Building a "Hybrid" Rag joint? Steering box swap help!

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Howdy padnahs,

I'm swapping from my stock saggie steering box to one of the new fancy flaming river boxes, and the article that PHS did on it talked about how you have to cut your steering shaft and weld on a new rag joint to work with the new box (or go the u-jount route). Well, I ordered one of their fancy new rag joints, and it looks to me like I could, theoretically, just unbolt the old rag from the shaft (which would leave the back plate of the rag on the shaft) and bolt the rest of the new rag to that, eliminating any need for cutting or welding but still giving the benefits of a new rag joint. Can you guys help me think of any reason NOT to do this before I go through with it tomorrow?

Thanks!

[josh@scotts]

why dont you go with a mavel joint (u-joint style)

[cheapthrillz]

Well, I ordered one of their fancy new rag joints....

Rag joint isolates road vibration much better than a u-joint... And he already ordered one...

[72novadriver]

it looks to me like I could, theoretically, just unbolt the old rag from the shaft (which would leave the back plate of the rag on the shaft) and bolt the rest of the new rag to that, eliminating any need for cutting or welding but still giving the benefits of a new rag joint. Can you guys help me think of any reason NOT to do this before I go through with it tomorrow?

Thats exactly what I did when I put the dse 600 gear in my 78'. No cutting involved.

Billy