1997 - 1998 rag joint worn

[shifty]

So, you can't do the Jeep shaft swap on the 97-98 trucks. I've read this over and over again, along with the reasoning. Wish I could do that on my '98 Sierra SLT but no dice.

Anyway, I confirmed today my 3" or so CW/CCW turning slop in my steering is mostly b/c my rag joint is worn to hell after 20 years without being replaced.

My question is this: Is it really worth wasting 1-2hrs dicking around by pulling the old shaft assembly, grinding/drilling the rivets to remove the old rag joint, bolting in a new rag joint, then reinstalling the whole thing? It looks like you could just Drop $150 on GM part# 26033170 (edited to include correct p/n) intermediate shaft assembly which looks to include a replacement rag joint, unbolt the old/bolt in the new part in under 15 minutes with no grinding, busted knuckles, etc?

I'm all about saving a few bucks to fix a problem that's been driving me bonkers, I'm just trying to figure out ... is $$ the main reason people choose to hammer out the OEM part just to bolt in something aftermarket that may/may not last 20 years like the old part and could potentially come unbolted if you drive on gnarly roads like me?

Are there any other solutions to this issue that don't involve doing something stupid like adding a 3rd u-joint into the mix?