Steering column rattling

[RJRavalli@xxxx]

I think I've slightly narrowed down where the rattling from my steering column is coming from. My steering wheel moves very slightly up and down, almost like some wheel adjustor part is loose. So when I hit a hard bump, my column is hitting on the top or bottom of something else and is making noise. My wheel shouldn't move like that, right? Is there something I can check to make sure it stays locked in place, or to see if something is broken? If it is, is there any kind of basic replacement?

Any help would be appreciated...I need to solve this very annoying problem. It causes me to have to place a slight pressure down on the steering wheel all the time while driving in order to avoid the bumping. Anyone know what's going on?

Thank you much,

Richard