Steering intermediate shaft play

How much play should there be when pulling up & down on the steering intermediate shaft? When I pull up & down on mine there seems to be a lot of play & you can duplicate the rattle noise I hear when driving over bumpy roads.

 

there is a tsb on this

 

Thanks. I know there is a TSB but dealer says that's not my issue. I'm curious how much play is considered normal or abnormal since I'm going back again. TSB doesn't give the info I'm looking for. I have searched all the related threads but no answer in them.

 

Check to see if your VIN is covered, mine said the same thing.

 

10851, did your truck also have the steering wheel vibration/shake? Mine also has that problem. Service manager went for ride with me Weds, felt the wheel shaking at 50-70, but didn't hear the clunking in the column. He says my tires need to be road force balanced & adjustment in the steering rack. I asked him about the TSB, he says it doesn't apply in my case even though my vin is covered in the TSB. I went to the tire shop to have my tires road force balanced, they told me there is too much play in the intermediate shaft & have that replaced first. Off to see the service manager again this morning. We'll see.......

 

well shaking n vibrations are a balancing issue.....
the play in the shaft is an up n down movement..... should have nothing to do with it.....
when your inter. shaft has too much play you will know it......i had mine done a year ago......

 

Saw the service manager this morning, he ordered the steering intermediate shaft for my truck & will cover it under warranty!!! As far as the vibrations in the wheel, I will get tires road force balanced next week. If that doesn't work, they will do the steering flutter/vibration TSB from 2006 to my steering rack as found in the "sticky" for steering wheel shake/vibration.

 

Here is my update: I had the same intermediate shaft play issue and read this thread as well as others, printed the TSB and went to the dealer. Dropped it off for 20k service, handed him a copy of the TSB and requested they check it out.

Two hours later, I show up and they say "you have an aftermarket rear sway bar so we cannot confirm the clunking" I flipped out and had a few choice words with the service manager. How in the world is a rear sway bar connected to a steering column play issue? Then they said "we have no dirt roads to test it on" I was like "WTF you guys are a joke, let me call Toyota"

At this point, they agreed to drive on to the nearby field with me and confirmed the steering play issue. They have ordered parts and I should be back there next week to get the TSB done. Anyway, if anyone wants the TSB, I would go in there and raise hell.

Toyota dealers are proving to be the same as every other dealer I have ever worked with. Shady, poorly trained staff, interested only in the next sale.