There's absolutely no reason to pull the whole steering column. Simply remove the 4 bolts that hold it up, and let it drop down. I've done this more times than i can count. Once the dash is out, put a bolt or two back in finger tight to hold up the column.
I always pull the steering wheel first thing, actually.
Then i pull the cluster bezel and cluster.
Switches in the dash and clock
speaker grilles and speakers
under dash
glove box assy
center console (usually i just pull all the retainers for this and push it back about a foot or so)
hvac bezel, ashtray and related items, leaving only the white control center part and cables hanging there
then on to removing the rest of the bolts/nuts that actually hold the dash itself in
drop the column, remove the dash, making sure all plugs/wires/etc are free and clear and then put the column back up
I probably missed something, but i can't remember at the moment.