***BORGESON BUYER BEWARE**** I worked as an ASE certified Master Tech for over a decade and I am now a mid career Sr. Mechanical Engineer who has spent his entire engineering career in the automotive sector. I own a 1992 Chevy c1500 and have owned this truck for 15 years so it goes without saying I've replaced literally everything on this truck, multiple times in some cases. That being said, at one point I purchased the Borgeson shaft that was in fact made for my truck (which the shaft shown here is clearly the incorrect part). The Borgeson shaft I bought came with a universal joint on one side, rag joint on the other side, collapsible, etc. and seemed like a solid upgrade until..... a few years down the road the truck got the wobbles at high speed. Upon further inspection I found the overpriced Borgeson shaft and its rag joint had failed. The failure of the rag joint on this $275 shaft was the culprit. The bolt attaching the steering box side of shaft to the intermediate shaft side had pulled through the rag joint so effectively only one of two bolts were holding the shaft from completely falling off and creating an uncontrollable accident. Failure of parts is normal however, the factory steering shaft has redundancy and a fail safe mechanism built into it. These features can be seen if you inspect your shaft.... 1.) The redundant aspect of the factory shaft is two metal ears on each side coming into contact which allows for steering the vehicle with a complete rag joint failure. 2.) The fail safe aspect of the factory shaft does not allow for the steering box side of shaft and intermediate side of shaft to ever separate even if no rag joint is present which, again, will still allow for safe operation of the vehicle although undesirably. Luckily, I saved the factory shaft so I removed the Borgeson and threw it in the trash where it belongs. I then found a new replacement rag joint for the factory shaft for about $8 on JEGs and reinstalled the factory shaft with the new rag joint. Changing the rag joint takes some work as you need to drill out the factory rivets and replace with the bolts included in the rag joint box but the replacement retains the redundancy and fail safe mechanisms. In conclusion, do not just blindly install 2nd tier aftermarket automotive parts without understanding what you're sacrificing. The level of failure mode effect analysis performed throughout automotive design at OEMs is what keeps our roadways safe for us and everyone around us. - Aaron

Cunningham Machine makes the ultimate replacement shaft. No drilling, no bs, its collapsible and everything

Just did the 84 through 94 Jeep Cherokee steering Shaft conversion on my 1989 Chevy 1500 got it off eBay for $80 there was no glue or plastic in mine just drilled out the 4 dimples 2 on each side of the shelft and it slid in an out easily and bolted right up it did improve the slack in my steering totally worth the time and effort to do it

THANK YOU FOR LEAVING THE JOB FAIL portion in. Your presentation is real clean and clear too. May your truck work have succeeded, Jimmy. ~ Gordon

The videography, the lighting, the acting, ....... You deserve an Oscar! Even when it doesn't work out is is worth-the-watch!!

I removed the old rag joint steering shaft from my 1986 Chevy C10 and replaced it with a Jeep Cherokee steering shaft. Went very smoothly and looks factory. Sometimes you can get lucky and find a part for another application that works perfectly on yours.

A couple of Summers ago, I did a frame out front end refresh of my 1993 C1500. I've also since replaced my steering lower shaft with a Jeep example (rag-joint to U-joint). My effort had no big stumbling blocks. And yes, the removal of the rag joint tightened up the steering precision (removal of slop) drastically. As for your issues, I would have just drilled a receiving hole in the mating part of the U-joint shaft and drilled/tapped a 90° offset set-screw. But then, I have a nice VFD drill press I built sometime back which makes such custom fitment exercises less of a pain. Good luck!

I would just do some slight modifications to the new steering shaft like drill that hole up inside so that pin could seat in further

Dude, you are SO neurotic with your cars!!!! I love it! I'm the same way....first thing I thought while seeing this video??? I should do that! Lol. But also remember, if it ain't broke, don't fix it...that's what you learned.

Just in case you haven't found it yet, you can replace the rag joint with Lares 205. Rockauto and Summit have them. I just did mine a few days ago.

I did exactly what you did to your 1995 Suburban. I have a 1995 GMC Suburban K2500 7.4 4x4 when I did the steering shaft I went with the same u-joint shaft. Thank you so much for doing this video. My Burb was scarry to drive with rag joint steering. It drives really straight now. I also replaced the whole front end also. Thank you!!!!

I have been working on my 1990 gmc c1500 for the last year on and off, and everything is an uphill battle, but I cannot give up putting the truck back together, took it partially apparat to do bodywork and paint. Love your videos.

A word of caution: The original shaft is designed to collapse, along with the upper shaft and the column housing in a front end collision to prevent it from going through your chest. If you pull back the boot on the original shaft, you'll see where they slide.

Yo Jimmy, I've been watching u for 2 years now, your channel is growing bro. Your videos have help me with mine and my wives 95 c1500 v6 stepside keep it rolling brother. I love your material .

This modification is also very popular with the 1st gen Dodge Cummins. I did it on my Dodge and it helped a lot. Easier installation because those gear boxes are on the outside of the driver side frame.

Yes, problems can arise when doing vehicle repairs. But, thank God for people like you who bring these things to our attention before WE tear our vehicles apart. From other videos I have seen, those Borgeson units seem to fit right in okay on Ford trucks without any modifications. But, a commenter below mentioned how rag joints allow for the wear in the frame bushings to the body, too. Since I'm so old, I'll probably just replace my shaft with a new rag joint unit. The new rag joint will outlive me by many years, I'm sure.

Thanks for showing the reality of aftermarket. Why they don't include information on fitment in the instructions on a lot of aftermarket is a mystery to me. This is why we have welders and grinders and become innovative 💡

About 20 years ago I had to change my rag joint on my 1976 Holden Torana. There was so much movement in it and it was just sloppy. It was also about half the thickness of the one in your truck. Due to how hard it is to get good aftermarket parts in Australia, I went for a Nolathane replacement so there was no messing with factory parts needed. It had steel sleeves where the bolts go through as well as HT bolts and Nyloc nuts. It did make for a bit more vibration through the steering, but was extremely direct with nearly no movement at the joint

I replaced the rag joint a few years ago myself. Drilled out the 5/16 bolt holes to 3/8 and used grade 8 bolts. Still works like new. And minimal cost.

I used the steering shaft for an 84 to 94 jeep Cherokee. Worked perfect.

The rag joint style works fine as long as it’s new! I only use Blue Top gear boxes but I’m a ford guy we like our blue thanks for the video

Borgeson makes the same shaft with a rag joint. I used it on my 94 and it fit perfect.

Good thing I watched this before ordering lol thanks for all the great content 👍🏾

Loved Everything in it ... I had done lots of things like that, and felt the same ..... Thumbs Up Bro ....

Just a friendly suggestion from a seasoned(30yrs) self employed Mobile Mechanic(med.& Heavy duty ASE master Truck Technician) always at least 24hrs prior to tearing components or systems down make sure to soak fasteners -I personally use Deep creep but wd40,blaster or something like that will help especially on parts seeing heat cycles unlike what you worked on in this video 🤙 I appreciate your time and enjoy your videos-thanks & Happy New Years from Conroe Tx!!!

I put a jeep cherokee steering shaft on my 1990 Scottsdale. The rag joint was very worn and sloppy. The cherokee shaft had u-joint in it. The steering felt amazing after that switch.

lost it at 9:15 lol great videos! Bought my 1999 suburban ls couple of months ago. Slowly upgrading it and I come to your channel often!

Knock the roll pin out that you see in the flat part, and that torsion pin comes out, the new shaft you have isnt like the factory one that not only splines but clamps. Yes if the new one had a slot in it that would clamp it down that set screw wouldnt be enough but if you remove the torsion pin it will work

I used a 96 jeep Cherokee steering shaft for my 96 c1500 pickup. I had to do some cutting and modifications to get it to collapse enough to fit onto the gear box splines but other than that it had the same exact mounting and bolt holes with a nice beefy u joint. 80 bucks shipped still holds strong 5 years down the road and over 100000 miles

Have you looked at Cunningham Machine? I bought theirs that looks similar to this. Worked for me, might be worth a look before going back to stock.

Working from memory here but I think Borgeson shafts are designed to fit their steering gears. The best performing solution is to order a Borgeson box to go with the shaft you already own and sell the RedHead. Although more expensive the Borgeson gear will be superior to a factory spec gear.

so like zerofuchsgiven said, the joint takes up movement along the shafts length as the vehicle flexes. Futher, just driving a setscrew into the splines is a recipe for disaster as the body flexing works really hard at trying to work the screw loose. The factory bolt serves 2 purposes. 1) it clamps onto the splines by making the socket smaller and 2) the bolt passes through the slot physically preventing it from coming out, no matter how loose it is. If you put a fixed joint in there, then all the movements must be taken up by the sliding shaft sections, which are not designed for continuous high frequency movement and will get loose pretty quickly. Rag joints are extremely strong in the (wheel turning) direction and extremely flexible in the other, and that's why they have been used for the last 60 years instead of u joints which are prone to failure.

redoing the front end of my k1500 got a redhead gear box as well, was bouncing between Borg and Dorman guess this confirms that i need the Dorman. Thanks for doing the leg work for me.

Love you're videos i have learn a Lot about Steering shafts and rag Joints thank you .

Awesome video. Have you considered going with Cunningham motor sports steering shaft?

Hey Jimmy.....first off, Merry Christmas to you and yours! Next? just wanted to say "Thank You for this and all your other videos. Clear, concise and to the point Kudos! Keep up the great work and I'll keep watching! Hyway in Jackson, GA USA

This is a very smart view on aftermarket parts yes most are designed for strength but what is the down side. “Good job pointing this very important information not many people think about “

Used there kit on my 91 dodge w250, worked perfectly out of the box. I used it cause I was doing a body lift and needed a shaft that was expandable.

Hi Jimmy, you just gave me a Head's Up. I've got an '88 Chevy 4door R-30 I'm rebuilding, collecting the steering components now. Rather than buy an entire shaft with universal joint - I took all the measurements from the RAG end of the shaft, bought a 3/4" Drive Universal Joint (Made of Stainless Steel) and welded it to the end of my old steering shaft along with a slot clamp welded onto the end (for the gearbox). Yeah, that little weld in itself was a Trick for Sure as not to zap the strength from the clamp or universal joint. I mean, I get it, you don't want to be Manufacturing (or Modifying) for your truck. I don't mind doing it for myself as I'll be testing all my modifications & manufacturings for beyond original specs. Anyway Dude, Good Luck and hope all turns out to suit you.

In 1992 I had a 72 Chevy with with a rag joint. One weekend coming home from a camping trip I was coming around a curve and my rag joint broke. Luckily I was going slow enough. Could not straighten her out of the curve and wound up in a ditch.

I tried swapping one of those Borgeson shafts in my third gen Trans am, was a massive fail as the steering developed a dead spot/clunk whenever steering. I went back to the rag joint and the problem went away.

Nice. I just removed mine yesterday to get to cyl 3 spark plug on my blazer 👍

i just did this borgeson box and lower shaft for my '68 Bronco. the instructions should have told you to use blue loctite on the allen nuts and bolts on each u-joint and double nut the allen bolts on each u-joint. and the most important note is to drill a hole in the shaft on the flat side and run the allen through the hole. triple protection.

Oh, c'mon dude. Drive that pin out and the "torsion" bar slips out. If you are handy at all, drill and tap for a second set screw. Easy job, really.

So we get the shaft and the box and make all the mods then install.. Glad I saw this vid, thanks dude!

I love your Channel man! you're my hero!

Soooo, dumb question... why do they sell that steering shaft as a replacement if it doesn't take into consideration of the existing GM steering box mate-up?

@1road look up Cunningham machine, they make those u joint shafts specifically for these trucks, along with bronze door pin bushings, since you have a 95 I would also look into the jeep xj steering shaft swap I've seen that done too

Redhead wasn't a good gearbox for me. sent 1 back and before I sent the second one back my 1 year warranty ran out. (I have a 1996 e150 van)

I'm a little late to the party but I've never noticed the clunk on my vehicle until I started watching all these YT videos on the steering column and now I'm hearing it all the time and can't unhear it. Ugh. You guys with these videos are going to cost me a couple of hundred bucks to replace it. 😀

Great video as always. Could you review Cunningham Machine components? I hear awesome things about them from door bushings to U-joint steering shafts.

That is odd. I put a u-joint in place of the rag joint on my S10 ZR2 and I don't recall the pin being an issue. I got mine from eBay. Flaming River makes one as well that's all shiny aluminium. I think it's a D shaft to 3/4 spline? I bet that would work for yours as well? You just have to knock the rag joint off the stock shaft.

Would you say that new steering shaft would give the steering and gearbox better performance ???

I put a jeep shaft in my 94 s10 steering response and feel is greatly improved

Great video Jimmy!

I got one for my 1990 ford f350 my old one was falling apart bought that same brand steering shaft and had to cut the tube a little bit and it fit right on hard part was keeping the steering wheel straight.

Not sure if this applies to this generation, but does the Jeep XJ steering shaft work? It's a common upgrade on the 73-87(91) GM trucks, but I am not sure if the steering boxes changed in 92.

This is what me and my friends argue about. For me; if I have to cut change modify anything. It ain't going on my truck. I need to be able to plug and play and on to the next. Modifying is like trying to put a square in a triangle lol. It will only fit if you modify it 😆.

I replaced my steering gearbox with an upgrade box, about $500. Replaced the 30 year rag joint with a new rag joint. video on youtube. My 1992 GMC truck now steers with one finger. Parts from SUMMIT. Good video, nice sets and lighting.

Hey Jimmy the video on “build you own” shows a rag joint stealing shaft that looks beefier and looks like it could fit the 96 year model trucks, what do you think?

That borgenson lower shaft 000301 you bought is for 95-00 obs chevy trucks,tahoes,etc...

I don't even remember that thing when I installed my borgeson shaft, I did see it did not fit all the way but I just tightened it really good and haven't had a problem for over 2 years

I used the Cunningham Machine lower shaft on my 1997 K1500 2-door Hoe, it doesn't have the "pin" problem as the spline part of the U-joint is open all the way through it, you just have to flip the shaft 180 degrees so the set screw is on the bottom in the groove (obviously you have to loctite the set screw and nut), not on the (flat part "top") of the steering gearbox spline shaft. I also installed a Borgeson Upper Steering Shaft BOR000939 to get rid of the piece of crap plastic U-joint at the bottom of the steering column (which was by far the best of the 2 upgrades). You will also have to replace the steering gearbox with a NON-EVO steering gearbox if your truck has EVO steering. I would recommend a 1-ton non-evo steering gearbox as it has a bigger piston and a longer steering ratio which I think drives and steers a lot nicer (especially at higher speeds) in my short wheelbase 2-door hoe.

I am having a hard time lining up the old intermediate steering shaft with the steering box, any tips? It just doesn’t want to go in?

I've been there with buying part which don't actually fit, very disappointing! Great to know I'm not alone.

Going thru similar on a 77 Jeep cj5 with manual steering. Borgeson does a different ratio for my spline count and box shaft length. I figured it out before I ordered the wrong one. Just got into this so I haven't decided to go with the 16 to 1 ratio or not. I went with a crown brand new box for now. I did not know they changed the spline count sometime after 1977. Learned something new but I thought I knew it all.

So... is the issue with putting that intermediate shaft on the Redhead gearbox or the factory gearbox? I ask because I'm looking at the Borgeson replacement for my '98 Tahoe. I could use the Dorman but the Borgeson appears to be built much better.

I like the new video style and set

Love the facial hair and hair, the combo suits you really well! Good steering info too!

what about the xj intermediate shaft? Small modifications are needed.

I think Cunningham Machine and Schumacher Metal Works build a replacement lower shaft for your Tahoe. At the very least, they both seem like they would send you detailed photos and answer you questions. Maybe give them a shout. Both are small shops that make everything in America.

Usually rag joints are made from used tires. They tend to last forever in old lawnmowers. Though i have seen them in old machines made of denim jeans. Really just a round or square pice of flexible material and some bolts. Amazingly simple.

Your making the right decision.

Did you look into Cunningham steering shafts? They make a direct replacement u joint shaft

Is it really a good idea to get rid of the rag-joint though...I woulnt It must be there for a good reason; to allow movement

Awsome video.. love it

I have a 2005 GMC Sierra 1500 and I put a Red Head steering box on it. After hours of research and several phone calls, I figured out that I could put a steering box in my truck from a 2500/3500 Express van. That box is identical to a 2500/3500 Silverado/Sierra steering box except that the output shaft has the 4 keyed splines instead of the 3 splines you find in 2500/3500 Silverado/Sierras. So my 1500 has a Red Head steering box basically from a 1 ton and it is awesome. I did not replace the input shaft because I never thought about it. I did replace the intermediate steering column and the steering wheel bearing and it completely eliminated all vibrations in my steering wheel…for about 2 years. It recently started vibrating again.

Nice video, and good thing you didn't just give in and started cutting and modifying. To me it's weird that aftermarket products never seem to fit without modification, like they started with a good idea, but the manufacturer never tried if it actually fits and works.

Years ago, I got a steering shaft from flaming river. It had two set screws like you want. I was still concerned about it coming loose. I did have to cut the pin off with my grinder. Wasn’t fond of that either. Nickel plated, spring loaded collapsible, started to rust within a month or so. Extremely disappointed for the price I paid.

Just as you looked at the cup, I said out loud "junkyard!" 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Nice informative vid!!

I have a 99 Tahoe with the same setup. You still have to be careful putting that shaft back on. Even though it only goes on "one way" there's some play in there. First time I reattached it my steering was off about 30 degrees. Wheel didn't move. It was locked. I loosened and rotated as much as possible with the wheel locked and slide back on...perfect. Watch out for that!

Aside from the pin preventing the shaft from sliding down, couldn't you have just rotated the shaft 180 degrees for the set screw to go where it needs to? Or was it flat on the other side as well?

Trim the spur off. Put the shaft upside down so the bolt is facing down. After it’s engaged the splines turn your steering wheel till the set screw/bolt is facing up and tighten the thing down. It will be in the groove then. Pretty simple really. You don’t want to drill the borgeson shaft cause that’s a vibration dampener up in there.

Just did this on my 2000 OBS Tahoe and it fit perfectly in the original steering box as the stock one has no pin. The older 94 and lower boxes which readhead use have a pin in them. Should have just grinded the pin off. Gonna do the same to my readhead box once my stock original box goes out.

I bought the replacement from Amazon- the top goes in the bottom is hell to get on. Dust boot is the problem. Any tips?

Excellent video, even though you got the wrong parts to do the job! Thanks Jimmy!

I’d installed the redhead box and a new rag joint. I bet I would drive real nice

Jeep steering shaft works on S-10 and "G" body stuff

what about undoing the set screw on the upper section of the new shaft and moving that 90 degrees

LOL, talk about frustrating just went through all that and just basically finished my 99 Tahoe for over landing loved it, and my father-in-law just wrecked it don't know if I should start over or just enjoy watching you.

Well because of this now i wanna change the steering shaft on my 04 ascender aka the gmc envoy

I replaced my rag joint in my g body with a factory replacement from a 91 Jeep Grand Cherokee.. it’s u joint but replacements can be picked up from local parts store…. It fit with no modification. My China made shaft had to be heated at the collapsing area to get it to collapse enough for my application but it’s all the correct splines and also the correct spline/bolt locations for factory fit

I think Borge's got an almost great product. But while I was leaning toward OEM for My upcoming replacement, this vid confirms it. OEM.

I think the lesson here is, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it". lol Nice video , as usual.

I replaced the steering shaft on my 94’ k2500 with a borgeson. My replacement was with the rag joint. When you go hard to the lock, it actually cams out of its pins…. I thing I’m going to go with a universal joint. Also replaced the steering box with a red head. Running 255 85/16’s, she’s a handful still. Time for a 3rd alignment…

Drilling a hole in the shaft seems like that should work. Knowing why the torson bar thing is there would be good info possibly. Thanks for the Vid. I'll have to check or videos to see if you revisit this.

I put a universal shaft on my 94 chevy before i sold it. Its pretty smooth if it has the matching universal pivet joint at the firewall. But if it just a straight shaft into the firewall input youll get a hard popping in your steering wheel when you turn... And for anyone looking for a better turning radius on the earlier models but dont have money for a red head box i recommend doing the 97-98 steering box mod. Can find one just about anywhere and they're very affordable

I wonder if that lower was the actual replacement because doorman makes several lower shafts that actually fit

Replace the original with OEM. The original lasted this long. This is a common deal with aftermarket stuff. Rarely does it work without modification. The Borgeson splined coupling should have the facility to use the factory retaining bolt. It's the only thing preventing the coupling from sliding off the steering gear input shaft. The single set screw is not a good design, and in my view, is unsafe. It should also have been counter bored to accept the "pin".