Broken Turn Signal Lever and Questions

[Slonaker]

Ever since I bought my truck I have had to push down a little too hard on my turn signal lever to signal a left turn. It was one of those things I planned to look into after the bigger stuff was fixed. Yesterday I signaled a left turn, and snapped the end off the lever. The portion that controls the cruise control and the wipers is now dangling by the wiring.

1. What was wrong in the column that was making it so hard to signal a left turn? What part, if any, was bad? How much will it cost to replace it, and how do I do it?

2. How much is a new stalk going to cost me? I have seen one in the "HELP" section at the auto parts stores that looks like the right one for about $30. Is it any good, or should I go with a dealer part?

3. Will I have to pull the wheel, disassemble part of the column, and fish about 5 feet of wiring through the column to replace it? Since it controls wipers, washers, and cruise, I assume there are quite a few wires involved. I have never worked on a steering column before, and want to know what I'm getting myself into.

Any tips anyone can offer would be appreciated.

Slonaker