How to take apart a steering column

[Uberoo]

So I'm putting the front suspension from a 93 impreza under the front of an 83 mazda RX7. The stock rx7 suspension is relatively weak when rallied,Parts are hard to find, and it uses recirculating ball steering for the ultimate in imprecise steering.The impreza suspension on the other hand rally is its bread and butter,parts are cheap and plentiful,and it uses rack and pinion steering, in addition to that it is only 1/2" wider than the rx7 WMS.

 

The RX7 uses the above mentioned recirulating ball steering box that has the steering shaft as part of it.Then a tube slides over the steering shaft to allow it to be mounted in the car.I would like to keep the interior of the RX7 looking relatively stock so I would like to use the RX7 steering wheel and combination switch.The easiest way to do that looks to be to take the steering shaft out of the impreza column and put it in the "column jacket" from the mazda. or at least use the lower part of the impreza steering shaft and connect it to the upper part of the mazda steering shaft.So I am wondering how to I get the steering shaft out of the impreza column without destroying it?

 

I have the parts out and I can set them side by side but before I but out the cut off wheel and mangle the impreza column if just wondering if there is a quick way to remove the shaft for the column.

[Fairtax4me]

If it's not a tilting column, one end or the other should have a snap ring of some sort. Pop the snap ring out and then probably will have to persuade the shaft out of the bearings with some hammerage. Usually there is some thread lock/bearing lock compound to prevent rattles that just needs to be broken loose.

[Uberoo]

yep.Snap ring at the bottom. rubber bearing cap up top. "some hammerage" blew the plastic shear pins.Ended up having to push out the lower bearing to get the shaft out with the collapsed shaft,and a deepwell socket on the steering wheel nut,and a hammer.Apparently the japanese engineers from mazda and subaru must have went to the same school because both steering shafts are almost identical even being made 10 years apart. only difference is the mazda shaft is a permanent piece of the steering box while the subaru is splined to go into the u joint. Now to go assemble the crossbreed steering column.So cross pollination between various japanese carmakers seems to be plug and play for some parts,but I'm pretty sure that when I introduce some american V6 DNA into the RX7 that I am gonna have to make sparks happen.

[Fairtax4me]

Just put Japanese ignition parts on it and it won't know the difference.