VCCA Home Forums TECHNICAL - 1945 AND EARLIER 1933-1936 Stering wheel removal

Hi all i just came across this site and will be asking a lot of stupid question. I'm trying to finish where my grandfather left of 15 years ago. I have a 34 5 window coupe master and was trying to figure out the trick to get the steering wheel off? I removed the nut and can't seem to get it to come lose.

It takes a puller, it's shown in the shop manual. It pulls on the bottom center area of the steering wheel as the puller center bolt is tighten and pushes against the steering mast center shaft. Care must be taken not to chip the material off the bottom of the wheel. Glad to have somebody new here, come join our National club we have a Techanical advisor to help with all your questions on the 34's and this site for more help from experience hands.

There are two methods that can be tried. First put the nut on the shaft and the top even with the top of the shaft. With brass hammer or brass drift have an assistant rap the shaft/nut sharply while you pull up on the rim of the wheel. If the wheel does not release from the shaft after a couple of raps then a puller must be used.

I have never actually seen the puller in the manual. I have pulled steering wheels by a technique published in the G&D a couple of times. If you tap the two holes where the legs of the horn button go through with a 10-32 tap, thread two long machine screws into the holes and with washers under the heads of the screws use a modern steering wheel puller to pull the wheel. It is best to tighten the puller just snug and rap on the center shaft of the puller. Never failed to pull a wheel and no damage to the wheel either.

Taking it off for the first time can be a real bugger! The wheel and shaft have a slight taper and a woodruff key, which means there's lots of surface area to bear on and to corrode.
Use penetrating fluid such as PB Blaster and let it soak overnight. Pulling on the wheel and driving down on the shaft as suggested can work but may take many tries and you risk damage to the wheel and shaft. Using heat is not an option.

I made a split collar from oak and long carriage bolts that mounts loosely around mast jacket (the sheet metal tube) and presses on the underside of the wheel. I cobbled together a cross piece that presses on the top part of the steering shaft. Large C clamps were used to squeeze the two pieces together. A few bangs with a hammer finished the job. As I recall the steering wheel came off with a bang and just about took my head off.
When you put it back on be sure to use some anti-sieze so the next time won't be so difficult.

I did a similar thing by making my own puller with a split collar to fit the bottom of the steering wheel and used the center screw from a ball joint puller, sure glad I bought a good welder.

Thanks everyone i will be trying it later this week. I have a steering wheel puller for a model a i am going to try that as well.

:)