55.2-59 Lower bearing on late model steering column

[QBRacing]

Ok, So I'm building a 58 over here in NZ and my junkyard parts are pretty limited. Basically I have managed to get my hands on what I believe to be a 94-96 cutlass tilt steering column.

I've stripped it (finally) and have come up with a plan to make it fit.

I should have just modified the factory brackets by enlarging the diameter of both halves of the brackets but I didn't think about that before I had cut the column up.

Question 1)
How do you remove the lower bearing from the bottom of a steering column. Is it pressed on as I cant get it off it is.?

Question 2)
The external rod thingy bit .... on the engine bay side ... that connects to the gearbox selector. Can this be removed? It appears to be pressed on , maybe a spline but again I cant get it off.

The reason I ask is that I want to drop the outer shaft (second image) so that I can weld another 170mm of shaft to it so that it extends further up in the column (my hand shows where the base should be.

It might help if you also watch this video of it which I made as it shows more of what I am trying to achieve.

Thanks

Quintin