Phillips head screws and nuts on rubber rag joint.

[Charger1973]

I am working on a 1973 Dodge Charger. There are 4 screws 1 3/4 long with stover looking lock nuts that bolt the rubber rag joint in place. Does anyone know where to get these other than a junk yard?

 

[moper]

Not sure. Motormite used to have a few examples of replacement rag joints but I don't recall ever seeing anyone with Phillips headed screws. Are they something you could make by modifying a carriage bolt or something?

 

[Charger1973]

These are pictures of the part with the screws. I probably could modify something but this steers the car, if the bolt should break that could be a problem. I figured these might be special since it has to do with the steering. Plus the nuts are stover looking lock nuts. I could probably find something in a grade 8 bolt. There are 4 of them. It was hard to get to the Phillips head to get them off. I rounded the head of the bolts and ended up Cutting them off. I was able to get these 2 off.

but I'm trying to put the car back together to original. I did a rotisserie restoration.

 

[Charger1973]

Thanks for your help moper.

 

[Charger1973]

Found this on the c body site. This looks just like mine.

 

[YY1]

Not sure about C body cars but for B it was 1973 only.

Not an easy to find setup.

The closest I could find was semi-countersunk pan head in stainless and all thread.

Not terribly confident in the shear strength of that, and it would stick out like a sore thumb.

Those nuts are not real easy to work with either as the contact surface for your wrench is very small.

I ended up taking the column out and chucking it up in a vise, using repeated applications of penetrating oil and allowing me to get a better grip and angle on the phillips head.

To put it back, I used a large #3 phillips bit from an impact hammer set and put that in a 3/8 gear wrench.

All this to replace the "puck" which I did with an actual hockey puck.

I was one step and thrown tool away from converting it to a 74 and up joint, which you can buy new at auto zone for $10.

 

[Charger1973]

Thank you for the information. Sounds exactly what I went thru to get mine off. I looked at what moper suggested but had no luck. I did find on the c body site that these may have been used on the 72 New Yorkers. Someone posted that last picture that I added to my reply on the c body site. I am doing some more investigation and I'll share what I find. Thanks again.

 

[moparedtn]

All this to replace the "puck" which I did with an actual hockey puck.

Oh man, I LOVE that! American ingenuity, by God!