A clearance damping element for use with a telescoping shaft assembly including a shaft having a shaft outer diameter and a tube configured to receive the shaft therein. The clearance damping element comprises a tube engaging portion and a shaft engaging portion. The tube engaging portion is adapted to fixedly receive the tube and the shaft engaging portion has a body extending from the second end of the tube engaging portion. The shaft engaging portion body includes a plurality of flexible fingers with inward extending projections that define an inner diameter less than the shaft outer diameter.
