Quarter Windows and Steering Shafts

After leaving Air Force active duty, I worked for a custom home builder for a few years. The owner was the onsite foreman when it came to critical work, and laying-out and setting forms for the foundation was the one thing he insisted on doing himself. He said that a quarter inch error in the foundation would cause problems at every step of construction and he wanted it exactly right. I thought of him when I encountered a new problem that is related to an earlier one I discovered many months ago. At that time, I decided that a ¼ inch sheet metal misalignment on the passenger side was a factory error, and not repairable without major sheet metal work. Now that quarter inch problem came back to haunt me.

At the time, due to severe rust damage I had no way to check the exact placement of the inner rocker, so I had to make a best guess. Now, while trying to install the passenger quarter panel glass, I have minor interference where the guide track meets the aftermarket inner rocker near the door post. It’s only off by about 1/8 inch but it is next thing to inaccessible through access holes from above. I can’t insert a tool to cut the end of the rocker to clear, so I tapered the nylon guide on the end of the window, and then adhesive-bonded a “skid plate” on the top side of the rocker so the guide doesn’t catch the end when the window is lowered all the way.  It’s almost as hard to describe as it is to reach, but it is done and so far so good! At least the quarter window is installed and operating, though both sides will need serious adjusting after the doors are installed.

One other minor accomplishment was cutting the block to clear the motor mount. That proved to be a simple operation.

I also sand blasted and painted the steering box and shaft, as well as the truck shaft to which it will be mated. It’s time to start thinking about the best way to join the two pieces, so I’ll take it into the local machine shop to get their opinion. The machine shop is run by an old hot-rodder, so he might have some good advice.

I’m thinking a custom coupler with a Double-D on one end and splined on the other. I’ll also have to cut the steering wheel spline so it has infinite adjustment since I’ll be losing the factory setting.