Steering Column Repair: S-10 Column Lower Bearing and Seal?, tilt wheel, bottom seal

Question
I'm using a late 80's S-10 tilt wheel, floor shift column(turn signals,wiper,cruise control functions)in my street rod with an after market hub and wheel, Borgeson joints and DD shafting. The whole set-up works very well - except the steering shaft at the bottom end of the column tube has just enough side-to-side slop(less than 1/64")to cause some rattle on rough roads. The top bearing is good. All else is tight. I assume there's a bearing or bushing behind the rubber bottom seal. How do I replace? I can get to the bottom of the tube easily, or must the whole column come out? Thanks much for your help. Mike  

Answer
Hello Mike,
You are better off pulling the column rather than wrestling it around for clearence to remove the bushing and seal. As long as the DD shaft has the joint on the steering box side, you probably won't have to disassemble the entire column and remove the shaft. The bushing and seal are held in with a wire clip. I honestly don't think that little movement on the shaft is causing the noise since the bushing's fit is somewhat free. You might have something else down there making a rattle, but you won't know until the bushing is out.

I hope that helps.
Have a great day!
-Jay