Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

[Larry M.]

For a 1972, I somehow missed this one when bagging and tagging. I'd removed the steering column, steering gear and clutch cross shaft, and I don't see a home for this. It has a serrated, indented hex head, with traces of thread lock. I really suspect it has to do with the steering linkage, but I can't find it in the AIM or in vendor catalogs.

All help appreciated; thanks!

Larry

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[Leif A.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

The coupling at the rag joint?

[Larry M.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

Leif,

Thanks; great suggestion, but no. I'm stumped. I've even checked the tools I was using to see if it fell out of one of them. No luck.

Larry

[Owen L.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

I spent the spring and summer of 2020 going through the entire engine compartment, trans, rear suspension, gas tank, etc. - in otherwords, I crawled all underneath and inside my '72 and I don't recall any allen-headed bolt.

[Larry M.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

Owen,

You did a thorough search; thanks for your info. That, coupled with my inability to find a home for the bolt, makes me believe it doesn't belong on the car. I'll stop looking.

Larry

[Joe L.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

Owen,

You did a thorough search; thanks for your info. That, coupled with my inability to find a home for the bolt, makes me believe it doesn't belong on the car. I'll stop looking.

Larry

Larry------


I agree. I know of no application on ANY Corvette for a bolt of this design. Are you sure this bolt is even SAE thread?

[Larry M.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

Joe,

Excellent point; thanks. I checked, and found what to me is a contradictory result - a 1/4"-20 nut easily threads onto it, but only a 10mm socket fits the head. What bothers me the most is that I found it on the garage floor directly beneath the steering gear/column coupler area where I had been working. I'll double-check the tools I was using.

Larry

[Joe L.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

Joe,

Excellent point; thanks. I checked, and found what to me is a contradictory result - a 1/4"-20 nut easily threads onto it, but only a 10mm socket fits the head. What bothers me the most is that I found it on the garage floor directly beneath the steering gear/column coupler area where I had been working. I'll double-check the tools I was using.

Larry

Larry-----


There are a few SAE and metric thread sizes that will "interchange".

[Mark M.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

It could be something related to the column being pulled, but it looks more like a bolt that came with a flat screen wall mount I recently assembled.

[James G.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

There are so few allen keyed bolts on a Corvette I do not believe it is from GM.
It looks like a bolt from a metal rack or tube framed furniture, I put together some stilts at Christmas which had a similar bolt.

[Larry M.]

Re: Where does this bolt go? Steering? Or...?

Yeah, that hex head looked oddball to me, too. I may just hold on to it in case Mark needs another for his flat screen mount.