I've read a lot in this forum about checking the steering "rag joint" to identify a true SS car. What is the difference between the SS one and a non-SS one?

hey is this a 71? tell me i love my 72. oh by the way i have no idea what the rag joint diffrences are. 71/72 are way diffrent, but still the same as all the rest.

Can anybody tell me the differences?

I thought they all had rag joints

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/6529/img0576wc2.jpg (http://imageshack.us/?x=my6&myref=http://imageshack.us/)

On a big block car, they the flange is bolted onto the intermediate shaft. On a small block car, they are welded.

I can speak to 67 where non-SS models (according to AIM) have the steering shaft from the firewall pressed into the steering coupler (http://www.chevellestuff.com/cd67/chassis/steering/std_rag_joint.jpg), or rag joint. The SS calls for this coupler to be bolted (http://www.chevellestuff.com/cd67/chassis/steering/coupler_on_ss.jpg)for additional strength although I've seen L79 small blocks with this same coupler setup.

Essentially the same is suppose to hold true for 69 Chevelles although I have seen some non-SS Chevelles with the heavier coupler connection.

Big block connector (http://www.chevellestuff.com/69velle/images/bgbkrag.jpg)
Small block connector (http://www.chevellestuff.com/69velle/images/nobolt2.jpg)

AHHHHH!! So it's all in how the coupler is attached to the shaft. Now i get it.

A picture is worth a thousand words...thanks for posting the pics Dale! I couldn't find mine.