It's crusty and the column is a big chunk of rust. What's the best way to get it off without damage? I'm not concerned with saving the column.
The wheel is held on by a nut, and key in a keyway within the inner shaft. If you don't care about the column (Honestly, i'd at least try and retain the top bell part of the column..) i would cut the column at the bottom, including the inner shaft and then pull the complete wheel and shaft out of the column. Then you should be able to remove the horn button if its not already missing, undo the nut (use some wd40 or something) and bang the inner shaft off the wheel. The shaft has a taper at the top, so hit it so the shaft goes out the back of the wheel.
Yeah, the horn button is gone and the nut is off, also looks like it got pounded on some. There isn't enough meat in the aluminum to drill and tap. Since the column is all goobered up and the mast is broke right above the lock, I will cut it off and try the press. It just never hurts to get other opinions. thanks
You can drill and tap 3 holes around the hub and use a harmonic balancer puller to pull it off. Tap for 3/8" bolts.
You can drill and tap 3 holes around the hub and use a harmonic balancer puller to pull it off. Tap for 3/8" bolts.
If lacking the prewar types of pullers... Drill and tap for the type of puller you have. 2 5/16 bolts are the norm for modern wheel puller. Put a solid stop on your drill bit so you do not punch through your wheel, but make those holes as deep as will fit...you are going through a metal plate, but that is fairly thin and the threads you have in plastic add to your grip. I use a slightly undersize drill to make the threads as deep as I can cut. VERY important...as you have noticed from the pounded area...the threads are soft and can mushroom before the wheel moves, leaving you with a stack of extra trouble. If you still can, put the nut back on flush with end, probably too late on yours, and drop a bolt into the center hole as the contact for the puller. If column is to be used, there are several ways to roll back up the threads and move metal to wher you want it.
Bruce is right...thread the nut on - if you can. I had good luck cradling the rim of the wheel (steering box still attached - but entire assembly out of the car) in my right arm and whacking the shaft/nut (that sounds bad) with a 2lb sledge with my left. Eventually it'll separate.
Ok, done this one before. Grab the wheel at the quarter to three position and flex it. You're looking to put some proper force in here. Repeat at the half past twelve position. Repeat until the wheel breaks loose. I was shown this by an old school mechanic who flexed the wheel about two inches in both directions. Painful to watch when it was my car. However the wheel didn't break and tool about thirty seconds. Since then done it myself on a couple of others. Very satisfying P Posted using the Full Custom H.A.M.B. App!
Good tips, I'll drag it out tomorrow and give some of those tricks a try. I never thought of trying the ball joint press. I am just afraid to drill that aluminum hub, there just isn't anything there to drill into. It came to me this way, was ectra parts in the back of a 35 pickup.
No idea if this would work in your case but maybe worth a shot before cutting the column: The wheel on this '58 VW bus wouldn't budge (even after a lot of penetrating oil, banging around the rim etc) and the piece of angle in the cobbled together puller was bending. Then someone suggested pouring boiling water over it - did that while under tension - popped right off!
Before I drilled holes in the wheel hub, & rather than pound on the steering nut or steering shaft end w/a 2lb+ hammer, I'd go get my air chisel, & using a blunt tip - preferably the ~ 1' dia. flat-nosed one w/a a small concave in the end on it - , & setting the air hammer tip on the shaft end - preferably w/the nut in place - it'll cause vibrations to loosen the grip the the tapered portion of the steering shaft. W/the other free hand I'd be pulling on the wheel, in different spots 'till it come off. Shouldn't take long. Just be careful, when it releases, there'll probably be no warning. It's easier to do if you or someone else holds/pulls the wheel, & the other operates the gun, just a bit tricky to keep the gun from moving around & pulling on the wheel yourself. & it you've cut the shaft already, just balance the wheel on/over your legs, & apply the pressure to the gun... brrippp, & it's usually out. Haven't done a wheel this way, but tapered shaft stuff in general. Marcus...
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