Slick 60's

I took my truck out for a couple drives this week and everything ran well and functioned as it should. I pulled into my driveway last night and went to reposition my truck. I cranked the steering wheel over without the truck moving at all. It made a grinding noise and the wheel turned loose and the front tires didn't turn.

So I popped the hood and where the steering column clamps onto the splined shaft of the steering box was just moving around it, like the splines were worn. So I loosened the nuts at position 1 and 2 on my pic, fiddled with the position of the column on the splined shaft, and then it was like it magically worked. The tires would turn and the steering wheel never broke free. And this is before I tightened the nuts back down



I then tightened the nuts back down and took it around the block. Steering worked fine. I sat in my truck cranking the steering wheel from far right to far left until my arms were sore to see if I could get it to break loose again, and nothing. It all stayed tight.

Now I'm just wondering if anyone else has had anything similiar to this happen to them? And if anyone has any recommendations as to if I can replace just the splined part of the shaft sticking out of the steering box or would it be more advisable to just get a whole new box?

I'm at all total loss for how it worked fine, then didn't work at all, and now works fine But I'm too worried to take anywhere in case next time it gives out while I'm driving

Your splines look ok in the picture.
Check your rag joint.

Thanks blackwater. I've never done any work on the steering box area before.
If I loosen the number 1 nut in my picture, should that shaft slide up towards the firewall so that I can get the rag joint off?

Losen the bolts that hold the steering column under the dash.
Slide column back to remove rag joint.
Before removing rag joint have someone slowly turn steering wheel lock to lock while you watch the rag joint.
You can also raise the front end and move a wheel back and fourth.
Moving a wheel back and forth should cause the steering wheel to turn without a lot of slop or motion.