Steering Column Repair: automatic shift lever and key stuck in on position

Question
Hello, I have just purchased a 1993 Chevy K 1500 Blazer with Auto, and tilt wheel. First two days everything seemed tight and no unusual wear. Day three I backed into a parking spot, put the truck in park and turned of the engine with no issue. When I returned, I started the truck and tried to put it into drive but it would not go past reverse. I tried a couple of times and then finally got it into drive but noticed in did not go in all the way. Tried to go back to park and it would only go as far as neutral. I made it home but the transmission would not shift out of first gear, (I think this may be a separate issue caused by the failure in the column?) I cant get the Shift lever back to park and as a result cannot turn the key to the off position. I had to pull the fuel pump fuse to kill the engine and disconnect the battery. I am thinking about going to a B&M cable shifter to avoid going into the steering column, but I need to know how to remove the lock to return the key to function without the use of the shift lever? There is an obvious failure at the shift lever spring and pivot (floppy)so it wont  to go back to park. Thank you, Eric

Answer
Hello Eric:

Sorry about your truck.  The most common problem with vehicle in that year range is the tilt support housing loosens up on the steering column tube.  This is a very gradual problem and you have plenty of warning.  If it happened suddenly, the next most common problem is the steering tube breaks where the support mounts.
Although this is more serious it is still repairable.  The column need to be completely disassembled and the tube and broken piece need to be mig welded back together.  We have done a number of these repairs and are confident in the quality of the resolution.   Alternately, you can look for a used column, aware that you may be buying one with similar problems that may occur in the near future.

If you would like more information or costs involved, please contact me directly through our company website at www.steeringcolumnservices.com

I hope this helps