Steering Shaft Removal

[Miles]

The upper u-joint on the steering shaft next to the coupler is worn. The u-joint is not replacable so I am ordering a used replacement from Z Barn.

Question is how to remove the upper steering shaft. Can the shaft be slipped out of the steering column while still in the car or does the whole column have to be removed?

Has anyone done this?

Thanks

Miles

[BD240Z]

With the steering column installed in the car, the angle of the column prevents the upper section of the steering shaft from sliding out the bottom. The upper section of the steering shaft will hit the top of the frame on the way out. All the hydraulic lines are in the way too.

I just reinstalled mine but EVERYTHING was removed from my interior. To get mine in I had my wife hold the steering column kind of parallel to the ground so I could slide the upper section into the column.

The steering column is held in place with four bolts at the firewall behind the brake/clutch pedals and four more bolts in the picture below. If you remove all eight bolts you should be able to lower the steering column and kind of angle it towards the drivers door so that the upper section of the shaft can slide out/back in.

I hope this helps and I don't know of any other way to get the upper section out. Maybe someone here has discovered a slick way of doing this job.

Good luck with your car.