The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Pulling Stuborn Steering Wheel

Need you help. Hers's what I've done so far over the past 5-6 days:

1. I've applied so much 'pull' with my wheel puller that I've pancaked the end of the steering shaft.
2. I've applied PB Blaster 3-4 times while pulling and left sit over night.
3. I've beat the he?? out of the puller shaft while applying pressure.

No luck on anything I've done. I don't have a torch or I'd heat it. I do have an aceteline torch but I just assume that wouldn't get hot enough. What are your ideas?

I've got a new repro wheel for it.

Thanks.

Jerry

Sometimes heat is the only way, but a last result. I have gotten them hot enough using a propane torch. One thing to try is to heat the shaft and apply paraffin, allowing it to seep into the joint. The problem with heating is that you need to heat the collar in the wheel, not the shaft. Doing that you usually destroy the wheel.

As for the threaded shaft, you were supposed to have the nut on the shaft flush with the shaft end so you didn't ruin the threads. You will need to use a thread file once you get it apart.

Another method is to use an impact gun, sometimes the vibration will help break things loose.

I went through this yesterday as a matter of fact. Soaking it with PBB didn't help and the wheel puller wouldn't budge it. Just 10 to 15 seconds with a propane torch on the end of the shaft and a few whacks with a hammer and wood block on the back of the wheel and it came right off.

FredT: i too flattened the threads on the steering column,,How do you fix them,so you can put a nut back on???? :confused:

The end of mine was mushroomed pretty bad aswell. The only way to fix it right is to pull the whole assembly out. You'll have to dissasemble the steering box to get the main shaft out. Once the main shaft is out I put mine in the lathe and took a light pass across it so I can run a die nut on it to restore the threads. You might have to take the shaft to a machine shop if you don't have access to a lathe. It's an easy job once the shaft is out. john.

I know this might sound funny, but when you have the puller cranked down smack the bolt on the puller down and it should pop off.I have gotten lots of them off this way and some have been pretty rusty!