I was wondering also how this slip joint system works.
I was on vacation trip with my truck and a slide in camper, and I had the bottom steering box seal blow out. I went to the parts store and got a rebuilt box and rented the tools to change it out at the campground, but when I couldn't get one of the hydraulic lines loose on the box, I decided to go down the road and find someplace to change the box out for me. I always do my own work, so this was a new experience for me.
Needless to say, they didn't do a very good job, but I was in no situation to complain. One of the first things I noticed was a lot of slop in the steering wheel. I found it to be in this slip joint you guys are talking about, and while I was watching them work on my truck from the doorway, I saw when they took the box out, they just ****** the slip joint apart and took the lower part out with the box.
To get through the rest of the trip, I flattened a piece of metal and jammed it up in the slip shaft to take the play out, but was wondering how it really was supposed to work. What I am getting from the above posts is there are probably a couple of pieces missing that probably fell out when they pulled it apart.
I am not exactly sure how I am going to fix this permanently, but apparently Ford is not going to be any help with any small pieces correct? I am assuming the new shaft you are talking about is like the one they sell at LMC? If so, I am not spending $360+ on a steering shaft.