Sad, but true, the majority of the steering column assembly, must be removed. The steering wheel, upper bonnet, collar, trim jacket & mast jacket, will need to be pulled from the actual steering shaft, in order to access the lower bearing.
Just a thought, if you remove the entire steering column, it is a good opportunity to check, service, lube and paint the original steering column assembly. It has probably never been apart in its 40+ years of existence and if you do the process completely, you will probably not have to touch it again for another 40+ years. If you bite the bullet and remove the entire thing, it is much easier to do the necessary repairs on the workbench, instead of contorted on the floor, under the dash. Also, the lower bearing slides over the steering column shaft and is part of the lower mast jacket retainer cup, so it must be removed, in order to replace it.
