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I need a new intermediate steering shaft to pass my state inspection...
After lurking around the interweb, I discovered that the OEM intermediate steering shafts are no longer available...
Are there any reputable/quality OE replacements or anyone with a spare?
For clarity...1985.5 Porsche 944
Well, my experience has been the intermediate shaft is unobtainium for the manual steering racks, but if I'm wrong I'd sure like to hear about it since I have a manual rack I can't use for lack of the intermediate. At some point in my search I think I came across a reference to a shop that built these to specification but I can't find it now.
My solution has been to "de-power" a power rack. If you search on "de-powered rack" you'll find instructions. It isn't difficult and the results, IMHO, are acceptable.
I assume you have power steering. If so, aftermarket intermediate shafts are available from Rennbay, Paragon, 944online, Amazon, etc. for around $125.
If you have a manual rack your options are to buy an aftermarket PS shaft that has been lengthened from 944online for $300 or construct your own using off-the-shelf components for around $100. If you search, someone posted a link to the U-joints and shafts you need to build your own.
If you have a manual rack (or power for that matter), you can replace the u-joints. They are not expensive, but it's labor intensive and you're kinda on your own as far as how you're going to retain them. The OE shaft was never designed to be taken apart and put back together again. Not that it would stop me
Surprised nobody does this stateside but if you are willing to send your old shaft to England then JMG Shop can rebuild it better than stock for around $200. Their site only mentions this service for rhd cars sold in England however they can rebuild any intermediate shaft if you send them in a core.
You can rebuild them yourself if you can find u-joints with the correct measurements and have a simple press, you’d have to just restake the bearings in a new place on the shaft.
Just dont buy from Rennbay, the quality is very bad.
I haven't tried Rennbay for the intermediate shaft, but I did order and install their ball joint replacement kit and found it to be very high quality? I'm surprised you had a bad experience with them.
Just dont buy from Rennbay, the quality is very bad.
I will add though that, after the installation of the Rennbay ball joint kit, I took the car to a shop I'd been using for decades on Whiteoaks in Campbell CA and they chose to make bad noises about those same ball joints. They declined to warranty their 4 wheel alignment on grounds they didn't care much for those parts.
I accepted their refusal to warranty their work and won't be doing business with them again. I consider their policies predatory and would warn anyone from using them in future. They'd changed ownership since Ken sold the business and I'm afraid they've turned to "the darkside". Oh well. Sh*t happens as they say. It's sort of sad.
I bought one on ebay and it was solid quality and price was good. It WAS however a major pain in the ___ to replace. Like anything else on the turbo car, so much has to be removed to replace something simple. On the positive side, I found the clutch master cylinder was leaking and the supply hose to it was hard and un-useable. Another opportunity to gain experience on these cars.
Like anything else on the turbo car, so much has to be removed to replace something simple.
If you think the 951 is difficult, try a 928 sometime. Just imagine shoving a V8 (circa 1985) into an engine bay that's just about the same size as a 944. You have to take off almost everything (mostly the intake manifold, which is big on an S3) to get at anything. You don't have room to sneeze in that car much less swing a cat (who swings cats anyway?)
Then again, if I ever live to do a clutch job on a 944 again I might stop bitching about the 928
There used to be a QC problem with the new shafts Travis sold on Rennbay. They were clocked incorrectly and had “loose” bearings, I think Travis must have fixed the problems though as he still sells them on Rennbay. This is a video that @ihoe posted about the issue.
I'm unclear whether power steering was an option then, or when it became a standard feature, but my car DOES have power steering...
@MAGK944 If I had a spare intermediate steering shaft or a secondary car, I'd follow your suggestion and have the shaft rebuilt...also, I can have the car re-inspected at no additional cost within 30 days or 1,000 miles, so time is limited...
@mytrplseven Do you remember what brand the shaft was that you ordered on eBay?
11-17-2018 | 11:53 PM
Intermediate Steering Shaft
