Steering gear and carrier support replacement questions...daily driver help.

[Jobe72]

My 72 GMC Sierra is my only vehicle at this moment.

The center support is shot and needs to be replaced.
The steering gear just starting leaking from the pitman gear seal...bad.

My questions are these....

1. Center support, I've swapped these on other GM cars. Is this a fairly simple job? Does the rear section slide into the front section at the center support or are they attached and need a special tool to separate them?

2. I'm planning on replacing the steering box, seems fairly simple as well...any tips or problems? I have a pitman arm puller.

Thanks for any help. I do all my own work, just never done this work on this truck yet....mainly work on old Cadillacs.

[Jobe72]

Bumping this for info...

More questions.

When pulling the driveshaft out, assuming I need to drain the trans first?
Looks like I need to take the u-joint apart to get to the yoke to take the carrier off correct?

Thanks

[67Slider]

Steering box is pretty simple. Disconnect the rag joint and pitman arm. Should be 3 (maybe 4) bolts to take out the steering gear box. You may need to pull the inner fender. I did it when I changed mine out.

If your drive shaft is a one piece. Jack the back up us high as you can get it, Put some jack stands under her, unbolt the two "U" bolts that hold the ujoint to the yoke. Should be able to slide your driveshaft forward out of the yoke, then slide it toward the rearend. You may lose a little tranny fluid from the rear of the tranny but if you jacked it up good the loss will be minimal.

[Jobe72]

It's 2 peice shaft, I have to replace the center support bearing

Thanks

[67Slider]

That one is beyond my scope. I'm sure someone will chime in tho. Good luck

[Dunenutt]

The shaft is held together with a bolt. The easiest way to remove it, is to remove the u joint. I have a wrench that I ground down, but it is kind of a pain to use. Once the bolt is out, it should just slide apart. The bearing may need to be pulled off.

[Jobe72]

Cool, thanks.

[bollybib]

By coincidence I just happen to be working on my driveshaft now. I marked everything for orientation on reassembly and took the whole two piece drive shaft assembly out to start with. Very little trans fluid came out when I pulled out the shaft but I kept a pan under it anyway.

At the center support, I removed the u-joint trunnion bearing first. Then unbolted the yoke. I had a hard time sliding the yoke off the splines. I needed a puller, some heat, some penetrant soak time, and some praying. I just cut off the bearing.

Here are a few pics I took that show all the parts at the center support. Some have been cleaned already. Hope this looks like yours and helps a little.

[Jobe72]

Got it done tonight, drive shaft came right out, U joint was a little stubborn but got it apart and the bearing had to be knocked off. Got it all back together, new rear trans seal and rolling down the road. Hit a roadblock with the steering gear, didn't have a 1-5/16" socket to get the pitman arm nut off. Got one later in the evening from a neighbor but too late for me to mess with it....tomorrow! Also replaced the sway arm bushings, one was almost gone. Thanks for the tips all.