Steering Column Removal

[steve340]

Strip down and inspect. It will most likely be OK with a good grease up if it is not all sloppy.
Full rebuild kits or just the seal are available.

 

[66 Sat]

You can leave the pin in there - the end of the column should just slide out of the coupler if the column is loose at all other points (firewall, interior etc). Watch for the shoes and springs when you slide it out so they don't get lost.

 

[MoparGuy68]

The above info is wrong the shoes will not come out of the coupler until the dowel pin located at the top of coupler is removed.
However while it is out I would take off the cover, check for wear and pack some grease in it.
It is easier to take the coupler out in one piece otherwise you have to try and load all those parts in to the coupler body working in the engine bay. Someone else has the hold the column for you. Next to impossible to do by yourself.

I loaded the saddles and clip into the coupler in the engine compartment. I held the column and inserted it all inside the coupler myself with no help. It was a bitch, but it is possible..

Then once I got it in there I realized I had forgotten to put the rubber seal and metal cover on the column shaft first! So I had to take it apart and do the impossible again, a second time.

 

[66 Sat]

The above info is wrong the shoes will not come out of the coupler until the dowel pin located at the top of coupler is removed.
However while it is out I would take off the cover, check for wear and pack some grease in it.
It is easier to take the coupler out in one piece otherwise you have to try and load all those parts in to the coupler body working in the engine bay. Someone else has the hold the column for you. Next to impossible to do by yourself.

I took the column out of my '66 Satellite without removing the pin in the coupler (or the coupler itself). The pin holds the coupler to the steering box shaft I believe. I also put it all back together in the engine bay, on my own I think but my 12 year old son might have helped - it wasn't that difficult. The column also "walked" itself out of the coupler on my old '69 Barracuda (the shear pins for the collapsible column were gone), so unless both cars were missing the roll pin, the column can be removed from the coupler independently.

 

[rklewis1005]

Ok - struggling with the pin. It's a fairly large roll pin - I can put a good size dowel all the way through. Any other suggestions to get this column out?

 

[Kern Dog]

That roll pin has to be removed to get the coupler off. Either knock it out or carefully drill it out.

 

[Billccm]

Did you try from both sides of the pin. I had issues and remember hitting one side of the pin drives out easily vs the other side.