Thread: Stuck steering wheel

I used a gear puller with lots of ancillary bits and pieces to avoid damage to the hub of the steering wheel. Mine was well and truely stuck.
Good luck with it
Don.

Years ago I removed an 8o" firewall with the steering box and steering wheel still bolted to it. I leant (leaned ?) it against a wall, it fell over and smashed the Bakelite steering wheel centre horn push and hi-lo light switch. Lesson learnt.
.W.

About all I can suggest is to make a puller if you don't have or able to get a suitable one.

This could be made from a substantial steel yoke that pulls on the hub either between the housing and the hub (not sure there is enough space) or bevelled and padded to fit as low as possible on the hub. Two HT bolts at least 10mm to a very substantial cross bar, with the three holes, the centre one tapped to allow a 12mm bolt as the thrust element. This needs to have a suitable pad to sit on the top of the column.

Use an electric heat gun to heat the hub as hot as you can without damaging the paint, and freely apply penetrating oil.

A very narrow angle wedge could be driven into the slot to expand the spline, but be very careful,it is easy to damage the hub. (been there)

Best of luck!

The underside of the boss of the original 80" wheels, the ones without the tapped holes for the horn contact found on SIIs, are more easily damaged by hitting them from below. Don't be tempted.
.W.

Only thing I can add is to leave the nut on at least a few threads for when it lets go.

Left: SI, Right: Later.
.W.

Originally Posted by Tins

Only thing I can add is to leave the nut on at least a few threads for when it lets go.

Why, how ? The bolt has to be removed before the wheel can be pulled off.
.W.

Originally Posted by JDNSW

About all I can suggest is to make a puller if you don't have or able to get a suitable one.

This could be made from a substantial steel yoke that pulls on the hub either between the housing and the hub (not sure there is enough space) or bevelled and padded to fit as low as possible on the hub. Two HT bolts at least 10mm to a very substantial cross bar, with the three holes, the centre one tapped to allow a 12mm bolt as the thrust element. This needs to have a suitable pad to sit on the top of the column.

Use an electric heat gun to heat the hub as hot as you can without damaging the paint, and freely apply penetrating oil.

A very narrow angle wedge could be driven into the slot to expand the spline, but be very careful,it is easy to damage the hub. (been there)

Best of luck!

Thanks for the responses.

I have tried all of the above. Used a large bearing separator to grip around the splined shaft under the yoke (flat side under yoke). Then used two spring compressors to reach up to a t-piece where the horn button would be. This T-piece pushes down on a tube that just fits down the centre hole and bears on the top of the internal shaft (I'll take a photo tonight).

Torqued the Ba$tard up and even applied a bit of heat to the yoke. Plenty of penetrating oil. Nothing.

I took the steering box apart but of course I can't withdraw the internal shaft without removing the top bearing which needs the steering wheel off.

Guess I just have to keep trying.