Has anyone had any successful attempts at making their own puller? I got an idea in my head on how to do it but from time to time ive been known to be Bass Ackwards thanks for any help
You can go buy a craftsman one for $20 at sears. You gotta weight the ammount of time and materials it takes to make one, and see if it justifies saving a few bucks. If you have a full project going on, the time away from the build to save maybe $15 (assuming materials run you about $5, but its probably more) doesnt make sense to me.
Save the $18 for your next gas refill.... I always get the autozone loaner tools, that every branch carries. They are used and you just bring it back and get all your money refunded, if you didn't break the tool. Got a steering wheel puller right now for the weekend and a pitman arm puller. They got a variety of tools on loan, just ask. No cost and I never have rarely used tools lying around...
It depends on what you are doing. Say, if you are modigying an old column to work with a rack and pinion, and you are going to be mocking up the column, drop, u joints, linkage etc, and will have the column in and out, and the wheel on and off many times, just go buy one for $20. Even if autozone loans them for free, you still have to styop what you are doing, lose valuable time, and spend gas money to get there. Id buy the Sears puller, and you'll have it to use for ever, whenever.
Their pretty simple to make out of scrap stuff. Take a bolt&nut maybe about 3/8--1/2 grind the bolt pointy weld a couple of small flat pieces on each side of the nut,some short pieces or nuts across the ends.Get some bolts&washers to fit your wheel,but if your pulling a GM wheel you might be better of to go ahead and get a tool to compress that spring.
There is a spring for the horn contact on my 48 right behind the wheel under a washer, but it doesn't require any special tools to compress it. You can just keep a loaner tool as well and don't have to return it. I got mine for the 3rd weekend and will keep it for another before returning it. Of course if you need a certain tool more often, you just buy it or make one. I have made a lot of tools or special little helpers myself, unless they are available for free around the corner...
Sorry I didn't clarify that GM wheels from 70's&80's have a spring that pushes up on an E-ring they make a puller with attachment to press the spring.52 should come off pretty simple I think.
i actually did make my own. borrowed one from a friend and traced around it , then cut it out of 1/2" thick steel on a bandsaw...then drill and tap the center hole and made slots on the mill. as already stated , you may be better off just buying one even though i use it very little , i like having tools handy so i can use them at any time
steering wheel puller what that ?????? ive always loosed the center nut up to just before the tip of the center bolt goes into the nut and gotten a a helper to hit the nut/bolt combo squarly while i pulled upwards on the wheel with both hands sometimes you may have to add a lil penatrating oil to the shaft but most time it comes off nicely after about 5 solid wacks
You can ruin the columns center shaft threads that way, ask me how I know. Yea, it may work most of the time, but the time you damage the threads, it will really suck. Thats when you have to pull out the 60 degree file or thread restoring file and go REAL slow. Come on guys, the tool costs $20 for a sears one made in the USA. 32-3window's looks really nice, but he has a bandsaw and mill to make it properly. You could easily spend hours making this thing, I work all week, and I only get an hour or 2 a night, and weekends to work on my car, Waste hours maing a tool that can be had for $20? No way.
I used a piece of 1" angle iron and drilled two holes that line up with the holes in the wheel and inserted to long 5/16" (as I remember) bolts and just tighten 'till the wheel comes off. The angle iron has to be short enough to fit into the horn recess.
I have one that I made up with LeCerra bolt pattern. Works well and will pull a LeCerra without damage. I will not need it again. If someone can use it, price is FREE. You pay for the stagecoach.
This is the homemade version of the one you want to buy. Very versatile, also pulls many balancers and what have you. Always keep the threads clean and lubed with anti-seize. I've had the same one for probably 30 years and it's still as good as new. Obviously buy one of decent quality to start with. Of course, never use the proper tool for anything that you can accomplish with a BFH! But admittedly I've done the same thing in a pinch and it usually worked.....
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