B Steering Coupler

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Greg Frick
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B Steering Coupler

#1 Post by Greg Frick »

I realize this isn't exactly a new subject but I am suspicious of Stoddard including two couplers in their kit.
Is their product equal in every way to the OEM one selling there for 10 times the price of the $17.00 item?
Yesterday I found that mine is cracked. It has never been apart since before the car left the factory.
It seems a replacemnet would be a good idea.
Greg

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Albert Tiedemann
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#2 Post by Albert Tiedemann »

Greg Frick wrote:I realize this isn't exactly a new subject but I am suspicious of Stoddard including two couplers in their kit.
Is their product equal in every way to the OEM one selling there for 10 times the price of the $17.00 item?
Yesterday I found that mine is cracked. It has never been apart since before the car left the factory.
It seems a replacemnet would be a good idea.
Greg
The product that they offer with 2 flex discs is for the C car only, This product does not preserve load path as the OEM product which costs $242 and change. It is not applicable to the B model.

Your model uses only one flex disc. If you contrast the $17 and $181 flex discs offered for the B application, the primary difference is that the more expensive part is being offered a Porsche Cla$$ic part although it does not state that as fact in the advertisement. It bears the Porsche part number and the VW and Audi log and the mold identification is different and this may be a way of discerning the properties of the elastomer. Without test there is no real way to state performance differences in the elastomers although both will degrade under UV light which is minimal in the application. It's clear that they use the $17 version in their C kit.

If your disc is original, it is likely round with fabric weaving and the interface at the through bolts is different.
Albert Tiedemann, C356C
"The Hermit"

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David Jones
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#3 Post by David Jones »

You could replace it with one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/Empi-16-5150-Ure ... B00BYHFVHK
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
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Craig Richter
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#4 Post by Craig Richter »

NO David, DO NOT EVER replace the stock rubber/fiber steering coupler with one of those "dune buggy" couplers!!! Four years ago we shipped Speedy over to our home in Austria for some Hoch Alpine Strasse driving fun. Just before putting Speedy in the shipping container, I replaced his slightly cracked stock coupler with one of those "trick" red things, sure I was enhancing our safety considering the energetic workout Speedy would be going through. First year all was OK, many fun weekends chasing my friend Sigi's 911 all over the mountains. Second summer was more of the same, in fact even more memorable if that's possible because I knew the routs better and the great Guest Houses (beer) awaiting us at end of the day.
Late one Sunday afternoon, after an especially fast and twisty run up to the Gross Glockner and back, we returned home and were putting the cars away in the underground parking garage because it had started to rain. The parking spaces are tight, so we were hand pushing Speedy around, and suddenly the steering wheel just started to spin around! I looked underneath and that trick red coupler had broken into about twenty pieces onto the garage floor! If this would have happened twenty minutes before, my wife and I would be dead.
 

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David Jones
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#5 Post by David Jones »

Then this one which looks like the original rubber and fibre should work.

http://www.mtmfg.com/part/view/Rubber-C ... bcQAvD_BwE
If I had known I would live this long I would have pushed the envelope a little harder.
Cymru am byth
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Greg Frick
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#6 Post by Greg Frick »

That does look like what is in my B now. Has anyone tried one?
Does it fit?
Greg

Dan Epperly
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#7 Post by Dan Epperly »

Greg Frick wrote:That does look like what is in my B now. Has anyone tried one?
Does it fit?
Greg
I have a VW one in the B I recently restored, works fine.
My other B has one but it's sloppy, meaning the steering wheel pulls out about a half inch or less but no side to side play, like the rubber is to elastic. No idea how old it is, it was in thecar when I bought it about six years ago.

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Greg Frick
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#8 Post by Greg Frick »

I just ordered the VW one and will report the result once it is installed.
Greg

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John Clarke
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#9 Post by John Clarke »

Hi Greg
Any of those "Thin" Couplers are Not what is in my T5B Coupe (115030) Not sure if we had the later style coupling but we had the larger thicker Coupling but when it started to crack a few years back, we replaced it with a very similar steering coupling from a Triumph TR3 I think it was. This was much more sensibly priced. I do carry 2 of those thin items as spares which could be installed back to back to replace the wider coupling if needed in an emergency!
Cheers Jay
 

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Craig Richter
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#10 Post by Craig Richter »

After that red thing failed, I went over to our closest VW dealer in Voecklebruck. For under 20 euro I got one of the VW couplers and was back on the road the next day. The VW couplers will last for decades! Happy 356 driving, Greg.
 

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Doug McDonnell
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#11 Post by Doug McDonnell »

Gary I have 2 originals. Not perfect but would make good spares at the least. They were in the spare parts stash of my late friend who had a 60 Roaster. Email me if interested.
1965 356C 2000 BMW 740i Sport 1967 Honda CL77 There is never enough time to do it right, but always enough time to do it over.

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Greg Frick
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#12 Post by Greg Frick »

I have installed the VW coupler at last.
I strougly recommend everyone pull the inspection cover and have a look at their own. I knew mine was cracked (after discovering its existence) but it was worse than it looked. The missing piece just fell off during removal.
The photo below is what the OEM unit looks like 54 years later.
Greg
Attachments
Porsche-Steering WEB.jpg

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Jules Dielen
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#13 Post by Jules Dielen »

Craig Richter wrote:NO David, DO NOT EVER replace the stock rubber/fiber steering coupler with one of those "dune buggy" couplers!!! Four years ago we shipped Speedy over to our home in Austria for some Hoch Alpine Strasse driving fun. Just before putting Speedy in the shipping container, I replaced his slightly cracked stock coupler with one of those "trick" red things, sure I was enhancing our safety considering the energetic workout Speedy would be going through. First year all was OK, many fun weekends chasing my friend Sigi's 911 all over the mountains. Second summer was more of the same, in fact even more memorable if that's possible because I knew the routs better and the great Guest Houses (beer) awaiting us at end of the day.
Late one Sunday afternoon, after an especially fast and twisty run up to the Gross Glockner and back, we returned home and were putting the cars away in the underground parking garage because it had started to rain. The parking spaces are tight, so we were hand pushing Speedy around, and suddenly the steering wheel just started to spin around! I looked underneath and that trick red coupler had broken into about twenty pieces onto the garage floor! If this would have happened twenty minutes before, my wife and I would be dead.
Did all 4 bolts fall out or how is this possible?
Jules

Water pumps are for windshield washers only.

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Greg Frick
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#14 Post by Greg Frick »

The bolts didn't fall off, that big bite between two of the bolts was so dry and so cracked that piece just fell off.

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Trevor Gates
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Re: B Steering Coupler

#15 Post by Trevor Gates »

Fail
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