steel. i'll check the set screws on the strut tomorrow, i diddnt put the shaft through the hull, after we loosened the strut the shaft was real easy to move. any way to check for a bent strut other than eyeballing it?.. although, obviousley if its slightly bent you might not be able to tell.
If the hull is "sandwiched" between the strut and a backup plate (the proper way to do it), try oversizing the holes in the hull slightly (shouldn't take much) then with the shaft installed, torque one bolt at a time while slowly rotating the shaft making sure it does not "go tight".
It is my practice to use regular nuts on the bolts to test fit, or dry fit before using aircraft nuts (AKA Nylocks), once the alignment is achieved, mark/index everything and put it together with sealants and Nylocks, should be good to go...
First the shaft to the strut and thru hull, then the shaft to the coupling, this is often overlooked and is the most common cause of vibration and failure of components in the drivetrain, including the vee box. Some guys like to see a "slight" mis-alignment to the strut, but IMHO not neccisary if everything is in good shape, keep in mind al of the horsepower is going down the middle of that shaft, any mis-alignment causes unneeded strain...
GT
