Removing Intermediate steering shaft??

[Roc87]

How the ()&@*&* do you get this old steering shaft out??? I spent around 2 hours trying to get this thing out, I had no idea that I had that much dirt/grease in my car as was in that area! I have the bolts loose, the shaft is no longer connected at either end, but I cannot get this thing out! It's almost as if the power steering hose is holding the plastic shroud from moving around the shaft.... I can R&R a downpipe in less time... Just trying to get the Jeep steering shaft installed & I'm ready to torch the old one to get it out!

 

[1Badelky]

you take the bolts out completely?

 

[Roc87]

Yep, bolts are completely out at gearbox & column. There isn't enough room to pull it back towards firewall, seems as though the power steering hose is blocking it, and not enough room to slide it forward either. I hate break that plastic thing around the stock shaft, but I may just to get the extra room.

 

[Monte_ExpreSS]

The plastic is just a cover & can unclip from around the hose. That's not whats stopping it from coming out though. You need to collapse the shaft near the center. Try some penetrating oil at the point where the inner shaft slides into the outer shaft & pry with pry bar on the shaft, against the steering box. If that doesn't work, you might have to heat it.

 

[supercrackerbox]

In the past, I've had to clamp a big Vice Grip on the shaft and smack it a few times with a hammer to get it to slide in.

 

[ryan319]

i just did mine last week. you have to remove (not loosen):

-the cover at the end of the shaft
-completely remove the bolts at each end of the shaft. at first i only loosened the bolt at the steering box but after i removed it the shaft slid right off
-four bolts at the firewall
-two nuts on the column bracket
-four bolts that bolt the column to the column bracket
- i also had to put my trans in first gear cause the gear selector was hitting the firewall

after all the bolts are out pull and wiggle the steering wheel. the column should slide enough to allow the shaft to come out. a pry bar and BFH aren't really needed. some penetrating oil at each end of the shaft helps though.

 

[Roc87]

Thanks for all the ideas guys. I finally got it done. I had to remove my MAF, 4" to 3" adapter, the bolts holding the power steering reservoir & after turning the plastic cover to remove it from the hose at the gear box I Fully removed the bolts at each end of the shaft, collapsed the shaft, and that's where the problems started. After being in there for 23 years that shaft didn't want to come out! That plastic cover is what was holding me up. It was too big to allow it to pull back towards the firewall, it was wedged inbetween a powersteering supply hose and the upper control arm bolt (where you add shims for alignment). I gave up and got a pair of wire cutters and broke the plastic cover enough to push it back towards the firewall. Arms look like I've been in a fight with a cat, but in the end it seems like a worth while mod, that 23 year old-oil-soaked rag joint was shot, by twisting each end of the stock shaft, the metal sections around the rag joint would almost touch. Haven't been on a testdrive yet as the weather looks like something from back east:frown:I hope I didn't disturb the power steering hoses too bad, sure don't want to replace those

 

[1Badelky]

glad to hear. I should be installing my jeep shaft this weekend.