someones been in my steering colum(88) before and messed up the threads where you screw in the wheel puller. i cant get the damn thing off by hand either it looks like the nut was installed with an impact gun. is there some other way of getting the wheel off short of anything drastic?

the bearing or whatever goes bad has gotten worse and worse lately so my steering wheel moves freely and even will prevent the ignition lock from working properlly so i figure its itme to stop ignoring it and fix it. if theres some other way to try and tighten the 4 reverse torx bolts without removing the wheel ill do that but it seem like the wheel and other stuff needs to go first.

any help is aprecieated.

I would say only if your name is Hulk Hogan

You might try a jaw type gear puller....that is likely going to muck up the wheel....you might try to re-tap the threads....you might get them cleaned up enough to get the wheel off.

I have gotten mine off before without a puller but it is not fun.
take the main nut loose not off or you will be eating the wheel.
then pull from eather side and you may need to use a deadblow hammer on the back.
not a very good way to do it but it can be done.
good luck!

take the big nut off.
now PUT THE NUT BACK ON but not all the way down to the steering wheel.
(this step keeps you from knocking your teeth out when the wheel comes loose)
position yourself in the seat, and tilt the wheel down, so that you can apply pressure to the back of the wheel with your knees in the 6 O'clock position.
put your hands at the 12O'clock postion.
now start alternating pulling with your hand and then press with your knees,
think of rocking the wheel back and forth like a teeter tooder.

quote Originally posted by buddycraigg: take the big nut off. now PUT THE NUT BACK ON but not all the way down to the steering wheel. (this step keeps you from knocking your teeth out when the wheel comes loose) position yourself in the seat, and tilt the wheel down, so that you can apply pressure to the back of the wheel with your knees in the 6 O'clock position. put your hands at the 12O'clock postion. now start alternating pulling with your hand and then press with your knees, think of rocking the wheel back and forth like a teeter tooder.

This is exactly how it is done. You will have to use all of your strength as you do it. I have pulled numerous steering wheels off this way over the years.

I have eaten a steering wheel before trying to do what you are doing, along with a hammer! It can be done but it is not fun, just be careful.

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'86 2m4- Auto, Daily Driver
'87 GT - 5spd, Project Car
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So now you'd better stop and rebuild all your ruins,
For peace and trust can win the day despite of all your losing

If you're having trouble pulling the center nut off, turn the wheel all the way to the left. Now get a big pull bar & break it loose. Then, back it out untill it's flush with the end of the shaft . Have a friend TAP on it with a big hammer & a brass punch, while you pull back on it. Eventually it will pop off.
Paul

I'm unclear as to what the problem is. Are the nut and the threads on the center shaft damaged? Or is it the two threaded holes in the steering wheel hub that the steering wheel puller threads into? Or both? The puller pushes against the dimple in the center of the shaft end.

JazzMan

I would try a smaller bolt that will slide thru the threaded hole and just put a nut and washers on them and use with the steering wheel puller

EDIT: Nope.. that Idea it won't work

[This message has been edited by jweisman (edited 07-22-2008).]

Barrow a steering wheel puller (it doesnt have the claws).One of my friends allmost knocked his teeth out trying to pull the steering wheel off by hand.The procedure is the same as above,slowly rock the wheel off with the puller (the large center bolt,isnt realley what pulls the steering wheel off).

Spend the $15 on the puller rather than the dentist.

quote Originally posted by TK: Spend the $15 on the puller rather than the dentist.

I believe you got the cheaper bill

These are cheap to buy, but if you only need one once AutoZone will loan you one for free.

quote Originally posted by TK: Spend the $15 on the puller rather than the dentist.

Yes, you can pick one up at the auto parts store or inquire about their tool loaner program.

EDIT,,,,

quote Originally posted by sjmaye: ,,,,,,, but if you only need one once AutoZone will loan you one for free.

Great minds think alike. LOL

[This message has been edited by jetman (edited 07-23-2008).]

If you can't get the nut off, try an impact gun.. (borrow or rent one if you don't own one)..

Try clean out the threads in the steering wheel puller holes with a tap.. If the holes are worn too big, you might be able to drill them out a size larger and then tap new threads.

It's always a good idea to give the bolt threads and center spline a shot of penetrating oil an hour or so before you begin taking things apart.

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1988 Fiero Coupe 2.5L (Written Off in an accident in 2006)
1990 Trans Am GTA 5.7L

If the puller holes are stripped out, just use slightly larger bolts or courser threads. Always worked for me.

quote Originally posted by Poncho Jim: If you can't get the nut off, try an impact gun.. (borrow or rent one if you don't own one).. Try clean out the threads in the steering wheel puller holes with a tap.. If the holes are worn too big, you might be able to drill them out a size larger and then tap new threads. It's always a good idea to give the bolt threads and center spline a shot of penetrating oil an hour or so before you begin taking things apart.

I'm not sure I would use an impact on a steering wheel nut. I'd hate to shear the plastic that manages the collapsing section.

I've always just pulled the center nut most of the way off, and then grab the wheel at the top and give a good yank. Then grab at the bottom and do the same thing. Alternate between top and bottom a few times doing that, then put my hands on the 9 and 3 positions and wobble it off. Works every time. Never met a wheel I couldn't get off that way.

quote Originally posted by TK: I'm not sure I would use an impact on a steering wheel nut. I'd hate to shear the plastic that manages the collapsing section.

The collapsing section is forward motion; not turning.

quote Originally posted by Taijiguy: I've always just pulled the center nut most of the way off, and then grab the wheel at the top and give a good yank. Then grab at the bottom and do the same thing. Alternate between top and bottom a few times doing that, then put my hands on the 9 and 3 positions and wobble it off. Works every time. Never met a wheel I couldn't get off that way.

Boy I have. I've seen wheels so tight it took forever to get them off, trying all kinds of methods. I never even try to just pull one off...
Of course on older cars you can crack the wheel if you flex it too much.
Paul

quote Originally posted by Tha Driver: Boy I have. I've seen wheels so tight it took forever to get them off, trying all kinds of methods. I never even try to just pull one off... Of course on older cars you can crack the wheel if you flex it too much. Paul

Maybe you're just a wuss.

quote Originally posted by Taijiguy: Maybe you're just a wuss.

Could be. But I seem to remember one wheel with a puller on it & cranked down hard & still hitting it with a hammer took quite a few blows to get it to pop... (been decades agao on that one - do not recall what kind of car it was).
Paul

Throw an impact wrench on yours and let me know what happens!

[This message has been edited by TK (edited 07-23-2008).]

Get one of those hand torches and after removing the nut heat up the shaft very carfully, (just hot enough to expand the metal). position yourself and yank the steering wheel out. I've done it many times.

Rei

quote Originally posted by megafreakindeth: any help is aprecieated.

It might be easier to replace the whole column... This is how I fixed my loose wobbly column.



Although it didn't have a completely happy ending because now I have the phantom wipe, so I still need to go in the column to fix that.

How are the condition of those 2 steering wheels ?
They don't look bad on pics .
If the leather is not all thorned maybe i'm intersted of buying one .

[This message has been edited by Robert 2 (edited 07-24-2008).]

sorry for not replying, these crazy ppl at my job keep making me do stuff instead of browse this site.

the problem is the apparently common problem where the bearing in the steering collum gets loose or goes bad so it sorta becomes a 24/7 tilt steering colum, i can swing the wheel around 360 degrees(wihtout rotating it). if i hold it straight theres about 15 degrees of motion up and down and side to side, its super cool and getting progressivly worse at a faster and faster rate.

i have the main nut off but the splines look like theyve been compressed by an impact gun(ive seen it before on other cars) so i cant remove it by hand. the two m10 holes that you use with the puller have been eaten by some A grade mechanics crossthreading, probably teh same guy who used the gun to install the wheel.

its hard to pull the wheel off since theres so much play but i guess ill have to give it a try, i may also try using a small torch on the outer splines(on the wheel) and try and get it spread out enouugh to pull off. either way my cars down for the count on this one. push comes to shove i did get a plastic welder so i may just crack the plastic off(as long as its just a cover, not something too important) and get at the bolts that way, then just weld the stuff back togeather.

Ok, don't do everything you just said.

The two threaded holes in the steering wheel hub are not metric, they're 5/16" threads. Try to save them by using a tap and keeping it square to the hub to chase the threads.

The four bolts that are loose and causing the wobble aren't accessible without disassembling the column, you can't get them through the plastic, there's too much stuff in the way. Look at this thread all the way through to understand that: https://www.fiero.nl/forum/Forum2/HTML/088020.html

I still can't figure out what you mean by the splines being compressed, can you post a picture?

JazzMan