Removing the steering shaft on a '54. How?

[Gary_N]

Well, I've been trying unsuccessfully to get the steering shaft out of the Power Steering box so I can lift the body off. The manual is as clear as mud and wants me to start banging with a chisel. So, before I get to banging too much, I thought I'd seek some experience?

Help!

Thanks!

Gary

[tcwilson]

i removed the entire steering box when i removed the body. it may be a better alternitive. what model car are you working on?

[JohnD1956]

Hey Gary, are you trying the get the steering column out, or is this something else you need to remove? Isn't the column attached to the steering box with the two bolts and nuts going through the flexible leather collar?

Can you post a picture of where the problem is?

[Gary_N]

John: Steering column was the east part, the shaft is the hard part.

TCWilson: It's a '54 Roadmaster. I thought about taking the whole thing out but was hoping I could leave it for now and just get the shaft out.

Oh well.....

[Fr. Buick]

You have to visualize that there is a solid steering shaft that runs from the gear-box to the steering wheel, and can not be undone. Around that is the outer column and an inner column inside that - three layers of fun.

First undo all electrical. Remove neutral-safety switch and the small tab that activates it.

Then remove the wheel with a strong puller.

Then remove trans selector lever behind the wheel.

Then remove bracket that holds the column to the bottom of the dash.

Then undo trans linkeage at the firewall.

Then loosen the big C-clamp where the bottom of the column meets the gearbox.

Then undo pitman arm and all bolts connecting gearbox to frame.

Then undo front seat from floor-pan and slide back towards rear seat. (Two bolts is all there are.)

You can now lift the gear-box up and slide towards front of car, allowing column to tilt down towards the floor. The steering shaft will slide out of the column with it, making this heavy and awkward. Be careful not to damage the rubber seal around the column at the floorboard, as they are brittle with age and expensive to replace. I think Bob's Automobilia has a reporduction for '54.

Once gear-box is out, you can remove the rest by disingaging the inner column from the outer column. The lower trans selector lever slides out a certain way, allowing the outer comumn to come out into the car, and the inner column to exit through the engine compartment.

The turn-signal housing at the top of the column can come off at the end of the project or the beginning... I completely undid mine so as to powder-coat everything visible in black. I recommend that if yours should be black.

It is a lot of work, but go slowly, and it will make sense...

And while you are at it, be sure the horn-contact on the shaft is in good shape. It is a copper sleeve insulated with rubber underneath it, and prone to come apart. Mine cracked apart and disabled my horn, which was the start of all this fun for me on a '54 Special.

Take your time, it becomes clear as you go along. Good luck!

[Gary_N]

Fr D:

Well, since this is the parts car, I was being a little sloppy. I have the column out already, so, you are confirming that I need to take the whole shebang out. Maybe I'll just get creative and cut the firewall away. I also managed to break the rubber piece at the base of the column. Well, that was easy...it was way brittle. I'm also sure I screwed up a few other things, so let's hope Frankie is in better shape. A piece of plastic broke off the Neutral Safty/Gear Selector switch too. Good thing I have Frankie's to compare.

Instead of lifting the body off the frame, I'm cutting most of it off in between removing interior things like power window motors and mechanisms, the dash and trim...well what's left of the trim, which isn't too much.

Since Frankie is a manual steering Super and Dorothy is a Power Steering Roadmaster, I thought why not just drop Frankie onto Dorothy's Chassis? I'm sure there's a foot ready to drop somewhere though.

By the way, are you back from Rome?

Gary

[Fr. Buick]

No, still in Rome. I have another 14 months to go before getting home and back to my Buicks.

Yes, you will want to pull the steering gear off before lifting a body off. Once the steering shaft is bent, it will be hard to get it right again.

And power-steering is a BIG plus on a heavy Buick. It will be worth the work.

Have fun and keep us posted,

Doug Cook