Best Steering Shaft

[Russell Carpenter]

Hello, I am new to the group and I am looking for information on Upgrading my steering shaft. I have a 1999, K3500, GMC, with a 454. I am wanting to upgrade my steering shaft can anyone tell what is best to go with. I have replaced the steering gear box and the front end is tight. I have narrowed it down to the steering shaft but I don't want to go back with stock I want to upgrade it. Any help is appreciated.

 

[RichLo]

For the price, OEM shaft with a Flaming River u-joint is the best budget option (rag joint eliminator). Otherwise Flaming River also make whole shafts if you want something shiny.

I have the flaming river u-joint with OEM shaft in both my 97 k3500 dually and 93 k1500. That is in my top-10 first things to do to these trucks.

 

[SNCTMPL]

You might want to look at Cunningham Machine.

 

[Russell Carpenter]

For the price, OEM shaft with a Flaming River u-joint is the best budget option (rag joint eliminator). Otherwise Flaming River also make whole shafts if you want something shiny.

I have the flaming river u-joint with OEM shaft in both my 97 k3500 dually and 93 k1500. That is in my top-10 first things to do to these trucks.

Flaming river isn't showing on for my truck or even for an old one.

 

[Russell Carpenter]

You might want to look at Cunningham Machine.

Thank you

 

[A97obs]

You might want to look at Cunningham Machine.

I just did the Cunningham shaft its a quality piece for sure !! No qualms yet. Although not a deal breaker but I feel like or wish they would revise the
“Allen” set screw that locks the shaft to the gear box , for a Grade 8 hex head bolt mainly for the ease of nerves lol…
Anything “Allen” sucks ‘ But I agree Cunningham for the win!!!
They also make really good door bushings and pins !

 

[denverdriveby]

Hello, I am new to the group and I am looking for information on Upgrading my steering shaft. I have a 1999, K3500, GMC, with a 454. I am wanting to upgrade my steering shaft can anyone tell what is best to go with. I have replaced the steering gear box and the front end is tight. I have narrowed it down to the steering shaft but I don't want to go back with stock I want to upgrade it. Any help is appreciated.

I have 1991 K3500 with the 454 and I recommend replacing stock absolute garbage poorly fitting rag-joint steering shaft with a Dorman brand steering shaft for a 1988-1994 C2500/C3500 PART# 425-177 which has a lower U-joint and fits good no modifications

I ordered mine from www.partsgeek.com for $140 shipped

Many people say the 1988-1996 Jeep Cherokee XJ steering shaft is a good choice but you'll need to do modifications to the XJ steering shaft using a torch to melt out plastic coupler insert AND to modify your upper blob joint with a grinder to cut a bolt notch for the XJ shaft to fit....and a new XJ steering shaft costs same or more than the Dorman GM Chevrolet C2500/C3500 steering shaft...no thanks personally as that's a lot of time consuming work to get tools set up and do all that trial and error modifying

Those Cunningham Machine steering shafts are way rad looking and if I was building more of a hot rod show truck or hard-core rock crawler I'd think that would be better choice than the Dorman C2500/C3500 shaft I used but my truck is a daily driver work truck so I saw no need for the nicer deluxe Cunningham shaft

 

[Erik the Awful]

OP has a '99 C3500, so he can't use the Jeep joint. Also, my '88 C3500 doesn't fit the Jeep joint like I used on my '89 C1500.

But thanks for that link! I've been looking for a replacement joint for my '88 for a while now, and they've all been >$200 or unavailable. It's good to see they're back in stock.

 

[denverdriveby]

I should have read OP closer, thanks for clarifying (my bad). Have a good one!

 

[Nad_Yvalhosert]

And O.P. hasn't been seen since before Christmas...