Chrysler Repair: 97 LHS steering shaft boot, shaft coupler, power brake booster

Question
QUESTION: why cant I push the steering shaft boot back far enough to access the pin in the coupler?

ANSWER: Hi Todd,
What procedure are you trying to accomplish?
The '98 manual, at about step 20 of the gear removal process for the steering gear, suggests to slide the steering gear and intermediate shaft forward into the engine compartment to allow access to the roll pin retaining the intermediate flex shaft coupler to the the steering gear shaft. There is much disassembly before getting to the point in the process.
HOWEVER, there is no boot shown, so I then looked at the '94 manual I have and there is boot in that case, so this earlier manual would apparently apply to your '97. It says to turn the steering gear to the full left position and then turn it back until the roll pin is accessible. So try that is all I can suggest. It also suggests that once you get it de-coupled you should use the igniton lock to fix the steering wheel in that position so as to not damage the clockspring in the event that the steering wheel was allowed to run freely. Also, before separating, first mark the coupling and intemediate shaft interface with a longitudinal paint stripe to allow exactly the same positioning when reassembling. Then punch out the roll pin. There follows some steps about the power brake booster that are important also.
Before the part about turning the steering wheel full left, the manual also includes: remove shift cable from shift lever at transaxle. If 3.5L remove throttle cable from throttle body and remove it from the cable bracket. Remove wiper arm assemblies from pivots. Remove cowl panel and weatherstripping. Remove air intake plenum. Remove the wiper module. Detach vacuum hose from power brake booster at the intake manifold and place out of the way. Then slide the boot up the intermediate shaft...
I hope this is helpful.
Roland

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: yes. i am attempting to slide the boot up the intermediate shaft, and i can, but there is corrugation then solid sections of the boot. it seem that the design would allow access to the roll pin once the corrugation was completely compressed, but that not being the case, a closer look at the picture in my manual appears to show the entire boot slid back in behind the firewall. i dont know if thats correct and i cant get my boot to slide back in there. so i remain unable to reach the roll pin...

Answer
If you have removed all the parts that I mentioned, and turned the steering wheel full left to the stop, then back only so far as to access the pin (in the vertical position) then there is nothing else that I can see in the manual that would explain why the boot won't go up enough to give you access to the pin. Sorry to not know anything else to try.
Roland