Day 1 of Disassembly!

Got my grandfathers/fathers truck home a couple weeks ago after many years of begging. Started disassembly by myself this morning. Lots of rusty bolts that needed some airhammer, grinder, and sawzaw help. Thought i'd share my experience with you guys step buy step. Haven't decided 100% how stock i'm leaving it, but i know I'm not chopping the body, and i'm running the 235. besides that, we'll see as it goes. Anyone know exactly how the stock steering column comes out. I removed every bolt i could see under the hood and it wont pull up from in the cab. its the only piece of the cab i couldn't get out so its preventing me from pulling the cab off the frame. My goal was to get ALL the body off the frame by myself. FAILED! i got real close though for my first time disassembling a body. Here are some pics of my day taken with my phone. All suggestions welcome.

 

The column might be part of the steering box...I think.

So, you need to remove the pitman arm and the bolts that hold the box to the frame rail.

Also some sort of small floor plate at the bottom of the column at the floor?

 

I'd say remove the steering wheel and slide it out the bottom.

 

What he say.

 

And good luck.

 

Yeah, the column and steering box are all one piece. There are three bolts and nuts that attach the box to the frame, (probably covered up in grease). The pitman arm will have to be removed first, though.

A bit of advise.....Buy a FACTORY shop manual....Not a Motors, or a Haynes, but a factory Chevrolet shop manual. It is a good idea to get a factory assembly manual, also. These will cover every thing on the truck, sheetmetal, wiring, engine suspension, etc.

These are available in reprints for about $20 each, or so.....Less than a tank of gas. They are well written, easy to understand, and well illustrated.....Unlike shop manuals for new cars. These will be the BEST investment that you can make for this old truck.

 

Yeah, what Tork says makes a lot of sense. Get one, you won't regrest it.

 

I sawzall'd my column away from the box when I tore mine down. I replaced the stock steering with a rack and pinion though, so it didn't bother me to cut it up.

The floor opening where the column passes is quite small, so I think you'll need to remove the steering box from the frame, remove the steering wheel off the column, and slip the assembly out through the engine bay.