Steering Shaft Question

[MJ_Chubs]

Does the intermediate steering shaft (the one that goes between the steering column at the firewall and the PS box) telescope? It looks like it but I'm not sure.

Problem: I have a column from a '91 XJ that I set in my '88 MJ last night. I have the yoke at the box seated all the way down and the mounts on the dash line up with the appropriate mounting studs. However, the flange on the column that bolts to the firewall is not touching the firewall (I've got about an inch of room still). I'm thinking that if I can collapse the intermediate shaft slightly, I can get that flange to mate up.

Thanks.

[old_man]

There were two different styles of that intermediate shaft.

[Matthew Currie]

They telescope but not on demand. The pre-97 ones have some kind of plastic bushing in them that must be broken in order to telescope them. If you do get it to telescope it will be floppy thereafter (guess how I know that!) Later ones slide freely but unfortunately will not fit the steering column shaft.

As far as I know the shafts themselves are interchangeable year to year - at least I was able to use an 89 shaft on my 95. One was a Saginaw column and the other a Mopar, but both were non-tilt and that may also make a difference.

[MJ_Chubs]

Got the problem fixed. Nothing a liberal application of a hammer couldn't fix....