I can't tell from the original post and i haven't had mine apart yet but would it be possible to shorten the housing section that the bearing goes in to? I was hoping to shorten mine to make some header clearance on the rear port.
Yes, the outer steering jacket can be shortened some. Really only buys a inch or two on my car, I know that length changed a little though depending on the year of the car. Obviously you'll still need it to come through the firewall, but you can make a little space there.