This is what they look like when intact.
View attachment 1716114656
View attachment 1716114657
I'm only guessing but I suspect that they injected hot plastic into specific channels that hardened as it cooled down. With these pins intact, the shaft within the shaft stays in place. When the plastic "pins" break, the two shafts can slide back and forth a bit. I do not know how much lap that they have but a buddy of mine took his P/S column out, pulled the inner shaft out a bit and extended the whole shebang to use a manual steering box. He wasn't about to pay $200 for the P/S to manual adapter. He slipped a manual steering coupler on it and saved some cash.
