[Richard]

I have to amend this post.

Today, I was just playing around with the steering wheel and I still felt some free play that just didn't seem right. I removed the steering column cover and I could see the upper u joint moving around. Hmmmm, that's not right. When I saw that before I wrongly assumed that the connection between the steering column and the intermediate steering shaft had some slop in it.

I checked the play of the steering column before I reinstalled the intermediate shaft and it was very little side to side. Almost undetectable. But now I can clearly see movement, and if I put my hand on the connection, it definitely is moving around when I move the steering wheel back and forth. What the heck?

So I took the whole steering column out. It really isn't that much work , and it took about fifteen minutes. One bolt on the pinch clamp, four bolts holding it to the mount, and five quick disconnect electrical fittings.

I put the column upside down in the vice (after removing the steering wheel), and what I saw was shocking and exciting at the same time. Finally, a smoking gun! You can see in the second pic how off center the ID is to the OD. That is how much play is in this bearing.

   
   

There is a bearing in the bottom of the column that is supposed to keep the column stable as it rotates. Only if it is stable will the two u joints in the intermediate shaft work without wobble. The bearing is just plain shot. It probably has 0.020 play in it once I got it out of the column. So why didn't I feel it, when the whole thing is assembled. At the top end of the steering column is a spring loaded thingie that keeps a spring preload on both the upper and lower bearing. The spring pulls the slop out of it when just wiggling it by hand. But when you turn the 20 inch steering wheel you generate a lot more force and the force overrides the preload and allowed that bearing to wallow.

I am not replacing with stock. It looks like the bearing was crapola to begin with. I found a 3/4 id  2.0 od sealed bearing that will work.

I can't wait to install it and see just how much difference that makes.

Three years of searching and FINALLY I found an assignable cause for the dead spot in the middle of my steering.  Can you tell I'm excited?

Stay tuned since this has turned into somewhat of live broadcast.