GMT400 trucks are notorious for failed rag joints. The repair for '88 to '94 trucks is to install a lower shaft and the lower bolt, from a C3500HD. That shaft uses a small U-joint instead of a rag joint. Makes the steering MUCH more precise. The repair for '95-up GMT400s is more complex due to a change in the steering column.
Anyway, I put the C3500HD shaft in my '88 K1500. There's no plastic to secure one piece inside the other. Needs a lil' pop with a small hammer, or even a fist, to get the pieces to slide.
I bet yours is the same. Tap the lower shaft towards the steering gear, should be good-to-go IF the rag joint is still any good. I get suspicious of them now, having seen what happens with the GMT400 trucks. The "rag" gets weak--sloppy--and the steering shaft bangs against the safety-stops before the motion is transmitted to the steering gear. You can tell that happens because the safety-stops get polished from repeated contact.
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