I've checked most of the posts on this popular topic - seems you can remove the steering gear/shaft assembly from either the bottom of the truck or up and out through the cab. I'd like to clearly understand the pros and cons of each approach from those who have done it.

If we drop the assembly through the bottom, just how high does one need to jack the front end of the truck up? We'd be doing this the hard way, with progressive lifts using a standard floor jack and blocks

If we go through the cab, is there plenty of room for the whole assembly to come out once the steering wheel is removed, or is the interior at risk of scrapes and dings as we wrestle this beast out? Our steering gear decided to take a dump just as we finished our restoration, so we are highly motivated to not damage the interior along the way.

Thanks for any input you might have.

 

If you still have the removable plates around the pedals and steering column it's not a problem. Remove the steering wheel, signal arm, and shift arm.

In a finished vehicle, it's a two-man job. Just to be safe.

 

So you would recommend the 'out-thru-the-cab' approach?

 

Yes.

It's not that bad.

You will have to remove or roll back the carpet or rubber mat and padding. Remove the pedal pads and the column floor plate. Disconnect the clutch and brake arms so they drop out of the way. You may want to wrap them with something first. I don't know about your '56, but the "53 clutch arm hits the spring mount when it drops that far.

Remove the column drop and the shift linkage and you'll be ready to remove the three bolts that hold the steering box to the frame.

You have to tilt the column toward the driver's door opening, to clear the frame, and rotate the entire assembly as it comes up through the floor opening.

 

I don't know how it is on mid-fifties, but on 48-52 it's easier out the bottom if the engine is in place. The exhaust and engine limit how far you can swing the bottom end. But you may have to raise the front end to get it out the bottom. A fun job in any case!

 

X2 with EffieTrucker! It would be a PITA to drop it down. To remove the two halves of the floor plates you'll need to remove the rubber pedals off the brake & clutch. They screw on their arms but can be stubborn. I leave the wheel, shifting lever and directionals on the colum.

Remove the Pitman arm (by removing the sector bolt on the outside of the frame), TRANS linkages from the column, disconnect the directional & horn wiring, remove the collar that holds the colum to the dash and lastly remove the bolts that hold the steering gear on the frame. It's a bit bottom heavy but not that hard to negotiate out of the cab. Shouldn't damage any of your interior or dash.


Just a question: Why are you removing the steering gear?

 

Ours has never been rebuilt and has become dangerously sloppy, so rather than risk a crash with our fresh restoration, we plan to make it new again. We didn't make too many mistakes during our restoration, but not rebuilding the steering gear while everything was stripped down was a mistake.

Thanks for the additional details, BJ -

 

Pretty easy to rebuild. Several vendors have kits.