Removing the steering wheel hub

[DavidApp]

I am trying to get the steering wheel hub off the steering shaft on my 1974 Midget. I have used a puller with a forcing bolt on the shaft to no avail. I warmed the hub up with a heat gun but that did not help. Any ideas. I suspect it is dissimilar metal corrosion holding it.

David

 

[mezy]

If you still have the wheel attached to the hub, with the nut loose but not off completely.
use the palms of both hands alternately to hit the wheel left right left right left right until you shake it loose.
I have never failed to loosen a steering wheel using this method.

 

[DavidApp]

Thank you for the tip.
I have the steering gear completely removed from the car as it is being restored. I have made a puller that straddles the wheel hub bolting on to 2 of the wheel bolts and a jacking screw pushing down on the shaft.
I will try some pressure and tapping on the hub with a soft mallet.
Want to get it off so I can paint the hub.
David

 

[JPSmit]

David, I am perplexed, you say that you have the puller attached to 2 of the wheel bolts. The wheel is only held on to the shaft by one large nut is it not?

All I can imagine is that by the wheel bolts you mean one of the bolts around the horn ring of the wheel?

they can be very stiff, but, if it is off and the nut is off a couple of smart smacks from the behind alternating side should do something? I've not heard of them being that stiff.

 

[DavidApp]

Hello JP
I have a puller jacking against the shaft. The large nut is off. I even made ad attachment so I could use a slide hammer with no success. Back to the puller with some penetrating on on both sides of the hub. Have tapped it with a punch on the underside while there was tension on the puller. Heated it up some but I don'

t want to heat it too much as it is pot metal.

May have to paint it in place.

David

 

[JPSmit]

yikes, that must be really tight. could you heat it up enough to melt wax into the joint? I used that a few times to good effect with stuck bolts.

 

[JPSmit]

OK another thought - did you try tapping it before the puller? It looks straight in the pic but is there any chance it is jammed by not being straight?

 

[DavidApp]

Have not tried wax. I will in the morning. Will make another puller that is a bit thicker as this one is starting to flex. Also try heating but am concerned that the horn contact ring is plastic so too much heat is not good for it.
Have tapped and used a slide hammer to no avail. Am concerned about the construction if the column. There is a nut just below the collapsible/crash safety section that does not seem to do anything. Have not found any goof section drawings of the column.

David

 

[mezy]

Have not tried wax. I will in the morning. Will make another puller that is a bit thicker as this one is starting to flex. Also try heating but am concerned that the horn contact ring is plastic so too much heat is not good for it.
Have tapped and used a slide hammer to no avail. Am concerned about the construction if the column. There is a nut just below the collapsible/crash safety section that does not seem to do anything. Have not found any goof section drawings of the column.

David

Flex is a good thing, if there is no flex there will be a good chanc you will break the hub
just put some pressure on the hub then stick it in a tub of boiling water, that should expand the hub enough.

 

[Scargo]

Have you considered purchasing or renting a hub puller?

I would suggest doing that, and I would also reinstall the steering wheel onto the hub, leaving the nut a bit loose.

While incrementally tightening down the hub puller, switch back and forth between tapping the back of the steering wheel spokes with a heavy rubber mallet and rocking the steering wheel by hand. Tighten the hub puller a bit more and repeat the process. As the steering wheel begins to move off the spline, you might need to loosen the nut a turn or two before repeating the process.

When I use one of these, I employ the use of a short ratchet socket placed between the end of the puller shaft and the steering wheel nut in order to spread the load exerted by the puller shaft onto the full face of the nut.

 

[bobhustead]

Whether it is the technique or the work, it obviously does not want to give. Mask it and paint it in place. Its just not worth the risk of damage to the head. If you really want to get it off, a machine shop with a press could do so without dagage.
Bob

 

[DavidApp]

At this stage I think I will paint it in place.
If the hub had been solid I could have made a clamp arrangement to put pressure on the underside then use my porta power dumpy cylinder to press on the shaft. Looking at the hub construction I think that would be sure to break something.
I assume it is on a fine spline? The car was outside in the weather for some time so corrosion has had time to do a number on the hub/shaft connection.

David

 

[Scargo]

You assume correctly, it’s a fine spline.