No good way to pull a steering wheel

[Hacksawhero123 351]

After letting it soak for almost two weeks and pondering how to go about it best, I gave up one removing the steering wheel damage free. It was rusted heavily on the shaft and the roll pin was swollen with rust. The wheel was trashed anyhow, previous owner said a tree fell on it. Bent to snot. I ended up using a sawzall to cut the rubber skin away from the hub. After drilling the roll pin out (which was about as hard as my drill bits-went through a few of them), I used a cutoff wheel on my air grinder and split the hub. I drive a chisel into the cut to spread the hub a bit and it slid off. I came up with a really cool wheel replacement idea that I believe you all will like (except for the restoration purists). I'll post pics of the replacement when the parts get here. Anyone have a way of pulling an old wheel without mangling it?

Mark. 

[stevasaurus 22,230]

I think the way you did it is usually the way to  go.  To bad Wheel Horse did not put a bronze bushing in there and then pin it...life would be easier. 

[Jerry77 1,218]

4 minutes ago, stevasaurus said:

To bad Wheel Horse did not put a bronze bushing in there

I doubt that Wheel Horse management ever dreamed of their machines being brought back to like new and being used 40-60 years later..Who would have thought it? Think of all the things you have let go over the years that would be worth some serious money if you had just stored them.....yeah,  me too...

[stevasaurus 22,230]

Yea, I never thought I would live past 30 years old.  I might have taken better care of myself...could have used bronze some years ago...now it is all about tungsten. 

[squonk 38,937]

I got a wheel off my 1267. Used a big honkin gear puller, a big honkin bearing separator and a smaller Harbor freight separator as my sacrificial lamb. Put the HF plate behind the wheel, My big plate behind that. Gear puller on the big plate and turned the puller with a big honkin 18" crescent wrench. The roll pin was stuck so I had to shear that off as the wheel was pulled. Only thing destroyed was the HF separator plate!  Wish I had gotten pics, IT WAS SPECTACULAR! 

Edited November 6, 2016 by squonk

[wallfish 15,926]

To save a good steering wheel, it's just seems so much easier to cut the shaft. Do whatever and weld it back together or use a 3/4 shaft coupler. Less than 1 minute from the decision to pull off the wheel to having it off so that's huge a time saver. The shaft coupler and shaft can be drilled and attached with roll pins.

Probably not the best option for a complete factory restore job but certainly very effective for saving time and aggravation on your average worker.

Cut the wheel off like you did for a damaged one.

[ACman 7,510]

Don't forget the trick (can't remember who) drilling between the shaft and hub so your penetrating oil can soak all the way through . A little heat don't hurt either . @wallfish's idea sounds the easiest though !

 

@squonk I like the way you think...go big or go home...or just grab a bigger hammer  ! It's definitely a good way to let out your frustrations  !

[Wishin4a416 2,189]

I have done 3 with the 20 ton press. You have to take the upper dash off too. I never had one come right off.

[stevasaurus 22,230]

1 hour ago, ACman said:

@squonk I like the way you think.

 

OK...now we are 3...but 2/3rds of us have been abducted. 

[AMC RULES 36,945]

 ...and the last one should be.  

[varosd 1,185]

did someone say something about a tree branch falling....

 

 

[AMC RULES 36,945]

 Yeah Don...that makes it pretty easy.  

[varosd 1,185]

6 hours ago, Hacksawhero123 said:

After letting it soak for almost two weeks and pondering how to go about it best, I gave up one removing the steering wheel damage free. It was rusted heavily on the shaft and the roll pin was swollen with rust. The wheel was trashed anyhow, previous owner said a tree fell on it. Bent to snot. I ended up using a sawzall to cut the rubber skin away from the hub. After drilling the roll pin out (which was about as hard as my drill bits-went through a few of them), I used a cutoff wheel on my air grinder and split the hub. I drive a chisel into the cut to spread the hub a bit and it slid off. I came up with a really cool wheel replacement idea that I believe you all will like (except for the restoration purists). I'll post pics of the replacement when the parts get here. Anyone have a way of pulling an old wheel without mangling it?

Mark. 

Mark,

           sometimes they come off like butter..

 

[Hacksawhero123 351]

No such luck for me. Mine was rusted and pitted into one solid piece. 

Mark. 

[GT14 243]

Drilled down to the shaft applied liquid wrench then the 12t press.

[Sarge 3,462]

I've cut several off just below the shaft , drilled out the stub from the wheel's center , made a new stub (both keyway and roll pin types) , weld it up and grind to match the shaft diameter - no one can ever tell unless it's cleaned to bare metal and etched chemically .

It really pays to own a tig welder , lathe and have access to a heavy mill ....otherwise I'd be using that 12lb sledge of mine a lot more .

 

Sarge