what up everyone was trying to remove my steering wheel today. removed the bolt in the center used my steering wheel pulley. i did hear a pop, but the steering wheel won't come off. also was trying to protect the center piece cause of the horn, and put a socket in the center while using the pulley. Well the socket bit into the threads and i messed up the threads as well. lol question is since i heard a 'pop' shud i try and remove the steering wheel with a pry bar. i want to go in there and clean the turn signal switch after i'm done might have to re thread the center piece cause i can't get the bolt to go on. lol oh my what a day.
Hi Jose, while you are at it be sure to change the "rag joint" in the steering column just under the hood. Basicaly it is a stack of leather washers. Purpose is to take bumps n jolts out of steering wheel in your hands. Very luxurious! BUT after all these years the washers are dry n brittle. When it breaks your steering wheel spins like a roulette wheel but nothing turns down below. There are 4 small bolts through the dry and brittle leather. Two at 3 o'clock & 9 o'clock go up and two at 6 o'clock & 12 o'clock go down. Nothing but dry brittle leather connects top of steering column to bottom of steering column. Very exciting when leather disintegrates at speed. Old guy at wrecking yard told me good Cadillac front grille n sheetmetal hard to come by as either steering fails n they hit something or brakes fail n they hit something with these heavy cars! 1 more car I promise, Rex Winter Dry n windy Lubbock TX
Jose, I have nearly disassembled my entire 1960 Cadillac over the years, out of necessity, as old stuff just tends to break as you use it. I took out the steering wheel with a new style puller from an auto parts store. I remember it was difficult but doable. Be carful of the inner horn mechanism. Very delicate. I don’t remember all the steps, but I can tell you this: My best advice would be to get a printed copy of the shop manual for a 62 Caddy from ebay. Short money. It will be the best thing you could do, if you haven’t already done it. Every time I have to take something apart, I carefully read the procedure in the manual several times. It all sounds like a foreign language and I say to myself: “ What the fuck is that supposed to mean? Who talks like that? What the heck is a ‘special tool A16 J’ ? This manual is dog shit, and the people that wrote it aren’t human, more like a robot...” Then I look at how things are put together, and read the manual again, studying their pictures. Often I’ll try to find a YouTube video of something similar to help me. Then a weird thing happens, something clicks and I understand what the manual was describing, and I’m able to do it. Somehow all the crap from the repair manual makes sense after awhile. Like math in grade school, one minute impossible then something clicks and you get it. I’m not a smart man (like Forest Gump), but over the years I’ve been able to service nearly every mechanical part on my Caddy, I’ve completely replaced the entire braking system, steering system, I was able to rebuild the engine myself (not the boring or decking, but everything else), I was even able to rebuild the Hydramatic myself without any help from anyone, just the manual, some YouTube videos and someone’s blog. That did take several tries and failures before I got it right, to be 100% honest. In fact I fail all the time, break stuff or have to do it twice. Here’s a page describing in that antiquated tech talk how to remove your steering wheel. I wish I had a better and more concise answer that could help you, but that’s all I can come up with. Be patient, believe that you can do it and you will be able to. Old Caddies are the best. Rock on brother! (I lived in Echoe Park for years and years before I moved north of the wall, don’t know where you are in LA.) . Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
it sure would be helpful if you could post a picture of the messed up threads. Then we could have some ideas of what's going on. It sounds like something got damaged, and resorting to more force in this situation, is not going to make things better. Slow down, figure out what's wrong.
Hi Clunker, Thank u so much for the info really apprecaite it. I did see a YOUTUBE video for a 1960 Cadillac Steering wheel removal went over it several times. The only difference is that on a 1960 cadillac u need to remove the 2 bolts behind the steering wheel to remove the horn assembly on the 62 cadillac once u remove the NUT the whole horn assembly comes off. I did use liquid wrench to remove the nut, i poured liquid wrench inside around the nut even used two pulleys and had no luck. I was also trying to make sure that center piece did not get damaged because a lot of people told me to be careful. I was lucky after taking a a break went back in the late afternoon and was able to get the nut back in. I pretty much used a re thread to make the lines on top or shave it just enough for me to snug the nut back in wouldn't budge so i reverse the nut and was able to get in. I was concerned that it would go in sideways, but was able to get it to go in tigthened up felt a bit forced not to much just to where i can tighten up it was still a bit loose gave it 2 or 3 turns and went back in. I was a bit bummed that i wasn't able to get it off. Maybe i should look into the old pulley or perhaps wait till the liquid wrench settles in around the wheel to pull it out. I even tried hitting it with a rubber mallet. I lived in LA in east hollywood close to Kaiser Permanente but moved back to TX. I did live in Boston as well. Really miss it went to music school right there on Mass Ave and Boylston. Had some great memories there. Lived off St Stephens close Northeastern and before that Jamaica Plain was really far. lol
The problem is that I am not able to remove the steering wheel after I removed the nut. I was able to get it back on, but unsuccesful in removing the steering wheel.
Just a thought. Do you have to depress the inner washer to remove a lock ring or clip ? Then use a puller after ?
The lock clip thing started in 1969, that's not likely the issue. I understand that. I am trying to help you figure out how to remove the steering wheel. But I can't see exactly what is wrong. Is there no way for you to take a picture of it?
yay, pictures! But can you take a close up picture of the threads, after they got messed up? Also, when you say the wheel won't come off, did it move at all when it popped? Or do you think maybe the puller just slipped, or something?
^^^^^ Using a balancer puller to pull steering wheels (guilty) the bolt/bolts sometimes slide inward under tension just a tiny bit and make a popping sound.
I dont have pics where the thread went out i put everyrhing back on. It's not the first time ive used a pulley have taken off steering wheels off before. I used two pulleys for this and had no luck. It would not come off i did notice while bitting it w a rubber mallet that debree in the middle was coming off. Or maybe rust that has been there for years. When i would pull it would feel like the whole steering column came towards me and not coming off the teeth. I would even twist the steering wheel to see if i got any play but nothing would happen
Good point johnny maybe i wasnt quite there but why the struggle? I used 2 pulleys and nothing happened. Ive read some forums where a guy says to use your left knee pull with your left and give it a good hammer in the middle of the steering wheel
Sometime they don't want to move. If you want to try again late tomorrow night and let puller set under tension while you sleep. Maybe even give it short of penetrating oil on it as it set's over night. You just may find the steering wheel on the front seat the next morning.
Hi Johnny great idea, might do that tomorrow night. I did put lunricant on it some liquid wrench but forgot to leave the pulley today will try tomorrow
Photo's OK. Can't tell if there are threads showing or puller has bottomed out on steering wheel hub.
After you get some tension on it, give the bolt a good whack with a 3lb sledge. But, first find a nut that will screw on and leave it about 1/2 on the shaft, half off, this will protect the threads...buy pushing on the nut, not the shaft.
Yes. This. This works with pitman arms and stubborn ball joints. Try this. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I put a socket before the thread cause there's a horn nipple on there and if i damage it then it's hard to find. i later on figured i could of used the end of the pulley from my astro van to place it on top instead of the socket. the socket really dig on the thread. i also figured right now but u all's advice that maybe i should of put the nut maybe half way thru, then that 'astro van pulley looks like some sort of socket but was the perfect fit for this" but i figured it out all once i messed it up. lol oh well u live and learn
hi budget great idea i did hear this on another forum to put left knee at 9am left hand on top and give it a good whack with a hammer. i'm just scared to remove the steering wheel again since i already put the nut back and messed up the thread. lol haha ughh i'm so tempted to go back.
woah this is a sign. i so want to do this today, my only concern is that nut going back inside the thread haha. this time though i was thinking about putting the nut half way thru then using the pulley.
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