Steering Couplers, Rag Joints & U-Joints

Building a custom, one-off steering system? Need to repair, replace, or restore your worn-out stock steering setup? Maybe you’re upgrading or changing your suspension...

Building a custom, one-off steering system? Need to repair, replace, or restore your worn-out stock steering setup? Maybe you’re upgrading or changing your suspension geometry? Whatever project you’re tackling, a quality replacement steering shaft coupler should probably be on your parts list. Commonly used to connect your steering wheel to the steering input shaft, a steering coupler obviously has a really important job to do.

But in addition to ensuring that you’re able to maintain steering control of your vehicle, a steering shaft coupler has to be flexible to adapt to a wide range of steering column applications and steering shaft positions. This flexibility is vital to preventing your steering shaft from binding, bending, and ultimately breaking due to excessive force or extreme steering geometry.

Yet perhaps just as important as flexibility is a steering coupler’s ability to suppress road vibration and jolts that could be transmitted from the steering system, up the steering shaft, and into the steering wheel—before entering your hands. That’s why steering couplers often use rag joints.

If you’ve ever had to wrestle a steering wheel that’s constantly jerking out of your hands, or if you notice your arms are really fatigued after a long drive, then you already know how important a quality steering rag joint coupler can be.

Used properly, a flexible steering column coupler rag joint will make the vehicle easier and more comfortable to drive, which goes a long way to improve vehicle control and handling. After all, what good are suspension upgrades and big horsepower numbers if you can’t hang on to the wheel?

Still, many steering couplers feature a more traditional U-joint as well. That’s especially true for performance applications and for off-roaders that demand more robust steering system components. Perhaps more importantly, off-roaders often like to run larger tires and, when driven over rough terrain, it can wreak havoc on a steering shaft. In these instances, a stronger, upgraded steering shaft coupler can help ensure your day on the trails doesn’t end with a walk out of the brush.

Ready to pick the best steering shaft and steering wheel coupler for your project? You can search by specific car, truck, or SUV year, make, and model here—as well as shop by steering shaft end coupler design. Use the intuitive search filters here at SummitRacing.com to pinpoint the perfect steering rag joint or steering coupler now.