These are my suggestions for attaching tubing to a u- joint without welding.
1. Cross- drill two slightly undersized through- holes at 90 degrees in the u- joint with the tubing inserted to the proper depth. Having the tubing inserted guarantees that the holes will line up.
2. Ream the holes all the way through while the tubing is still inserted.
3. Pull the tubing out of the u- joint and de- burr all the holes inside & out.
4. Re- insert tubing, align the holes and tap a close- tolerance bolt with the proper grip length (no threads contact the holes) through each pair of holes.
5. Place a flat washer under a self- locking nut and torque tight without crushing the u- joint.
6. Make a few small dings with a penile device punch in the u- joint and tubing as an index mark to show how it is assembled correctly the next time it is taken apart.
This method gives you a strong joint that has virtually no play-- just what you need in your steering column. Use good quality u- joints!
