Flex Joint (Rag Joint)

[dotcentral]

What year did Ford start putting these in F100s? What year with power steering equipped trucks.

[xxxtina63]

Not sure when they started using them. I know they date back a long time. My 67 has one w/Bendix power steering. Joint completely fell apart when I went to change it. Scary!

[mcarlson11]

I have one, 1965.

[FORDification]

I could be wrong, but I'm thinking that '65 was the first year for the rag joint, for both power and manual steering. I did some poking around in my literature but couldn't find any specific mention of it, though.

[dotcentral]

I was just curious. I had been reading over on Ford Muscle people calling the pre-rag joint columns the "spear of death". A few people had reworked their steering to get a rag joint or a newer column in their classic Fords.

[xxxtina63]

Spear of Death refers to if I'm not mistaken, old school steering columns that had a one piece metal shaft that ran from the steering gear to the steering wheel. If you found yourself in a collision and were thrown forward into the steering wheel, there was a pretty good chance that the wheel would collapse and/or be driven down the shaft, thus impaling you like a cabob

[dotcentral]

Yes, that's it. Hopefully the rag joint has enough give to make that less likely to happen. Although seems like it is only about an inch or so of slack. But, you get hit hard enough and nothing is going to save you.

[xxxtina63]

Well, a seatbelt could help. They were not super common/required back in the day. Also, if you are in a front end collision, take into consideration the body/frame distortion. Even though the old Ford frames are tough, with a rag joint you only need about an inch of movement and the shafts won't be lined up. Still, a good seatbelt would keep you out of the steering wheel, or at least losing your front teeth.

[rjewkes]

The joint seems to fall appart about every 6 months even sooner if you have to turn a powe steering without power. So i beleive at 25 mph + the joint will rip in two. Thus saving you from being inpaled.

[ivansgreat]

Yes, '65 was the first year. In the documentary "The Fog of War" Robert McNamara, the former president of Ford and secretary of Defense during Vietnam, briefly talks about some of the improvements that were made to Ford automobiles to improve safety. He doesn't say that a rag joint was added but I'm guessing that that's what it was. He does talk about people being impaled to the column in accidents though. Just so ya'll know, It's an excellent documentary.

Actually what Mcnamara was talking about in the documentary was an improvement in 1956. So, I'm guessing that before the rag joint came along another improvement had already been made.

[68F250]

That's a good trivia question, Pickups got it in '65 and I'm thinking cars got it in '61?

[oldschoolrods]

Not to thread jack but where are you guys buying your new rag joints? I just realized mine is broken after driving it like that for almost 3 years but I cant seem to find a new one at the parts stores, does carpenter or LMC carry them?

[rjewkes]

napa,Autozone,O'riely,kragens,shucks,checker. It is an universal kit.

[fordman]

yea the aftermarket guys have them.