C Series Steering wheel

[Adamsminitractor 9]

Hi ya. Has anybody got any clue or tip as to how to remove the steering wheel (or indeed the whole colum) so i can replace a broken dash panel.

 

I assume the wheel is held on by that roll pin that goes through it, But i cant seem to get it to shift at all and cant use heat.. Very confussed..Any tips anyone??? Thanks.

[AMC RULES 37,196]

The right tool for the job...

a roll pin driver helps a lot. 

[rmaynard 16,297]

Other than removing wheel hubs and hitch pins, removing the steering wheel without damaging it can be one of the hardest things to do on a Wheel Horse. Do a search for steering wheel removal and see what others have done. As Craig said, a roll pin punch is invaluable. Not just a punch, but one designed to remove roll pins. Lots of PB Blaster or other penetrating oil will help.

[doc724 925]

I agree with Maynard, although I have had success using a nail set to get the roll pin moving.  The key is to spray and soak the roll pin and the underside of the wheel a rust penetrant.  Spray it every day for a week then try tapping the pin.  I was not successful with PB Blaster, but was successful (twice) using Kroil.  The only downside to Kroil is that it is not available everywhere and it is 4x the cost of PB Blaster.  Marvel Mystery Oil may be another option but I have not seen it in a spray.

[shorts 182]

AS several people have said a roll pin punch is a necessity not an option if your roll pin wont move, lots of penetrating oil is good, someone to hold a large heavy object opposite of your roll pin punch and 2# plus hammer will also work wonders, I'm thinking something along the lines of a piece of 1/2" black pipe that has been ground to fit the radius of the steering wheel hub and a 8 or 10# sledge to back it up like an anvil and then give the roll pin a good whack with the punch to get it moving

[pacer 3,177]

The dash panel and wheel/shaft attached will indeed come out, which is what I do when I just need to clean up & paint, but the wheel has to come off to remove the dash. And as you no doubt seen by now - removal of the wheel can be extremely difficult - sometimes even not possible, requiring sawing the shaft and having a heavy duty press remove the pin (which in itself can damage the fragile plastic wheel if care is not taken to mount properly)

[rmaynard 16,297]

The problem is that on a soft wheel like the C120, you can't back up the hub without damaging the plastic.

[daveoman1966 3,839]

Inasmuch as your dash panel is already broken, remove it from the tractor...with the steering wheel in place.  Break away the dash panel completely.  If you cannot get the roll pin out, put the steering column and wheel in a 20-ton (+) press.  You may have to wiggle it around some, depending on the style of hyd press you use.  Be certain that the metal base (hub) of the wheel is FIRMLY bottomed out on a thick steel plate with a hole of close to 3/4" diameter...dia of the steering column.   

 

With the hyd press setup complete and STABLE, put a little nut on top of the shaft and press it down through the steering wheel.  It will actually SHEER the roll pin and when it does, you'll hear a really really loud BANG.  Continue to press the shaft until it drops out.  Now you can punch out the 2 remaining pieces of the roll pin in the steering wheel, and the 3rd piece still in the steering coulmn. 

[Adamsminitractor 9]

After reading all the trouble others have had tryimng to remove the wheel i think i will leave well alone. The dash panel just has a smaill split about 1" long in it, But i had another panel laying about and thought i would just "pop the wheels off" and replace it. But i can now see its not just me being blonde, and it is really tricky to get it off. 

 

Thanks all for your advice, Regards Adam

[groundhog47 347]

Worked fine this way, Thanks   

Inasmuch as your dash panel is already broken, remove it from the tractor...with the steering wheel in place.  Break away the dash panel completely.  If you cannot get the roll pin out, put the steering column and wheel in a 20-ton (+) press.  You may have to wiggle it around some, depending on the style of hyd press you use.  Be certain that the metal base (hub) of the wheel is FIRMLY bottomed out on a thick steel plate with a hole of close to 3/4" diameter...dia of the steering column.   

 

With the hyd press setup complete and STABLE, put a little nut on top of the shaft and press it down through the steering wheel.  It will actually SHEER the roll pin and when it does, you'll hear a really really loud BANG.  Continue to press the shaft until it drops out.  Now you can punch out the 2 remaining pieces of the roll pin in the steering wheel, and the 3rd piece still in the steering coulmn. 

The dash panel and wheel/shaft attached will indeed come out, which is what I do when I just need to clean up & paint, but the wheel has to come off to remove the dash. And as you no doubt seen by now - removal of the wheel can be extremely difficult - sometimes even not possible, requiring sawing the shaft and having a heavy duty press remove the pin (which in itself can damage the fragile plastic wheel if care is not taken to mount properly)

Thanks Bill gotter done!