Mine has a lot of slop in it. If i grab the shaft I can move it up and down about an inch. Is this normal? If not how does the end closest to the steering box come off?

 

it's called an intermediate shaft, and yes they do wear out as cause slop in the steering.

Larry

 

Undo the little hook on the plastic shroud around the power steering line at the gearbox and slide the shroud towards the firewall. There should be an 11mm bolt attaching it. Remove that bolt. You need to check if the excessive play is in the steering box or the rag joint, near the upper bolt. The shaft is telescoping (works like a toilet paper holder), so you'll need to compress it to remove it. Make sure the front wheels are straight as well as the steering wheel before removal.