Anyone out there, who has replaced their steering rack, had tremndous difficulty separating the steering rack pinion shaft from the sterring column U-joint?

Have a '96 850 wagon needing a rack replacement. After 12-years of Chicago winters and salt, I spent all of last weekend carefully freeing-up all the fasteners needed to remove the rack. Although the car is clean and rust-free, it is amazing what years of corrosion can do to many of these fasteners. I was able to free-up everything except the steering rack pinion shaft from the sterring column U-joint. I figured I would have the time to free that up and complete the rack replacement this weekend.

I spent all of yesterday trying to free-up that splined interface. The through-bolt (with the wire safety) was a project in and of itself, but I go that out. I've gone through a can of penetrant on the splined shaft. I've taken a cold chisel to the split in the shaft to try and spread the lower half of the yoke. I was able to put the cold chisel in a deep socket and hold it using 1/2" extensions past the corregated intake hose. I have been able to take some pretty solid shots this way. And, I've put the cold chisel inside the yoke to try and press the splined shaft downward. I've been very careful not to mushroom the end of the splined shaft. But none of these techniques has been successful.

I'm afraid of pounding on that yoke split to the point that I might crack the yoke, or weaken it to the point of it developing a future crack.

Has anyone else encountered this kind of difficulting before? In the end, will manhandling the yoke finally free it up?

Thanks for your comments.