The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Interiors Steering Wheel

What is the proper procedure to remove the steering wheel on a 1947 Chevy 3100 pickup? Investigating horn problems.

Take the horn button off ,take the nut off ,use a steering wheel puller.

Here is the puller .If you don’t have a puller I have used two hammers one on the steering shaft then hit the other hammer on the hammer that is held on the shaft while another person is grabbing the wheel in the drivers seat pulling on the wheel .Puller is safer and less chance of damaging the shaft

If you don't want to buy a steering wheel puller, you can make one with a small piece of 1/4" thick steel with holes drilled for bolts that line up with the threaded holes in the wheel. Place that over the end of the shaft after loosening the nut, and snug up the bolts, Then tap the steel plate with a hammer. It doesn't take much. I was actually able to remove my steering wheel by backing the nut off to the end of the shaft and sharply pulling up on the wheel. I left the nut on to keep from smacking myself in the forehead when the wheel came loose.

Every chain auto parts store has free tool loan programs, Get one from Advance, O'Reilly, Auto Zone, Carquest, whatever.

I got one a few years ago and it turned out that my wheel wasn't rusted in place and I was able to pull it off without using the puller.

I turn the wheel so one of the spokes is pointing down where I can get my knee under it. With the nut backed off but still screwed to the shaft, pull up with your knee on the wheel, use your good hand to hit the shaft with a hammer, and your other hand pulling on the top of the steering wheel. Most of the time they come right off. If you have a helper all the better to pull while you hit. A heavy brass hammer or one solid one the shaft and a second to hit with works good. My '37 wheel uses 10-32 screws pretty close to the shaft, so a home made puller was built out of 1/4" steel and a couple of holes drilled. It takes very little effort to bend the 10-32 screws so I got used to just pulling on the wheel and hitting the shaft. Even at work, I haven't used a puller for years, 99% of the time they come right off with a tap to the shaft while pulling.

We used to have some stud installers at work for screw in wheel studs on trucks, they were a long hex nut threaded for the studs but not clear through, one end was solid. At the bottom of the hole was a steel ball bearing. The ball bearing bottom out on the stud with a minimal contact point so it would back right off once the stud was screwed in. If you could make such a tool for the steering shaft where it would bottom out on the shaft but not make contact with the wheel, you could hit on it and not damage the shaft end. I've only damaged one in all the ones I have pulled, and that was my fault for hitting it off to the side.

It was worth $18 and just buy one of these. Sunex 3900 Steering Wheel Puller... Parts house for me is 30 miles away. I get 11 mpg so thats $16 right there.
Plus return. Parts house having my bank account hostage till I bring it back. Another $16 to return.
I`ve used it many times. Toe in/out adjustments have to compensated with a steering wheel repositioning. etc..

I take off the horn button and then steering wheel nut. Torque, Torque (wiggle, wiggle)the steering wheel and off it comes.