Upper Steering Shaft Pot Joint Parts

[Eddie86]

Replacing the steering shaft on my 86 K10 with a Borgeson style u joint setup (also just installed the Wolff Engineering lower bearing). I want to keep my original shaft. It's in decent shape and I recently changed the rag joint. I pulled it off to rehab the upper pot joint to have it for a standby. When I disassembled my pot joint, I noticed there was no compression spring in it. This would be a spring that would keep tension on the cap if you were trying to slide it up and down for the small amount of movement they have. I've seen some of these with springs and some without. Specifically, someone had a video of one they rehabbed from a Chevy Vega and that one had a spring. Mine had all the other necessary parts that are in reusable shape; the two square, side bearings with retainer clip and the boot is not ripped. My question is this: does anyone know if mine should have that compression spring (maybe PO rebuilt and didn't replace the spring for whatever reason) or did it never have one? If it is supposed to have one, I'll have to source one somewhere as I cannot find any doing a search of the web. Thanks!

Edit: In the image it would be the coiled spring just to the right of the retainer ring.

[VileZambonie]

You have contradicted yourself. You are installing a borgeson u-joint style but keeping the original shaft and rag joint. Why do you think yours had a spring?

[Eddie86]

Sorry, have been busy the past few days. I I stalled the u joint style shaft to eliminate as much play as possible. I am feeling vibration through the wheel after install. I know most have not. I was keeping, and restoring, the old joint in case I wanted to re-use it, which I ended up doing for the time being. The new lower collar made a difference and I'm not feeling a huge difference between the u joint shaft and the original rag style. I just wasn't sure if maybe someone had the original one disassembled before me and it had a spring and they just didn't put it back in for whatever reason. I re-assembled it without a spring. Not sure what the purpose of the spring would be anyway. Thanks.

[bd]

The C/K/R/V model lower steering gear shafts did not incorporate thrust springs.  Although the posted image is of a standard transmission shift column, the lower steering shaft is similar on all truck models of our vintage.