2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Borgsen Steering Shaft can kill you

[rootmanslim]

I have put on my steel shorts as I know lots of you love them BUT one almost killed me and a friend. 2001 4X4, auto, Rixon wheels and 19. 5" tires. Lots of driving on USFS roads hauling a horse trailer. Driving back from Jackson WY to Pinedale WY on rt 191 (paved). After all the twisty turners thru the Hoback canyon (no guard rails and a river to fall into after a 10-50 ft drop), we climbed the rim and were cruising along at 65 on the dead level in one of the few areas with wide flat shoulders. I went to make a minor steering correction and the wheel just turned in my hands... NO STEERING! Thanks to the road crown and gentle braking we slowly drifted off into the sagebrush and got stopped 15 feet from a large steel tower housing a weather station in front of a 4 strand barbed wire fence. The Borgsen shaft had been installed 8000 miles before and as well as the jam nuts all the allen heads were locktited. What happened is that the allen head on the upper end vibrated loose and the shaft collapsed (accident slip joint) and was disconnected from the wheel. IMO it is a poor design as the total connection reliability is based on those allen heads and jam nuts. May be fine for the 2WD that never goes off pavement but Wyoming washboard will shake anything loose. I went back to the OEM shaft that has a slide on collet with a big bolt & nut to tighten the collet on the shaft. BTW the lauded Borgsen made no difference in my steering unlike the Luke's link and Solid Steel Industries steering box locater.

I sent it back and they sent me a check. No comments from them at all on my enclosed note. Almost anywhere else on that 77 mile drive and we would have been statistics. A big ad in TDR does not a good product make and they won't buy your tombstone either. Rates right up there as a near death experience with the Otter crash in Ontario, but that's another story.

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[RRees]

I'll double check mine on my Jeep. It's been on for 5 years. Time to do a "look see".

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

Nice "heads up" - thanks, I was considering one of those, hafta re-think it!

 

[DodgeWarlock]

Nice "heads up" - thanks, I was considering one of those, hafta re-think it!

Agreed. I was considering them myself. At the very least, it warrants a rethinking of the setscrew and jam nut setup for those who've already made the swap. Maybe a square head set screw or bolt with safety wire???

 

[AFoulk]

man that sucks, sorry to hear that. Kinda makes me rethink going with one of those too.

Not to change the subject, but who makes your front bumber? I think thats one of the best looking ones I've seen yet. Whats one of those puppies weigh?

 

[DCreed]

how about wiring the bolts/nuts like on racecars? like the cotterpins on other components? hey at least they gave a refund!

 

[Pavemen]

Odd. i have been running one in my gasser trail rig for 4 years now without any issues. All set screws were tight as of 8 months ago when I replaced the steering box. The truck sees a lot of offroad miles as well. Gets bounced around, lots of steering pressure when offroad, 80,000 miles or more on it.


glad to hear you are alive, but yours is the first dramatic failure I have heard of in regards to this product.

 

[rootmanslim]

A guy in Colorado who used to advertise in TDR as Denver Off Road. It is aluminum with bedliner coating on it. Weighs about 1/3 as much as a Ranch Hand and, as it is all welded, is probably at least as strong.
He also just made me a new rear bumper which is steel and could take out a brick wall.
Here's a website but he has moved and this phone # is NG.
Denver Off Road Aluminum Winch Bumper
I found him Layne Wright 970-464-5566

 

[rootmanslim]

You would have heard of mine either had I been anywhere else on that road because I'd be dead. Counting on a few allen heads and jam nuts with no safety wires to keep high stress critical parts together is an invitation to looking UP at the grass. You'ld never see it done in an airplane and that's my benchmark.

 

[WrenchRat]

Glad to hear your not a statistic Rootmanslim! And thanks for sharing the detail of the failure mode.

I too have considered a Borgeson shaft for one of my Dodges over the years, but just rebuilt the factory unit. Maybe I'll just stay on that track.

 

[CumminsFarmer]

Did you forget to set the slide bearing with LOCK collar underneath the rubber boot? Mine came with such a piece, and once install is done you simply slide it up under the rubber boot, and tighten a set screw on it, so the shaft cant collapse.

 

[Matt42]

Otter or Twin Otter? Neither look like something that should fly. I'll take a C-46 (Curtis) any day.



11 years here with OEM steering shaft. And yes, I do steer & turn & stuff.

 

[JacobsD]

That's the first Borgeson failure story I've heard



No offence, but I think the title "Borgeson steering shaft can kill you" is a bit over the top though. I mean, you could say "Dodge track bar can kill you" or something like that. "Can Kill you" is such a generailzed statement these days.



once again, no offence was intended by that



But anyways, I will continue to think Borgeson makes a much more superior product than most others out there. My senior auto shop went to their facility, and it's really a quite amazing place. The people there were friendly, and it was nice seeing a place where there were actually People working, not robots and computerized gizmos.



Anyways, The most important thing is your ok, and your truck is ok. That's one hellofa story to be able to tell the grandkids someday :-laf

 

[BILLVO]

Did you forget to set the slide bearing with LOCK collar underneath the rubber boot? Mine came with such a piece, and once install is done you simply slide it up under the rubber boot, and tighten a set screw on it, so the shaft cant collapse.

Mine too. And if I remeber right there was a statement about this in the directions also.



Maybe the older ones didn't have it but hard to believe they wouldn't.



I rechecked my set screws about once a month for a few months to make sure and now am very confident about them not loosening up. Mine sees mostly washboard country roads and a lot of off roading also.

 

[ed9824v]

on my street rod I drilled an indent into the shaft that the allen recess into but that would not be enough if the bolt itself loosened up. Actually now that I come to think of it mine is a flaming river unit. Ed

 

[ROADWARRIOR]

Glad to hear your not a statistic Rootmanslim! And thanks for sharing the detail of the failure mode.



I too have considered a Borgeson shaft for one of my Dodges over the years, but just rebuilt the factory unit. Maybe I'll just stay on that track.

I was thinking about trying to rebuild mine also. What did you all rebuild on yours?



Thanks,

Dan

 

[rootmanslim]

That is a new addition since i bought mine. One wonders why??? The shaft must be able to collapse in a wreck anyway. It wouldn't pass muster is USAF plane, I don't want my life depending on it.

 

[rootmanslim]

Single engine Otter on floats. Things get interesting when it swallows a valve. Watching raw avgas pouring out the stack while trying to find a lake to put it down on does focus one's attention. Kinds like no steering at 65 mph..... Then there was the C-130 that #1 froze on in full pitch takeoff power at 35' off the runway in Nam'. You do land VERY quickly!

Bet there are not 10 people on this site that ever rode in a C-46, it never got the fame of the Dakota but was/is still a neat bird.

 

[KSears]

I had one on my old truck ( 90 w250 ) for over ten years without a problem,, The original only last 5 yrs before it was worn out,,

 

[SRath]

You'd better get yourself a new cat, rootmanslim! Can't be too many lives left on whatever one you've got!



I've experienced that incredibly helpless feeling of having a steering wheel spin uselessly in my hands & you never forget it (I was showing off to 3 of my fellow 16 year old buddies how fast my '64 Chevelle SS was. I buried the speedo way past 120mph a couple times, slowed way down, turned onto a gravel road, and drove right smack into the ditch at 10mph with no steering... (pitman nut came off). Gave me something to really think about... When God gives a fool a rare warning like that, you had better pay attention!).



But I have never had, nor do I ever want, any such experiences in flying contraptions (or Vietnam) like you described!



You should consider something less dangerous in your old age; like bungee jumping or something!