Steering wheel cannot be removed

[BrandonBDenver]

I have a steering wheel that will not come off. I have tried multiple pullers, tons of lube, beating it with a hammer etc. nothing works. It is so stuck that the tapered end of the puller actually stretched out the threaded open end of the shaft (I will probably have to replace the entire shaft if I ever want to be able to bolt on a new wheel). Am I missing something here?

Edited April 23, 2019 by BrandonBDenver

[Plymouthy Adams]

no pic...hard to imagine what you may have missed.....

[Dodgeb4ya]

Use the proper heavy duty  professional wheel puller.

Always leave the nut on the steering shaft slightly loose..... this will also help protect the steering shaft threads... don't let the insert bushing push on the nut.. 

Insert a full sized steering tube bushing insert for the puller threaded screw to push on ( fits the tube diameter fully) 

There needs to be a dimple in this bushing so the threaded screw shaft cannot wander off center.

Never hammer on the steering well puller under load... it will just cause the tube threads to crush

If you have the style of wheel that requires grabbing it from the underside....you really need the correct factory type puller... Miller, Vintage Snap-on or military type puller or 6" bearing splitter and a large 2 Jaw puller. There are pictures of all these being used on this site.

And lastly if the puller is slightly off center.... you will never get a tight steering wheel to pull off with out damage and a lot of frustration.?

 

 

[DrDoctor]

If the wheel’s not worth salvaging – and ONLY if that’s the case – you’ve got 2 options, albeit both are drastic: 1) Take a torch, and heat the hub of the wheel. We had to do that on an old Chevy back in the ‘60’s because we couldn’t get it to budge, and we ruined the hub – the bolts pulled out of the threaded holes in the hub of the wheel, so we deemed the wheel expendable, but needed the column, so we put the “gas wrench” to the wheel, and we used a gear puller to finish the job. 2) We’ve also taken a cutoff wheel and cut thru the wheel’s hub from the side to split it, and then it just falls off of the shaft.

[BrandonBDenver]

Total POS not worth saving. Will probably just cut it off

[DrDoctor]

It’s too bad the wheel’s not worth saving, but it is what it is. Take care when “eliminating” the wheel, and hopefully, all will be OK for you. Regards . . .