the_mouse_man Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Got stuck with a friend/colleagues defender (2002 td5) - wanting to swap the steering wheel for an after market one but for the life of us we can't get the original wheel off - I'd swear it has been welded on!!! Using a puller just won't budge it Any ideas folks..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tris Cocks Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 What i have tried before is using a suitable length of steel or solid bar and a hammer, hit the centre of the shaft that comes through the wheel while your friend pulls the wheel off Be careful though becasue if the your friend is pulling hard, when the wheel releases it could come off with considerable force. Tris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milemarker Type S Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Err- Sorry Tris but that is a really poor idea... one very quick way to destroy the tread/bearing etc on a safety critical part... What kind of puller are you using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tris Cocks Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 My idea may not be the most by the book way of removing the steering wheel, but the theoru behind it is this... Becasue the wheel is attached using a taper shaft every movement of the wheel pushes it on tighter, therefore putting a drift onto the shaft and hitting it creates a shock (which in theory may not prolong the life of the bearing) that is usually enough to cause the taper part of the shaft to come loose and with a friend pulling on the wheel helps it to come off. becasue you are using a drift and the nut is already removed you shouldnt destroy the thread. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mouse_man Posted July 17, 2008 Author Share Posted July 17, 2008 What kind of puller are you using? Looks a bit like this http://www.machinemart.co.uk/images/librar...4/040210247.jpg I am going to try and leave it pulling 'under tension' overnight/tomorrow and see what happens. In no hurry to get the wheel off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milemarker Type S Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 Ah- there may be the problem... that type are not ideal for this job... These are Special doofer! Or you could make one- but for £10 it is not really worth the hassle... No risk of any damage to the column or steering wheel. (I have no link with the ebay seller...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orgasmic Farmer Posted July 17, 2008 Share Posted July 17, 2008 BEWARE I have used the "hit the end of it with a hammer"! method to good effect in the past and got off even stubborn wheels. BUT have also caused damage to a landrover one by deforming the collapsible part of the outer column causing the wheel to rub against the plastic cowling as the shaft was left an few mm shorter! The annoying squeak every time I turned the wheel was enough to convince me that the hammer method, while certainly effecvtive, may not have been the most suitable..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the_mouse_man Posted July 18, 2008 Author Share Posted July 18, 2008 Just got a call before going to work - puller is on front seat and wheel is still on vehicle!!! - obviously slipped off under tension overnight, and as pointed out above clearly not the correct tool for the job. I've pointed him to the one on eBay as a tenner is really next to nowt these days. Many thanks for the help guys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimAttrill Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 Best thing is to undo the nut but not remove it, as the steering wheel can damage your nose as it comes off suddenly For some reason I have never had trouble getting a Defender wheel off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JST Posted July 18, 2008 Share Posted July 18, 2008 make your own puller, 5mm piece of steel, three holes in it, 2 to line up with the thread parts in the wheel, insert a bolt into each with a nut back against the outside (drivers side) of the 5mm plate. then use a largeish M12 bolt and screw it onto the centre part of the spline with a nut on the inside (steering wheel side) part of the 5mm plate. so 1 large bolt pulling against two smaller ones via the plate and it should come off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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