67 Steering relay rod Big Block no Power steering

[Colin M.]

Page 188 of the 7th Edition of the 67 Judging manual calls out a diameter of 3/4 inch for the relay rod. Further it makes no mention
of the engine

I have two old parts manuals one Sept 71 has 63-68BB no P/S as 3955512 Another parts book June 82 shows the same number simply as 69-76 No P/S and a separate line as BB no P/S.

The Assembly Manual shows the part as an assembly 3829447 which does not help identify the rod.

Apart from this there is one other in the Jun 82 book listing 63-68 no BB no P/S 3955521

Please advise what diameter these are and does anyone sell these or are they junk yard items

Colin Morris

[Joe L.]

Re: 67 Steering relay rod Big Block no Power steering

Page 188 of the 7th Edition of the 67 Judging manual calls out a diameter of 3/4 inch for the relay rod. Further it makes no mention
of the engine

I have two old parts manuals one Sept 71 has 63-68BB no P/S as 3955512 Another parts book June 82 shows the same number simply as 69-76 No P/S and a separate line as BB no P/S.

The Assembly Manual shows the part as an assembly 3829447 which does not help identify the rod.

Apart from this there is one other in the Jun 82 book listing 63-68 no BB no P/S 3955521

Please advise what diameter these are and does anyone sell these or are they junk yard items

Colin Morris

Colin------


The original 1967 manual steering relay rod was GM #3831668. This rod was 3/4" in OD. The same rod was used for all 1963-68 Corvettes with manual steering. This rod has provisions for a steering shock absorber and was used for both small block and big block with the steering shock absorber provisions unused for big block.The 3831668 was discontinued from SERVICE in February, 1969 and replaced by GM #3955521. The latter rod is 7/8" OD and has provisions for a steering shock absorber which would be unused for big block applications. This rod was SERVICE only and never used on a PRODUCTION vehicle. The 3955521 was discontinued from SERVICE in 1985

Another manual steering relay rod was introduced for the 1969 model year. This rod was GM #3955512. It is also 7/8" OD and has no provisions for a steering shock absorber. It was used in PRODUCTION for 1969-76 Corvettes with manual steering and it also can be used in SERVICE for 1965-68 Corvettes with big block and manual steering. It was discontinued in July, 1994.

So, all original 1963-68 Corvettes used a steering relay rod of 3/4" OD and had provisions for a steering relay rod whether used, or not.

In my opinion, the 7/8" rods are an important upgrade for 1963-68 Corvettes. You don't suppose that GM went to the 7/8' rods (actually, for BOTH manual and power steering) for 1969 and quickly replaced the 3/4" rods for 1963-68 SERVICE because the 3/4" rods worked just as well, do you? However, replacing a 1963-68 small block manual steering relay rod with the 7/8" rod, GM #3955521, is difficult because the 3955521 rod is long-since GM discontinued and, as a SERVICE only part, very difficult to find.