Swapping a Borgeson steering box in a 1970 Charger

[Kern Dog]

I had to make one too. For some reason, the Borgeson hybrid coupler has a longer housing.

The thin factory seal retainer can be difficult to secure.
There have been times that I have complained about it on forums only to have a few guys say that they have never had a problem with them.
No...they are thin and too damn flimsy. They bend too easily. The last one I did, I did off the car. I had to take needlenose pliers and bend two tangs first, then slip it over the coupler and use a nail punch and hammer to bend the others over. It worked.
Almost every time I've installed a steering column to a Mopar steering box, the splines engage so tight, I have to tap on the coupler to get it to slide on. Doing this with that thin retainer in place means bending and distorting that retainer, then it wont lay flat no matter what you do. It really is a shitty design.

 

[Kern Dog]

Another option is to bend the tangs with the ends of the pliers like this:

 

[JR_Charger]

It really is a shitty design.

I 2nd that. Not a single one should have been made for the aftermarket. Chrysler may have been able to clamp those things down in the factory, with some kind of special rig, which no one else will ever have. Replacements should have a thick cover that won't bend, and/or come with the coupler clamp.

I'm really disappointed with Bergman for sending out this part that needs a few modifications to work.

I'll try bending the tabs as you suggested. It's clear there is only so much that can be done though, as clamping them in on one side just opens up the ones on the other side. Well, I've got two sets of needle nose maybe I can do both sides at once. It's worth a try.

Wish I'd thought to test the Bergman coupler on the steering box. The Borgeson coupler slid on easy and was too loose if anything.

Maybe I did test the Bergman coupler, and don't remember because there wasn't a problem. I'm going to hope that's the case.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

I hadn't considered that the Borgeson would need a longer clamp, but of course it would.

Feel like making more than one clamp?

Sorry no, Im really struggling to make one.

 

[Sixpactogo]

I hadn't considered that the Borgeson would need a longer clamp, but of course it would.

Feel like making more than one clamp?

I am wondering if you have the correct coupler. I got mine back in 2015 along with the Borgeson gear. It is the same length as the original except for the welded on adapter for the shorter steering gear. I had the same trouble as you with trying to pean those ears over, I bought the spring steel keeper and it fits perfectly. I believe you may have gotten the wrong coupler since it is too long and you had to file the shoes to make it fit. I would be making another call to Bergman. This was designed to be a plug and play swap and you have not been supplied what you paid for.

 

[Kern Dog]

Maybe BAC uses an outside vendor to make these couplers and the design was changed?
Physically, the longer coupler would allow for more "plunge" in a car with a more flexible chassis. I wonder if it was a design change to allow a wider fitment application? The 73 and later B bodies used the rubber isolated K member that flexed a LOT more.
Aside from the fact that the spring clip is too short, I see no other drawback to the longer coupler.
See post # 208 in this thread as to my solution. Making my own copy of the seal retainer wasn't that hard and I'm not ax expert fabricator. I got it done on my first effort. I just used a vice and some hand tools.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

The longer coupler is prolly there so the steering shoes can sit at the same distance from the firewall as with the original steering box.

 

[Sixpactogo]

The longer coupler is prolly there so the steering shoes can sit at the same distance from the firewall as with the original steering box.

Not so. The welded on adaptor on the bottom makes up for the shorter steering gear. Plus if the shoes are too wide for the coupler, then the coupler is too narrow. I agree to the fact that you can make a longer retainer and file the shoes to make them fit. However, I see no reason not to receive the correct parts.

 

[JR_Charger]

My coupler is 5" long, is that correct? It sounds like Jonas Nordstrom has the same thing I do.

Perhaps this coupler problem can be solved with the creative use of zip ties - provided the zip ties don't melt, being so close to the manifolds/headers. I'm just spitballing here. It sounds like the wire coupler is not easy to make.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

Not so. The welded on adaptor on the bottom makes up for the shorter steering gear. Plus if the shoes are too wide for the coupler, then the coupler is too narrow. I agree to the fact that you can make a longer retainer and file the shoes to make them fit. However, I see no reason not to receive the correct parts.

Nope. If my coupler had the same height as the original one then it wouldnt sit at the same distance from the firewall, I measured this very carefully, pictures in my thread.

....though if the welded on part is longer on yours than mine, then it would be correct.

 

[JR_Charger]

Not so. The welded on adaptor on the bottom makes up for the shorter steering gear. Plus if the shoes are too wide for the coupler, then the coupler is too narrow. I agree to the fact that you can make a longer retainer and file the shoes to make them fit. However, I see no reason not to receive the correct parts.

That's what I'm thinking, the longer adapter is correct. The narrow tracks for the shoes are a known manufacturing defect which Bergman knowingly pushed out. I was able to fix it. I'm just p.o.'d because I paid for a plug'n'play fix and got a product that can be made to work with some effort - same as the free Borgeson coupler. All I got for my money was a little easier modification. Maybe.

 

[Sixpactogo]

My coupler is 5" long, is that correct? It sounds like Jonas Nordstrom has the same thing I do.

Perhaps this coupler problem can be solved with the creative use of zip ties - provided the zip ties don't melt, being so close to the manifolds/headers. I'm just spitballing here. It sounds like the wire coupler is not easy to make.

The original coupler was 3" long. The Borgeson gear is 1" shorter than the original. They added a 1 1/8" collar to make up the difference. My correct fitting coupler is 4 1/8" long.

 

[JR_Charger]

Here's what I've got compared to the factory coupler -

And to the Borgeson coupler -

Borgeson developing surface rust after a few months of sitting indoors, with no weather exposure. Shame on Borgeson and Bergman. These parts are going on good collector cars, not Billy Bob's $200 Cavalier beater. Powder coat should be the standard.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

The original coupler was 3" long. The Borgeson gear is 1" shorter than the original. They added a 1 1/8" collar to make up the difference. My correct fitting coupler is 4 1/8" long.

Thats 10.5cm
My coupler is 12.3cm, so if I used your coupler then it would not sit at the same location as the original did.
(I measured my original box with original coupler. Distance from firewall.
My Borgeson with my longer coupler sits at exactly the same location.)

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

My coupler is 5" long, is that correct? It sounds like Jonas Nordstrom has the same thing I do.

Perhaps this coupler problem can be solved with the creative use of zip ties - provided the zip ties don't melt, being so close to the manifolds/headers. I'm just spitballing here. It sounds like the wire coupler is not easy to make.

Yours is 127mm long? Mine is 123mm.

Ah well, Im dropping this now, those mm can be adjusted with the s column.

 

[JR_Charger]

Yours is 127mm long? Mine is 123mm.

Ah well, Im dropping this now, those mm can be adjusted with the s column.

I measured with the cover and rubber gasket on the back. That's probably where the extra 4mm comes from.

 

[Sixpactogo]

Thats 10.5cm
My coupler is 12.3cm, so if I used your coupler then it would not sit at the same location as the original did.
(I measured my original box with original coupler. Distance from firewall.
My Borgeson with my longer coupler sits at exactly the same location.)

I tried to explain to you that "if" you had the correct coupler, it would be 4 1/8" long. (total length)
Yours is 5" long. (total length)
Some people can't or won't be helped. I'm sorry, I can't help you.

 

[Jonas Nordstrom]

I tried to explain to you that "if" you had the correct coupler, it would be 4 1/8" long. (total length)
Yours is 5" long. (total length)
Some people can't or won't be helped. I'm sorry, I can't help you.

And I am trying to explain to you that the 4 1/8" is not the correct coupler if you want the coupler end to be at the same place as the original box with the original coupler had.

I did measure both.

 

[JR_Charger]

FWIW I've got a 72 Charger and Jonas Nordstrom appears to have a 68 Charger.

 

[JR_Charger]

The zip tie idea may not be so bad after all. I found metal zip ties on eBay, and "heat resistant" plastic zip ties. You could cross them over the coupler and then put a third one around the coupler, and the zip ties wouldn't be able to come off. The metal ones might damage the paint on the coupler, but the plastic ones should be fine. If they don't melt. That area doesn't get hot enough for the rubber gasket under the troublesome metal cap to melt, so maybe regular plastic zip ties would be fine?