brake fluid is spilled it goes on to the
steering shaft.
As most people know Brake fluid will damage / remove paint. Just about
every steering shaft I get back for a rebuild has damage that is consistent
with Brake fluid being spilled on it. The Brake fluid also damages the
rubber dust seals on the U joints and attracts dirt. After repeated exposure to
Brake fluid it will get in to the U joint bearings and that is the beginning of
the end. From what I have seen I bet the primary cause of U joint failure
in the steering shafts is due to Brake fluid being spilled on to them over the
years.
Typical Core as I get them
Note that the left U
joint is in relatively good shape. But also note
that the right U joint is
devoid of paint and is rusted and
you can see where the paint is flaking off
the shaft in the center.
Typical Paint Damage to Shaft
Note that the U joint in the photo
is rusted
Typical U joint - (This is the U joint on the right in the photos
above)
Note the rust coming out of the U joint
(brownish liquid coming out of joint at bottom of the Photo)
Step 2. Disassembly.
Because the OE U joint is staked in pressing these out like normal U joints can
damage the Yoke. Instead I take them out by cutting the center section of
the U joint out and then I press the bearing cups out through the middle of the
Yoke. This is not only easier but it eliminates the possibility of
damaging the Yoke or worse bending the Yoke. If you bend the Yoke the
bearing cups of the new U joints will be out of alignment and this causes them
to bind making the parts un usable.
OE U joint Staked in place.
I put a little
orange paint on where it was staked in place.
Step 3. Cleaning:
I use various tools and solvents to clean the shafts. I also run over it
with a wire wheel on a bench grinder to remove all the loose paint / rust and
what not. I then give it a wipe down with a clean cloth and solvent
Cleaned Up And Ready For Inspection
Step 4. Inspection and
Prep: I now inspect the pieces for cracks chips and other imperfections
that would make the part un usable. If all checks out I remove the Burrs
from the bores that are left from the staking of the original U joints. I
do this by hand with a Dremel Tool. This has to be done very carefully. I
don't want to damage the bores. Since the new U joints do not rest against
the top 1-2 mm of the bore (where the staking Burrs are) removing a little bit of
metal here does not effect the fitment of the new U joins into the original
bores.
Bore Debured
 
Step 5. Prepping the New
U joints for installation: New U joints do not come lubricated from the
factory. There is a little grease in the bearing cups but this is strictly
for assembly purposes to keep the needle bearings in place. If new grease is not put in to the U joints the service life of the U joints will
be compromised. This is a very important step. Since these are not
serviceable once they are installed. With
grease in the cups I reassemble the U joints to force the grease through the
needle bearings and make sure I see it squeezing out the top around the dust
shield. I typically use Mobil 1 synthetic grease that is specifically for
U joints. I then press the U joints into the Yokes.
U joints installed Note the Grease around the
Dust Caps.
I sometimes leave this in place for added protection
to keep dust and
water out of the bearings.
   
Step 6. Note
that the tops of the bearing cup is just below the surface of the Yoke. At this
point I could stake them in place however I prefer to tack weld in a washer over
the bearing cup. These photos show the bearing cup before I tack weld the washer
over them.
Side of the yoke with the end of the U joint bearing
cup visible.
 
Here you can see me getting ready tack weld the
washer in place.
I use a Vice-Grip tool to hold them in place.
   
Step 7. Once everything
is tacked in place I clean up the welds and apply a coat of rust inhibitive
primer and two coats of either flat or gloss black paint and the steering shaft
is ready for shipment to you.
This is the Finished Product in flat black.
At
the request of many of my customers
I have been painting all steering shafts
in gloss black.
If a customer would like flat black please note it on the
order form.
Now you have seen the process. I hope it give
you a better understanding of exactly how I rebuild these.
Different Types of Steering Shafts
I have found that Porsche manufactured two different types of steering
shafts. The physical measurements are the same so they are interchangeable
but there are differences in the yokes that the U joints mount.
After researching this and with help from my customers I think I have figured it
out. Here are photos of the two types of yokes used on Porsche steering shafts.
The one on the left is what I call the "cast yoke". The one on the right I refer
to as a "forged" yoke. This does not mean that they are cast or forged
parts is strictly terminology I use to differentiate between the two. The
"cast" unit is identifiable by angled casting in the side of the yoke. The
"forged" steering shafts have this same line however it is strait across not at
downward angle. There is also a significant difference in the
thickness of the yokes. The cast units are over all thinner / smaller than
the "forged" yokes.
Photos of "Cast" and "Forged" Yokes
 
Please note that I have not had the actual metal
tested to determine the "forged" units are actually created using a forging
process or if it is a casting that has had different machine work done to it.
I don't know if there is actually a strength difference between the two units.
The following is only my observations. I don't know if there is any
advantage to using one or the other units. The terms forged and cast are
only to differentiate between the two types of yokes
These units are
interchangeable however I will make every effort to replace like with like.
If you are sending your shaft to me to be rebuilt this will not be an issue.
If you are using our core based service I will need to know what type you have
and or what type you would like in return. At the moment the "forged"
units are in short supply and availability is limited so please contact me first
if you have a preference.
As for the actual differences. The "forged
units seem to be a bit heavier duty with all of the parts of the yoke being
about 2 mm thicker however the overall width and height appear to be the same.
From what I can figure out the "Forged" units seem to be from very late
production 951's, 'S2's and 968's but that is a general observation.
I have received several from customers that have pre 85.5 cars.
Steering Shaft Measurements
For those that care to measure there steering shaft before
they send it to me just to make sure.
The measurements are:
Power Steering Rack Intermediate Shaft:
Overall (end to end): 15 - 3/16"
Centerline
to Centerline of the U Joints: 11 - 11/16"
Manual Steering Rack Intermediate shaft:
Overall (end to end): 16 -
1/4"
Centerline
to Centerline of the U Joints: 12 - 3/4"
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