after having fun with spark plugs and removing shaft from gear box i am unable to remove shaft so i can replace steering coupler that got damaged from misalignment after opening it slightly.Now i need to remove but i cant get more than an inch of travel out of it even after checking all forums and seeing that should slide ,,,,but it won't.................any hints????need help

 

Get a hammer and gently drive it toward the front of the truck. Mine was pretty hard to slide also. Just decades of dirt and grime holding it in place

 

Yep what Cleburne said. When I took mine off I put a big set of vice grips on it and gently tapped it towards the front of the truck to get it off.