steering column/shaft - again

[El Cazador]

Everything's unbolted, etc. Any tricks to actually coaxing it out?! I'm reluctant to put too much force on it, but the sucker simply won't budge. I'm just short of get-out-the-Sawzall irritated about now. FJ40 built in 7/74.

 

[Poser]

Do you have the turn signal swith removed?

If not, you cannot see the snap ring on the top of the bearing in the column that needs to be removed....you then can put the nut back on the threaded area on the shaft, and tap it out with a soft face, dead blow hammer...when it is free of the bearing, remove the nut, and pull the shaft out of the column.


-OR-


You can use a cut off wheel and remove the rag joint coupling on the end of the shaft( provided you are not looking at reusing it, (as in a Saginaw p/s conversion) and then remove the turn signal switch assembly, revealing the three screws that hold the bearing into the housing....remove them and tap the bottom end of the column on the floor, and it should pop the bearing out of the column.



Good luck!


-Steve