OK, I've been doing some more research ,and I think the selflube bushings referred to in post #8 are gonna be the ultimate solution.
Here is some data on the bushings themselves:
http://www.selflube.com/info.aspx
If you go here:
http://www.reidsupply.com/aDetail.aspx?N=1342104240+4294961493&A=SLB-401&An=1342104240+4294961493&On=1342104240&ST=
You can get the exact setup needed (ie 3/4" ID, 1.1255 OD... you may have to lightly sand the bushing and/or steering shaft pipe). The shaft pipe the bushing is held in is 3.75" long... so if you order the 3.875" bushing, it would be about perfect (because the 3.875" includes 3/16" of flange, so part inside the tube itself is 3.6875"). You have two choices in that length, either graphite plugged (at $65.88 each, PN SLB-406), or the
MUCH more eccomical Aluminum Bronze versions (at $26.38 each). What you'll get with the aluminum bronze is a better bushing that what I would have designed, make out of better material, at a price about $20 cheaper, and I doubt you'll have to wait 2 months for it.
I'm ordering tomorrow from Reid Supply. If you freeze the bushing to as close to zero as possible (dry ice maybe?), it SHOULD shrink down enough to slide it into the shaft, and then when it warms back up its not gonna come loose on you. So if you order one, don't sand it down until it fits... you've gone too far IMO.
![Image](http://www.reidsupply.com/images/products/300/SLB-400_Image1.jpg)