In order to improve a sliding shaft for a surgical sliding shaft instrument, wherein the sliding shaft comprises a first shaft part and a second shaft part which are arranged such as to be displaceable relative to each other and also a guidance device for guiding a movement of the second shaft part relative to the first shaft part, wherein said first shaft part carries a first tool element and said second shaft part carries a second tool element, wherein said first and second tool elements cooperate and/or abut each other in a working position and are spaced from each other in a position that is deflected from the working position or are spaced further from each other than in the working position, wherein the guidance device comprises at least one first guide element which is arranged on the first shaft part and at least one second guide element which cooperates with the at least one first guide element and is arranged on the second shaft part, wherein said guide elements interlock in shape-fitting manner for guiding a movement of the second shaft part relative to the first shaft part, so that first and second shaft parts are replaceable as required, for the purposes of forming said shaft parts there is proposed a tolerance compensating device for compensating for the manufacturing tolerances of the cooperating guide elements.
