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I have just purchased a '39 Packard Six that is in very good shape, other than the steering is atrocious. There is at least a half-steering-wheel-revolution of play. I had it in to a garage and they informed me that the steering box needs to be rebuilt or replaced and with the time gap in parts availability, they suggested I tackle the job myself. I have everything apart but cannot figure out how to disconnect the steering column shaft from the steering box. Can anybody help by walking me through the process? I also posted in the owners club, so if you see the same query there, it's mine. Really appreciate any help from someone who has fought with this. Also would like to know what the best approach is for repairing the unit once it is out. Are full rebuild kits available? Or would the box itself be too worn to make rebuilding viable? What does one look for to ascertain this?
Thanks in advance for any help.

The steering shaft is a permanent part with the worm gear and can not be removed. Some things to check:
--The rubber bushings at the end of the pitman arm are OK?

--The cross shaft is a good fit on its bushings? Should have no appreciable play. New bushings are available.

--The roller in the cross shaft spins freely without radial or axial play?

--The steering shaft has no axial play in the housing. This is adjustable by removing shims at the lower end of the housing, but almost never needs doing.

--If these things are OK, then the gear needs to be adjusted by removing shims at the opening of the hole where the cross shaft goes through. These steering gears are not like later ones where the screw on the top cover does the adjustment. On these gears that screw only controls end play after the adjustment is made by the shims.

Hi Ross, (Home Away From Home)
Thanks for the good info! The box is so bad that the steering actually locked up, luckily not while I was on the road, or it could have been a disaster. I have it on stands and have everything undone re the steering box, except the Pitman arm from the steering link (nut is off but am having trouble freeing the splined joint) and the steering column shaft. You say the two are integral and I presume to be able to get the box out with the shaft, I will have to have the car on a hoist? Is it possible to shore the front end up high enough to clear the shaft from the column tube, or am I stuck towing it back to a garage? (with the steering locked or undone, it is difficult to move it anywhere.
Thanks, Chris Goodfellow.

I hesitate to bring this up since you are working on a 39 and I have no direct knowledge on that car but since so many parts carried on for use with later cars I will. If it is not a concern on 39s, am sure others will say so soon enough.

On later cars at least, the steering shaft has a bearing at the upper end. Around the shaft is a formed ring which provides the inner race for the bearing. The ring is a fairly tight fit and with pulling the shaft down and ring into bearing it may get tighter. In all probability you will need to remove the ring before trying to remove the shaft from the column -- both because it might be too tight to slide or could damage the bearing if forced.

Also, on some shafts if the bearing ring doesn't want to slide up look for a small circular snap ring which fits into a groove in the shaft. It may be well hidden and covered with grease. In a worst case you may actually have to slide the column housing down a bit to have working space to remove the snap ring.

On the Pitman arm removal, I expect you will need to rent a puller.

Here is a later car showing the upper column bearing and ring (arrow)

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Thank you Howard (Forum Ambassador) - I appreciate you taking the time, especially the photo. It answered another question as when I took the steering wheel off, The little stub pin and wire clip were floating around inside the column casing and I wasn't sure where they went. That picture shows it perfectly. My biggest problem seems to be, now that I have it all disassembled, the steering box will hit the floor before it clears the column casing. Another tow bill!!!

That stub pin and wire is an anti-vibration or anti-rattle setup for the gearshift tube.

On removing the steering box without raising the car higher there is a slim possibility that once the pitman arm is removed and box is ready to remove from frame, removing the toeboard around brake and clutch pedals and dropping the column out of the dash clamp to let the end lie on the seat might let it drop far enough that it will come out at a shallower angle -- at least maybe use a floor jack and not a hoist. Of course, that means removing pedal pads and disconnecting some gearshift linkage and it is still not a guarantee.

Don't forget there is a clamp at the bottom of the column tube which also holds the shift tube. It clamps tight where the column meets the steering box. That needs to loosen or come off so column will let go of box.. Take note of where the column end sits in relation to the top of box so you can get things back in approximately the same place. It avoids having to mess around too much to get a decent gap at the wheel. Don't know if there were factory turn signals in 39 but if so it is important you have the column at the proper height where the pins on wheel can work the signal switch.

I am some impressed with all of the info that people are willing to share; many thanks! In as much as this is a 2-way forum and others may be looking at it to glean info, I thought I would post a 'progress report' and add some of my findings: As far as I can tell, the steering box will not come out the bottom, through the cross member and steering linkage. I thought as I was disassembling everything that there was enough of a hole there to guide it through but now that I have it completely loose, it just doesn't fit. My only other option seems to be to free the steering column tube and back it into the vehicle cabin until it clears the shaft in the engine compartment, and then lift it out the top. That's where I am at now and will post the outcome in case anyone else is trying to do this. It is a fairly comprehensive task and were I to have a garage perform it, the bill would be quite high, so the DIY approach is economic providing one has the place to work and the tools/basic mechanical knowhow. A 77 year old vehicle sure presents some challenges with frozen nuts and bolts and fragile old parts though!!!

I'm just finishing up on my 1939 110 4dr. and as I recall, if you remove the clutch and brake pedals, you can remove the interior metal plate that goes around the steering column [4 screws]. Then you can pull the steering box up out of the chassis and then go forward and out of the car with it.