deadeyejedi

Can anyone tell me how to remove the intermediate steering shaft on a 1980 cutlass supreme ? I've removed the bolts in each end of it and assumed it slid toward the firewall in order to slide off of the spline at the lower end but not budging . Do I need to remove the steering box?

joe_padavano

If you've removed the pinch bolt at the bottom of the steering column (below the brake booster), you need to push the housing with the flex joint down towards the front of the car. The splines often stick if the shaft has never been off the car before. Sometimes it helps to pry open the clamp that the pinch bolt goes into to loosen the splines. You might need to apply judicious force...

deadeyejedi

Thanks Joe I'll do just that

tru-blue 442

[QUOTE=joe_padavano;733184] You might need to apply judicious force...

Correct me if I am wrong Joe.
This means BFH, yes?

joe_padavano

Somthin' like that...

deadeyejedi

Nothing doing on spreading shaft clamp and driving downward there seems to a a small rod going inside the middle of the splined shaft and extending into the intermediate shaft it's about an eight of an inch in diameter any clue what it is ? If I pound like hell on it I'm going to bend it

deadeyejedi

Ok I got it shaft had to be slid up toward firewall in order to pop knuckle off that piece is just another part of the spline .

joe_padavano

If you are talking about the large housing on the LH side of this photo, that comes off the splines with the rest of the steering shaft. The housing is a combination slip joint and u-joint. The cross pin you talked about fits into two square blocks that pivot on the pin and slide up and down in the housing. The housing itself has the splines and pinch bolt that fits over the bottom of the steering column shaft. The shaft you removed should look like this photo.

deadeyejedi

your exactly right .of course it all made sense once it came out. the car is in a dimly lit garage with no drop light very limited tools and covered with grease . reminds me of the old days

deadeyejedi

this is the best pic i have regarding that pin just posting it in case someone else runs into this