I have to remove the intermediate shaft on my 2001 Blazer to get at the exhaust manifold. How do you remove it? I can't find a diagram or any info that tells me how to do it. Can anyone help???

 

Remove the bolt at the steering gear rag joint, slide the intermediate shaft up, toward the firewall, swing it out of the way.

 

Be sure the steering wheel is immobilized and the wheels don't turn. Just to be sure, mark everything so it goes back in the right place

 

Marking it doesn't matter, the rag joint only fits on the gear box one way However, as No False Bravada mentioned, Don't move the steering wheel and or wheels while the shaft is disconnected from the gear box.

 

Yeah, that's just a habit to mark things lol

 

'02 Blazer LS

I removed the lower steering shaft at the steering box but the nut/bolt for the upper shaft is behind the firewall? I replaced the rag joint on the lower but still had play and thought it might be the upper coupling. Any assistance appreciated!

Thanks!

 

Upper steering shaft coupling slop is quite common. And yes, very annoying to drive it. Several years ago, I checked NUMEROUS S10, Jimmy, Sonoma, Bravada, & Blazers, at several different local boneyards. Every one of them, except the last one I found, was sloppy. Must have looked at 15 or 20 of them! Seems like I had to remove the entire column from the vehicle to replace it. New ones, IF you can find them, are horrible expensive.

EDIT: The steering shaft is comprised of 3 main pieces: Upper shaft, intermediate shaft, and lower shaft. It was the intermediate shaft that had the slop in it.
Pretty sure the GM part number is: 26034521