So this weekend I was trying to strip out everything from the interior for a shell repaint, but got stuck on the Pass. side front wall carpet section because it has an eye for the steering column.

I tried just removing lower Steering column U-Joint to try to lift it off over the section to the ZF rack, but there wasn't enough play, even when I tried rotating the wheel so that the upper u-joint was aligned to move in the needed direction!

So is there any easy way to get that u-joint off of there, without pulling rack or wheel?

I'm trying to tackle things one section at a time, and am not ready to pull the steering wheel nor ZF rack, so if there's no easy way - that'll have to wait. It seems that they should have some easier way to install/remove that carpet, short of pulling a steering wheel or rack!

Loosen the lower ujoint...remove the bolt.
loosen the upper joint..remove the bolt.
Take the upper one off first...then the lower one.

Or...like most of us...use a knife and cut the carpet straight up from the grommet...you will never see it.

Rich

I think you can loosen the whole steering column to get the play you want and pull the wheel forward... I cut the carpet out on Dad's car... and wish I didn't... but I figure I can stitch is up and no one except the CW will notice... especially with a center console...

I don't want to cut the carpet because it's the NLA Dark Tan & I may need to clean/restore & use it, & want mine restored to CW standards - even if I'm not usually that anal!

Rich - are you talking about the upper bolt on the upper part of the u-joint at the floor, or - as I think - the one on the u-joint up at the dash behind the steering wheel??

remove both bolts on both ends of the u-joint shaft...
you can slide it down on the bottom one far enough to slide it off the top one....then it comes off the bottom..

Rich

Gotcha - Thanx - I'll try that when I can work on it next time!