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After reading through the fourms and noticing several members were complaing about play in the steering wheel. Especially after long tube headers were installed.
After doing some research and investigation on my car I determined that the cause of the play was a melted plastic bushing on the intermediate shaft aluminium knuckle.
After removing my melted factory intermediate shaft below I was left with only 2 options.
Replace it with a stocker or build a new one. I choose to build one with Flaming River components and figured I would share with everyone.
Pics of built shaft.
I realized it was very easy to build a replacement intermediate shaft that will clear my kooks headers and will not be affected by heat. Hopefully this was helpful.
That's some pretty looking metal. Do you have a close up of the plastic piece that bit the dust?
This is the joint that has the play. In the picute I pointed to the melted insert.
You can't actually see or feel the play until you take shaft out. When it is out of the car, grab both ends of the shaft with your hands and turn ends in opposite directions. You can feel the worn joint clunk back and forth a few degrees. This is the cause of 11 to 2 o'clock play that I felt while driving. It was worse after driving for a while and the headers heated up the aluminum joint.
Why do you need the supporting bracket (FR1810-KS)? Where did you attach it, k-member?
PSA: For what it's worth do NOT order FR1798-22 as it will not fit my stock 2002 steering rack. I've ordered FR1798 which is 3/4 DD x 3/4 DD instead of 17mm x 3/4 DD, hopefully this helps someone.
01-29-2016, 12:18 AM
Flaming river Intermediate Shaft 
