Help Removing Steering Wheel

[Idaho Chris]

I am wanting to remove the steering wheel on my '69 F250. When I removed the button/ring and prepared to use my steering puller I noticed one of the threaded holes for the puller bolts was completely stripped. Should I tap a for a larger bolt? Rig up some kind of puller I can attach to the wheel rim? Any ideas? Thanks.

[cep62]

I'd try tapping the stock size and see if you can go deep enough for good threads.
If that fails you could go up a size ,but your puller may not take a bigger bolt.

If you have time you could JB weld the bolt and let it cure.

[sargentrs]

Loosen the nut to the point where the nut is flush with the top of the shaft. Put your feet on the dash with your knees under the steering wheel. Push with your knees strongly and smack the nut with a BFH. You leave the nut on it so the steering wheel doesn't fly off and smack you in the face. Don't ask me how I know.

[Idaho Chris]

Thanks for the two good suggestions. I'll give them a try Tuesday when I'm back at my shop. I'll report back.

[Ohiotinkerer]

Loosen the nut to the point where the nut is flush with the top of the shaft. Put your feet on the dash with your knees under the steering wheel. Push with your knees strongly and smack the nut with a BFH. You leave the nut on it so the steering wheel doesn't fly off and smack you in the face. Don't ask me how I know.

.........not leaving the nut on is something you'll only do once.......

I have gotten mine off by GENTLY tapping on each spoke at the base as close as you can get to the center piece with a rubber mallet........I never liked using pullers because I always manage to screw up one of the holes........

[Bill Ramsey]

Loosen the nut to the point where the nut is flush with the top of the shaft. Put your feet on the dash with your knees under the steering wheel. Push with your knees strongly and smack the nut with a BFH. You leave the nut on it so the steering wheel doesn't fly off and smack you in the face. Don't ask me how I know.

I do it this way but place one hammer on the nut and then whack that with another hammer. Works every time.

[Ranchero50]

Loosen the nut to the point where the nut is flush with the top of the shaft. Put your feet on the dash with your knees under the steering wheel. Push with your knees strongly and smack the nut with a BFH. You leave the nut on it so the steering wheel doesn't fly off and smack you in the face. Don't ask me how I know.

I do it this way but place one hammer on the nut and then whack that with another hammer. Works every time.

Nope, not every time. Trust me. To the OP, drill and tap the hole the next size larger. That's what I ended up doing then pre load the puller and whack the end of the screw once it's tight.

[Bill Ramsey]

Loosen the nut to the point where the nut is flush with the top of the shaft. Put your feet on the dash with your knees under the steering wheel. Push with your knees strongly and smack the nut with a BFH. You leave the nut on it so the steering wheel doesn't fly off and smack you in the face. Don't ask me how I know.

I do it this way but place one hammer on the nut and then whack that with another hammer. Works every time.

Nope, not every time. Trust me. To the OP, drill and tap the hole the next size larger. That's what I ended up doing then pre load the puller and whack the end of the screw once it's tight.

Yes, every time. I should know, I was there, every time I did it.

[Idaho Chris]

Well, the wheel is off, but it must have been put on previously and tightened down with an air hammer.
Since I didn't have a next size up bottoming tap handy, I tried the hammer method first and failed. So, off to the parts store for a next size up tap. I re-tapped the hole, tightened down and banged on the puller center bolt. Still no joy! What the hell... was this thing welded on?

So, I cranked down on the puller a bit more and the newly tapped bolt hole stripped out! Wow, awful soft metal! (yes I used the appropriate sized drill bit for the tap hole). At this point I am thinking fill the holes with DB Weld and start over, but I had a buddy come over for one last attempt. I got in the cab, grabbed the wheel and pulled real hard while he hit the center shaft several times hard with a small hand sledge (ball peen hammer did nothing). Finally the wheel popped against the loosened nut and we were good.

What a fiasco. I have no idea how the wheel could have been tightened down so hard, but it is off now. Thanks again for the advice!

[dstuart]

Before you reinstall that steering wheel, I recommend a good coating of anti seize on the splines and threads of everything. This saves a lot of trouble for the next time anyone wants to remove it.

[Idaho Chris]

Before you reinstall that steering wheel, I recommend a good coating of anti seize on the splines and threads of everything. This saves a lot of trouble for the next time anyone wants to remove it.

Good advice, and that is exactly what I did when I reinstalled it. Good thing too, since I received a new steering wheel as a birthday present and had to remove the wheel again to install the new one.