So i took my car in last week for a new clutch to be installed. I bought a clutch and flywheel off crate engine depot. Its a GMPP clutch and a factory flywheel. I got a call from the dealership 2 days ago saying my flywheel bolts need to be replaced because they are not reusable. I was fine with this as i was expecting it. I then get a call today saying i need a new steering shaft. WTF. They say that it is seized up and will not collapse when putting it back in or something like that. It was steering PERFECT before and i don't really see why they even needed to touch the steering for a CLUTCH job. Does this make sense to you? can you please explain it to me better because I'm not comfortable with paying $130 and another $100 EXTRA LABOUR for this bs unless i understand what is going on.

 

To lower the sub frame, if you don't unbolt the steering rack, you much disconnect the steering intermediate shaft from the steering rack. I think they are retarded when they say "it won't collapse," it is splined with a female end connecting to the steering rack and the male end hooked up to the steering column. It probably is jammed up because it slid off the male end a little bit and they are trying to force he sub frame back up. What they need to do is hold the shaft up by hand while they raise the sub frame back in. Sorry if my explaination is hard to understand I am going to look for a pic

 

So basically they don't know what the hell they're doing... is there anything i can do?

 

Tell them you want to come in and see what's wrong.

 

Well yeah.. but then what. I won't have much of an idea of what i'm looking at.

 

Well then....... looks like you're kinda in trouble.

 

I have replaced my intermediate shaft twice it has to compress to come out then slide back out when reinstalling. Both of mine were broke and would barely turn but were still easy to compress. You could ask them to see the i/s take it in your hands and it should easily with your two hands slide apart about four inches then slide back if not its deffective. Here's the thing though if they took it off properly they had to compress it to get it out unless they just dropped the subframe with it still attached which could damage it

 

Pretty sure lots of people have replaced their steering shaft due to them being a cheap design from the factory. I replaced mine and with only 34,000 miles it would not compress, due to the poor design. Not sure if they know what they are doing but it doesn't surprise me that it won't compress.

 

I had to replace mine last month when my new clutch went it, it was in pretty bad shape.