The center of the shaft WILL move in/out if hit, or pushed hard enough. It is definitely part of a safety thing, making the column "collapsible". If the shaft has moved up into the mast jacket a little too far, you can pull it back out, but it's usually not super easy to do. The two parts are held in tension by nylon in grooves between the two parts. Just standing the column on it's shaft end can push the center up into the mast jacket. If you have the rag joint on the shaft properly, you can try to pull out on it, or use a small rubber or plastic mallet to tap it back out to the length needed. This is best done with the column out of the car, but if you've already got it back in, a little patience, and a few well placed
s can do it too....
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Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"