Originally Posted by DaveP@syty.net

I first worked with the Cherokee shaft about 2 months ago. The major pitfall to using this shaft is that it is designed to be installed with about a 22" length. The SyTy requires a 17=1/2" installed length. Because the shaft is designed to collapse during a frontal impact, the design is critical to safety. I could not come up with a way to make the Cherokee shaft work, while retaining the 4" of collapse-length that the SyTy shaft has. Because I do not scrimp on, or ignore safety, I had my eyes out for an alternative.

Here's the collapse details of the stock SyTy shaft. The lower shaft can push the rubber boot up about another 3/4" before it bottoms, and the lower boot will yield as well. So we have right about 4" of collapse length:
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I was at my friend's wrecking yard. I found a Cherokee shaft. On the same shelf was an Astro Van shaft. I took both of them home. Here they are laid out in the required 17-1/2" length configuration. Note how the Cherokee shaft is almost fully collapsed when the two parts are joind to the required length:
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Here's the main impediment to modifying the Cherokee shaft. To cut 2-1/2" off of each section to allow 3-1/2" of collapse, you get into this "flat area". It is only 3-1/2" long. And the plastic shims will be cut off as well. When you're done, there's only 1" of interface between the two parts, and the NVH isolation of the plastic is lost too. I don't like this. This is my main issue with the Cherokee shaft. Can't be shortened, really.
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These are on the Astro Van shaft. these are sliding contacts for the horn. The center shaft must be grounded for the horn button to work. (I have not a clue how the Cherokee shaft grounds with those plastic NVH bushings. any one had horn trouble after the Cherokee installation???).
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Here's my installation, step by step. After the research, it took me less than 30 minutes to install it. Having the engine out helped a lot!

You must have the flat on the input shaft to the gearbox up as shown in the straight-ahead position. If it isn't, it means the toe was set with the gearbox off-center. If it's not flat, make it so, and have the toe re-set if it doesn't go straight when you're finished..
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The upper bolt has to index through a recess in the column shaft. I shot a spot of spray paint in the hole to mark where I needed to grind, and pulled the shaft off and ground a shallow slot with my die grinder. Don't grind too deeply. It doesn't take much. You want the bolt to keep the shaft from sliding off the upper shaft. I put the bolt in loosely, and could not pull the shaft off the column. That's a good thing.Here's the result:
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And as predicted by my research, the steering wheel ended up clocked to the Right by 90º. I will address this when I work on the interior stuff, but I know from the "Steering Wheel Index Thread" that the wheel index is easily fixed. See that thread for details.

OK. The survey says..... Yes, Yes, Bzzzt.

There are no indexes or flats on the steering wheel. It will go on in any position on the splines.

The turn signal cancel cam is the white horn contact thingy that goes on under the lock plate, and indexes into the steering wheel. So regardless of where the wheel is in relation to the steering shaft, the cancel-cam will always be indexed to the steering wheel. EDIT: However, the cam sticks through the lock plate, which IS indexed. See the post below for clarification.

Yes Virginia, you can put the steering wheel on wherever you want it.

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I know that there are many, many people that are very happy with their Cherokee shaft installation. I'm sure they don't intend to crash their truck. Neither do I, but if I do, my steering shaft modification hasn't eliminated an important safety element of the original design that may help reduce the severity of the injuries sustained.

Thanks for reading,
DaveP



Rexxenexx and I went junkyarding last week. One of the items for procurement was an Astro steering shaft for his Ty. We looked under the hoods of at least a dozen Astros. Here's the new info:

The 96-up Astro shaft is the one we need for SyTy. The 95-down is too short. They can be identified by the 96-up is enclosed in a rubber boot that extends from the firewall to the steering box. You have to cut the boot away, and remove the (4) 7mm hex screws on the upper end to gain access to the upper bolt. The 95-down, which is exposed (no boot) is too short for us, and can't be extended. This change appears to be concurrent with the last Inst Panel design that began in 96 and carried through to the end of Astro production in 2002.

Thanks for the help. I've now done, or been involved in, 3 of these Astro shaft and steering wheel re-clock installs. They take about an hour. The results are great, and I feel so much better knowing the collapse-length is still sufficient in case it was ever needed to be there.

I wanted to add the detail of it HAS to be a 96-up Astro part. This mod is my 'baby', so I wanted to keep it accurate.
DaveP

Originally Posted by neo71665

Not all of them have to have the top relief milled. Jeep used 2 different but almost same shafts. Just depends on which one got installed that day. Both work just one needs the tiny bit ground out.

If you can't find the correct xj look for a yj wrangler.
The wranglers have the same style but are 6 inches or so longer. All you have to do is slide it apart and cut some the shafts down.

I didn't have to mill anything on mine. Been running it for about a year or so now.