Steering Column to Steering U-Joint problem, It's too damn tight?

I'm ***isting an older hotrod friend set up his vega steering box on his traditionally styled build 29' Model A pickup. Before mounting the box we're mocking up the linkage which consists of a 3/4" smooth bore at each end u-joint and a 3/4" smooth and 3/4"-36 spline which will go onto a new LimeWorks column. The problem is that with the truck in the air I couldn't get the splined u-joint to mate up onto the LimeWorks column, it's like the splines would barely catch. I ended up pulling out the column and tried installing the u-joint on the bench. No dice....I took a small triangular file and gave a little more "ramp" at the begining of each of the male splines on the column. We even tried a bit of heat with a torch to no avail. I could get the joint to slide on about 3/16" and that was with a BFH. I then took off the joint and you could tell that the u-joint seemed to be a very slight smaller dia. As there was a small ridge on the column where the u-joint stopped going on. The u-joint was bought thru SpeedWay and is a Sweet Manufacturing product made here locally in Kalamazoo, MI.

Has anyone ever come across this problem before? Any help is appreciated.

 

I would see if another u-joint fits, I have a limeworks column in my '36 and a borgeson u-joint fit just fine.

 

I just looked on the Borgeson website which gives the dia. of GM manual steering boxes. GM's 3/4" 36 spline actually measures anywhere from .720-.745 depening on the year/model of box. Apparently when ordering a 3/4" 36 spline U-joint from Speedway they are ***uming that it is going on a GM manual box NOT a aftermarket LimeWorks column which is a true 3/4" 36 spline not a .720-.745" 36 spline like GM boxes....uuughhh

 

Ya, the Sweets smooth bore doesnt sit well on a solid 3/4" shaft well either.