pulling steering wheel

Steamboat

Member
Any advise on how to pull an old steering wheel off of a Ford 5000. I have tried a 3 arm puller, but it just sheered off the plastic covering. I am down to the metal with no place to grab with the puller.
 
I had the same problem with mine,I had a smaller 3 jaw that I ground the back side of the jaws and got it to grab,sprayed it with PB blaster and it came of.
 
I had the same problem with mine,I had a smaller 3 jaw that I ground the back side of the jaws and got it to grab,sprayed it with PB blaster and it came off.
 
Leave the nut partially on get a rounded end chisel for an air chisel.Hold up against the steering wheel with one hand while you hit the center of the steering shaft with the air chisel,the wheel will usually
pop right off.
 
Sometimes they can be a real problem, especially when rusty.

I have had to split the hub with a Sawsall. Saw down beside the shaft as close as possible without getting into the shaft on both sides. Better than taking a chance on damaging the shaft beating on it.
 
Get a nut the same size as the nut on the shaft. Weld a ball bearing to the new nut, take off the old nut, and screw the new nut with bearing down so bearing is tight against the end of the shaft. Hit sharply with a hammer while putting a pull on the steering wheel, should come loose.
 
Last one I had stuck I didn't want to spend the time fabbing something up, it was miles away from any special tools or shop. I left the nut loose a couple turns, sprayed some kroil, hammered on nut a little bit then started mowing. After an hour or so of mowing I felt the wheel come loose. I changed the wheel out, added anti-seize and finished mowing.
 
Good idea. I will add to that. Get your knees under the wheel you can get a lot of up force that way. May have to put a block under your feet for better support.Stan
 
I had to pull the steering wheel on my 5000. I soaked it well with penetrating oil and let it set. Did this for a couple of days. Then put a 3 arm puller on it. Did not budge. Even used an impact on the puller. I left the puller on it and got the tourch out. About 20 seconds of heat and it popped right off. I did ruin the steering wheel but is was crappy and needed a new one. They are cheap.
 
Make sure you have a nut on the end of the shaft or you could eat the wheel when it breaks loose,and they don't taste good!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
I have a very nice original steering wheel that was in a cab tractor so it never deteriorated in the sun and I hated to break it.
So Imade up a simple tool to pull those Ford Thousand Series steering wheels off.
I bought a piece of tubing the right ID and OD and split it in half lengthway. Then bought a muffler clamp to hold the halves together.
Use an ordinary 2 or 3 leg bearing puller and pull it off. It will not break the plastic hub this way.
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PS,
If the steering wheel is junk anyway take a slitting wheel on your angle grinder and cut most of the way through the splined hub. Then take a cold chisel and drive it into the slit you cut. It will expand the hub and pull right off.
 
I have used a 2 part bearing separator (there is a 2" and a 3" separator in the kit) adjust it right up to the bottom of the plastic steering wheel attach a 3 jaw puller to the separator and apply pressure spray some WD-40 on it and if needed hit it with a hammer and with adequate pressure in should come off (worked for me)
 

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