I think the '83 and earlier trucks have the slip yoke steering shafts. '84-'88/9 have the collapsible shaft w/ rag joint and '89+ have the rag joint and just a crush section (accordian style) that is not easily extended. Just supplied a 2.5" bolt-in extension for a guy doing a SAS on a 3rd gen pickup. Between his 3" body lift and forward-mounted steering box, he needed the extension to make up the length difference.

 

but then again if you're dd'n your rig, a collapsible shaft is nice in a head on crash cause the shaft won't get pushed through your chest.

 

The mini-truck shaft IS a collapsible shaft...it just uses a spline instead of a rag joint...see the above picture.

 

Indeed . . . for some reason I was thinking of the volkswagen steering shaft I used for my high steer. It's the type that bends in half in a head on collision. Kinda okie . . .