i recently purchased a 1988 f150 4x4 auto 302 .. it had a touchy steering issue and the owner knocked 200 off the price after i mentioned it...after i purchased it i got it home and tried to adjust the steering box and it wouldnt turn even after i removed the locking nut... i removed the box and noticed play in steering column , but i had to take steering box apart wanted to see what was wrong why i couldnt adjust it . well the owner before me over adjusted it and really mushroomed the gears, so it couldnt be loosened or tightened.. purchased a new at napa next day ... most of the play gone but i noticed the intermediate shaft thats above the steering box and connects the steering column, lets say a 1/8 inch of play in it .. taking it off and siding it apart i noticed a spring broke in half .... can this spring be purchased at ford or do i have to buy intermediate shaft....

 

 

nope, lower column only, at a cost of around $300.

go to a junk yard and buy a used steering column for around $50.

and it is a real pain in the *** to replace that spring clip and teflon bushings.

the last time it fell out of my 88, it took me 3 hours with 2 people to get it back together.
i would have just replaced the column, but it was a sunday, all the yards were closed, and the parts column i had had bad bearings in it. so i had to rebuild the one in the truck.