Steering shaft assembly

A steering shaft and clamp yoke assembly comprising:

• a clamp yoke having an annular wall with a through split and a through bore having a female spline region, said annular wall having through openings configured for receipt of a clamp fastener therethrough;
• a shaft having a first end region including a nose having a lead-in diameter, a male spline region coupleable with said female spline region of said clamp yoke, a ring flag seat adjacent said nose, and a first ring flag locating feature between said ring flag seat and said male spline region, and a retention shoulder submerged below the ring flag installation area diameter and a groove;
• and
• a ring flag having an annular band seated on said ring flag seat, a flag extending axially from said annular band in a first direction beyond said first end region and radially outwardly from said annular band, and a second ring flag locating feature extending axially from said annular band in a second direction opposite said first direction, said second ring flag locating feature interacting with said first ring flag locating feature to orient said ring flag in a predetermined rotational orientation relative to said shaft, wherein said first ring flag locating feature is coaxially aligned with said second ring flag locating feature, wherein said second ring flag locating feature is a protrusion and said first ring flag locating feature is a recessed channel, wherein said annular band is sized for a snap-fit over said nose into said ring flag seat, wherein said protrusion extends into said recessed channel prior to said annular band being snap-fit over said nose, wherein a retention lip is present on the inner diameter of said annular band, which snaps into the groove, wherein the lead-in diameter of the shaft is substantially equal to the inner diameter of said annular band, wherein the cross-section of ring flag extension that protrudes off the end of the shaft is reduced by moving said first ring flag locating feature and said second ring flag locating feature, so gussets along the ring diameter are present for strength.