Lower steering shaft on 88 dakota has a u-joint that is missing a cap on the joint pin. It results in excessive steering wheel play. The mechanic indicates it is only a dealer part at $150+. All that is needed is a cap of some sort (<$10). Any suggestions (power steered, non-tilt column)? Thanks

Yes, he's right, it is classic CV noise common to all Front-drives going back to days of BMC mini, or earlier..
the most sconomical way to deal with it normally, if you have any mechanical ability and tools yourself, is to remove drive shaft, take drive shaft to drive-shaft specialist, have them replace the CV, then put your drive-shaft back in car yourself.
It may not necessarily be a job for a beginner to attempt, but on most cars, it is not a high-complexity job either.But often the outer drive-shaft securing nut is a size that not all beginner level home-mechanics have, such as 27 or 30 or 32 or 35mm even.
It would often also necessitate undoing of the outer steering tie rod end (one nut and cotter pin, but needs some knowledge /basic experience to budge it from steering arm sometimes) sometimes undoing of of lower ball joint nut...and then whatever secures inside end of drive shaft into side of transaxle (often a circlip or roll-pin)
I have not done them on a FWD Peugeot,,,but I have done them on a Renault ..albeit, a Renault 12 1975 model,. lol...and a '77 Subaru 1600..
If all that sounds a little scary, then, yeah, you are gonna have to get mechanic X to do it, and take the whole hit on the parts at RRP and labor...lol..
Sometimes when noisy , if it is not too late, they can be fitted with a new rubber boot repacked with new moly grease for an acceptable result and more use, but usually, since you have the drive-shaft out anyway, most people are gonna accept the hit on a new outer CV at least..
'CV' stands for 'constant velocity" btw..basically it is a large universal joint that allows drive motion through a wheel which is also a steer-wheel...

Bad tie rods that are not steering the wheels but let the wheels lag behind your steering efforts. You can also have a bad ball joint(s) that do the same thing as bad tie rods.

remove lower ball joint and remove axle nut in the center of spindle. then move the spindle out of the way separating the axle from the spindle.

cv axle service is covered in the FSM and at alldata.com
need books or ?
you can read the Geo book or the corolla book, same car.

the books and online have lots of photos,sorry, im not doing all that....

1. Remove the wheel cover.
2. Remove the cotter pin, hub nut cap, hub nut and washer.
3. Loosen the wheel nuts.
4. Elevate and safely support the car.
5. Remove the front wheel.
6. Remove the lower control arm to ball joint attaching nuts and bolts.
7. Use a ball joint separator such as GM J-24319-01 or equivalent to remove the tie rod ball joint from the knuckle.
8. Remove the bolts holding the brake caliper bracket to the steering knuckle. Use stiff wire to suspend the caliper out of the way; do not let the caliper hang by its hose. Remove the brake disc.
9. Using a puller such as GM J-25287 or equivalent, push the axle from the hub.

The Prizm axle can be separated from the hub using a brass or plastic hammer. Nova requires the use of the puller.

1. Use a slide hammer and appropriate end fitting (GM J-2619-01 and J 35762 or equivalents) to pull the driveshaft from the transaxle. Remove the shaft from the car.

To install:

1. Install shaft into transaxle. If necessary, use a long brass drift and a hammer to drive the housing ribs onto the inner joint.
2. Install the shaft into the wheel hub.
3. Install the lower control arm to the lower ball joint. Tighten the nuts and bolts to 59 ft. lbs.
4. Install the tie rod end to the steering knuckle and tighten the nut to 36 ft. lbs.
5. Install the brake disc; install the brake caliper and tighten the bolts to 65 ft. lbs.
6. Install the wheel.
7. Install the hub nut and washer.
8. Lower the vehicle to the ground.
9. Tighten the wheel lugs to 76 ft. lbs. Tighten the hub nut to 137 ft. lbs.
10. Install the nut, cap, cotter pin and washer. Install the wheel cover.

the next page covers service of the CV axles.
log in and read.

I would be looking at the ling pin of front suspension set up for the clunk on full steering lock If you have a live front axle ( one where the diff housing runs from left to right with steering joints at the wheels Like the old jeeps / land cruisers /ford mavericks) there are bearings top and bottom to allow the wheels to turn on steering. These bearings fail regularly (king pin wear) and the resultant movement upsets the running position of the drive axle inside . Hence as the stub axle falls about the u-joint on the drive shaft cannot stay in the correct operating plane and locks up. Have a front end specialist check it out for worn points and ball joints.. If you have an independent front suspension then the problem may be in lower or upper ball joints.

Worn steering linkage or a worn gearbox check for play in both inner and outer tie-rod ends both idler arms and in extreme cases an excessive negative caster angle can cause the steering to feel loose also check steering sector shaft for missing splines or worn "rag joint" (where applicable) where the steering shaft connects to the gearbox one quick way to check these things is what is known as a dry park check == have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth to the point just before the wheels begin to move and watch the linkage this works best with the wheels on the ground and engine off

Lower Control Arm Ball Joint Replacement Removal Procedure Tools Required J 43828 Ball Joint Separator

1. Raise and suitably support the vehicle. Refer to Lifting and Jacking the Vehicle in General Information.
2. Remove the tire and wheel assemblies. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in Tires and Wheels.
3. Remove the stabilizer shaft link. Refer to Stabilizer Shaft Link Replacement .
4. Remove the wiring harness from the lower control arm.




5. Remove the cotter pin (1) from the ball joint (3).
6. Remove the nut (4) from the ball joint (3).



Notice: Use only the recommended tools for separating the ball joint from the knuckle. Failure to use the recommended tools may cause damage to the ball joint and seal.

7. Remove the ball joint from the steering knuckle using the J 43828 .




8. Remove the lower control arm front (1) and rear (4) mounting bolts.
9. Remove the lower control arm (1) from the vehicle and place in a vice.
10. Drill out the 3 rivets (3) retaining the ball joint to the lower control arm (2).
Use a 3 mm (1/8 in) drill bit in order to make a pilot hole through the rivets.
Finish drilling the rivets with a 13 mm (½ in) drill bit.

11. Remove the ball joint (4) from the control arm (2).

Installation Procedure

1. Install the ball joint (4) into the control arm (2).
2. Install the 3 ball joint bolts (3) and the nuts (1). Follow the instructions in the ball joint kit. Tighten the ball joint bolts (3) according to the specifications in the instructions.




3. Install the lower control arm (2) to the front suspension support (1)
Notice: Refer to Fastener Notice in the Preface section.

4. Install the lower control arm front (5) and rear (4) mounting bolts.
Tighten • Tighten the front bolt to 107 N·m (79 lb ft). • Tighten the rear bolt to 110 N·m (81 lb ft).



5. Install the lower ball joint stud (3) to the steering knuckle (2).
6. Install the ball joint stud (3) through the steering knuckle (2).
7. Install the ball joint nut (4).
Tighten
Tighten the ball joint nut to 55 N·m (41 lb ft) plus 180 degree rotation minimum-65 N·m (50 lb ft) plus 180 degree rotation maximum to install the cotter pin.

8. Install the wiring harness to the lower control arm.
9. Install the cotter pin (1).
10. Install the stabilizer link to the lower control arm. Refer to Stabilizer Shaft Link Replacement .
11. Install the tire and wheel assemblies. Refer to Tire and Wheel Removal and Installation in Tires and Wheels.
12. Inspect the front wheel alignment. Refer to Wheel Alignment Specifications in Wheel Alignment.

1. Raise and safely support the vehicle.
2. Place jackstands under the frame.
3. Lower the car slightly so the weight rests on the jackstands and not the control arm.
4. Remove the front tire and wheel assembly.

Be careful to avoid over-extending the axle shaft joints. When either end of the shaft is disconnected, over-extension of the joint could result in separation of internal components and possible joint failure. Failure to observe this can result in interior joint or boot damage and possible joint failure.

1. If a silicone (gray) boot is used on the inboard axle joint, install boot seal protector J-33162 or equivalent. If a thermoplastic (black) boot is used, no protector is necessary.
2. Remove the cotter pin from the ball joint castellated nut. Discard the pin.
3. Remove the castellated nut and disconnect the ball joint from the steering knuckle using ball joint separator J-34505, J-29330, or equivalent.

Be sure to use on the recommended tool for separating the ball joint from the knuckle. Failure to use the proper tool may cause damage to the ball joint and seal.

1. Drill out the three rivets retaining the ball joint to the lower control arm. Use a 1 /8 in. (3mm) drill bit to make a pilot hole through the rivets. Finish drilling the head of the rivets with a 1 /2 in. (13mm) drill bit. Do NOT drill completely through the control arm.

Be careful not to damage the drive axle boot when drilling out the ball joint rivets.

1. Unfasten the nut attaching the link to the stabilizer shaft.
2. Remove the ball joint from the steering knuckle and control arm.

To install:

1. Position the ball joint in the control arm.
2. Install the three ball joint bolts and nuts as shown on the instruction sheet in the ball joint kit, then tighten the bolts to specifications.
3. Position the ball joint stud through the steering knuckle.
4. Fasten the ball joint-to-steering knuckle nut to 41-50 ft. lbs. (56-68 Nm).
5. Install a new cotter pin to the ball joint castellated nut.
6. If installed, remove the boot protector.
7. Fasten the nut attaching the stabilizer link to the stabilizer shaft. Tighten to 22 ft. lbs. (30 Nm), then slightly raise the vehicle and remove the jackstands from under the suspension.
8. Install the front tire and wheel assembly and hand-tighten the lug nuts.
9. Carefully lower the vehicle, then tighten the wheel lug nuts to 103 ft. lbs. (140 Nm).

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Remove horn pad . After removing the large nut SCRIBE A LINE ON THE CENTER SHAFT and the STEERING WHEEL, Using a steering wheel puller, remove steering wheel. Now comes the tricky part. Remove signal stalk ( just pull out a couple of inches ),and 4-way flasher knob. Disconnect multiple connector of signal switch. Remove 3 screws holing switch down. Gently pull upward on switch to expose lower steering bowl. The large bolts are LOOSE that secure it, so the reason for the wobble. Tighten bolts, and reverse procedure.

Hello
Welcome to FixYa
there is a u joint to be replaced on your steering shaft just after the steering shaft
open the hood look down to the steering shaft you will see a small u joint very common to go bad most auto parts stores carry the part
RD