Question to Pry lower coupling from steering gear wormshaft

I am removing my K-member with the steering box. I removed the worm shaft roll pin and have carefully pryed the lower coupling up , to remove from the gear wormshaft. I did not get it pryed all the way off the gear wormshaft so I can remove the K-member. I have two questions:

1st- should I be able to pry the lower coupling up toward the fire wall enough to free it from the gear wormshaft?
or
2nd- Do I have to unbolt the steering column plate at the floor board(4 bolts) and the steering column bolts from the bracket under the dash to pull the steering column out enough to clear the gear wormshaft?

Any help is appreciated.

No, and Yes.
Mike

If you pry up on it you can shear the pins in the column if it is equipped with a collapsing column. If you take the column loose from under the dash and firewall you don't risk that.

You need to loosen the column, starting in 67.