Date:         Tue, 8 Oct 2002 21:46:34 +1300
Reply-To:     Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Andrew Grebneff <andrew.grebneff@STONEBOW.OTAGO.AC.NZ>
Subject:      Re: Replacing steering rubber link with universal joint
In-Reply-To:  <20021007194146.38882.qmail@web14701.mail.yahoo.com>
Content-type: text/plain; format=flowed; charset=us-ascii

>       I think replacing with new coupling would be a
>better idea.   Are these no longer available?   I
>believe the design is for safety reasons.   It keeps
>the steering wheel from hitting your chest in a front
>end collision.

>That is EXACTLY why VW used the rubber discs, to eliminate the cases of
>impaling.

>Just repalce them every ten years and you'll have nothing to worry
>about.

How long will they be available? Stock up on them? Will they go off in storage?

As to impaling, the steering column is close enough to vertical that
it seems to me that the upper end of the column wouldn't be pushed
upward, but more likely swing forward (pivoting at the dash bracket
as the lower end is pushed backward), though this may be wrong.
Thinking of it now, the rubber coupling is not in a place whereby it
can help in an accident anyway... whether or not it snaps in a
crumpling impact, it won't in any way affect the column's movement.
The column is too long to pop out of the way, and the crumpling floor
is guaranteed to trap and push back the column. There is a
purpose-made snap-off/bendy joint in the column just above the
cockpit floor, so the rubber unit isn't really needed for safety
anyway. It's a different story with sedans, where the column is short
in the first place, and set at a much shallower angle, whereby it
might act as a spear, being pushed back along its axis; this cannot
happen in a head-on with the van..

I don't like the idea of a failure-prone item in my steering. I think
I'll look into this... it'd certainly make the steering much more
precise. I intend to fit a Toyota car steering column anyway, so my
switchgear will be on the correct sides and is QUALITY switchgear
(not the cheap & nasty VW items) and so that there's an "auto"
setting for the lights.
--
Andrew Grebneff
165 Evans St, Dunedin 9001, New Zealand
<andrew.grebneff@stonebow.otago.ac.nz>
Seashell, Macintosh, VW/Toyota van nut