Steering Shaft

[Rustbucket350]

What purpose does the steering shaft housing serve on a 42-47?  I see in diagrams that it may go into a bearing in the gearbox.  Is the housing necessary for the shaft to operate properly?

Asking because the steering shaft in my 46 is torched in half.  I can repair the torch cut.  I just want to make sure the shaft isn't going to remove itself (it looks like it's a worm gear inside the box so it shouldn't) and that it will still operate as it should with a section of the outer housing removed.  Yes, I know the purists will hate this but trust me, I didn't torch it.  I just want to make it run and drive.  This car is so far beyond a proper restoration that it will be amazing  if it ever even moves again under its own power.

I should add my repair will be a u joint in the torched section that is pinned all the way through both ends with the pins welded in, the u joint coupler plug welded, and the ends fully welded.  With a 220 welder.  There is no way I (or anyone) could weld it solid again AND have it be safe

Other than that i dont see a realistic way to repair this.

[Rustbucket350]

I figured out the answer.  What I thought was the housing for the shaft is actually the column.  Which means adding a U joint will work.  Just wanted to close this thread.

[The Tassie Devil(le)]

Congratulations on working out the solution.   A U Joint would work well.

Bruce.

[Rustbucket350]

Thanks, I just had to tear into it a bit.  Not a big deal.  On to fixing the rest that's been torched off.