Freeing a tractor steering wheel

[1930]

I unfortunately don’t know what the metal hub looks like ( how thick )
( Plastic wheel from the planet unobtanium )
I don’t want to damage it
What can I fill this cavity with and let sit ( under pressure) and magically pop the wheel off?
I had to cut the acorn nut off, lots of rust
ATF?
What?
Thanks

 

[WinterDeere]

There are no threaded holes in the hub that you can attach a harmonic dampener puller to?

Heating with torch and then quenching with penetrating oil (e.g. PB Blaster) almost always pops any spline shaft loose, but you can't do that with a plastic wheel surround on the hub.

You can pick up a cheap set of bearing splitters on eBay or Amazon, if you want to be able to exert more pulling force on that plastic hub, versus just the two contact points provided by your puller.

 

[CalG]

I unfortunately don’t know what the metal hub looks like ( how thick )
( Plastic wheel from the planet unobtanium )
I don’t want to damage it
What can I fill this cavity with and let sit ( under pressure) and magically pop the wheel off?
I had to cut the acorn nut off, lots of rust
ATF?
What?
Thanks

If it's rusted stuck, stop pulling! The wrong piece will come loose.

Get a coupe of new nuts, thread them on, making sure none of the steering shaft threads show, and start tapping .

Tap a little, tap a lot, keep dosing the spline with ATF or what ever you have. What you want is to start some small amount of motion. A little leads to a lot, leads to enough.

It may be there is metal inside the plastic. (Molded) but still, don't break it if you can help it.

 

[flyerdan]

ATF and acetone is what everyone recommends for freeing stuff like this. After it set for a while, I'd use your setup pictured and give a few light taps with an air hammer with a pulley driver, on one of the legs, just to deliver shocks to the fused joint. Then see if the puller will snug up anymore, once it starts it'll go easy.

 

[WinterDeere]

ATF and acetone is what everyone recommends for freeing stuff like this.

Note wheel is plastic. It might be unusable after any lengthy exposure to any mixture containing acetone.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

Shortly after getting my '10 Kubota I tried to get get the steering wheel off. Failed, and that was on a new cabbed tractor so no rust.

Used a very similar puller, but don't remember trying any penetrants. Been using it without the nut on there ever since, hoping it'll come loose eventually.

 

[pmsmechanic]

I would either buy a bearing splitter as already mentioned or cut a slot in a 1/2" or thicker piece of suitable flat iron and pull with your puller on that. Cut the slot just wide enough to slip over the shaft and under the steering wheel. That will let you exert considerably more force on the puller before things get screwed up. Using an air hammer or even a regular hammer on the top of the pulling bolt will then most likely loosen up the hub. The trick will be to use enough force to do the job vs breaking something. Good Luck.

PS: How attached are you to that particular steering wheel? If this one breaks there's always the possibility of getting a different steering wheel out of an old car or truck and having a machine shop weld the wheel onto the old hub.

 

[Too many Kubotas]

I would either buy a bearing splitter as already mentioned or cut a slot in a 1/2" or thicker piece of suitable flat iron and pull with your puller on that. Cut the slot just wide enough to slip over the shaft and under the steering wheel. That will let you exert considerably more force on the puller before things get screwed up. Using an air hammer or even a regular hammer on the top of the pulling bolt will then most likely loosen up the hub.

I tried with a bearing puller, too, since I didn't want to mess up the OE steering wheel. Didn't work.

Maybe I should try again since it's been several years. Then again, I don't know where the nut and washer are anymore, so it might be smart to leave well enough alone.

 

[Gregster613]

I tried with a bearing puller, too, since I didn't want to mess up the OE steering wheel. Didn't work.

Maybe I should try again since it's been several years. Then again, I don't know where the nut and washer are anymore, so it might be smart to leave well enough alone.

Mine was stuck really hard also, it took a "Lot" of pressure to finally pop loose. Once it did though I coated everything with anti-seize and I've since had it off for other reasons and it pops loose easily now. Good luck.

 

[CalG]

ATF and acetone is what everyone recommends for freeing stuff like this. After it set for a while, I'd use your setup pictured and give a few light taps with an air hammer with a pulley driver, on one of the legs, just to deliver shocks to the fused joint. Then see if the puller will snug up anymore, once it starts it'll go easy.

There are the times I really miss having a bottle of 1,1,1, Tri Chlor. around the place ;-)

That stuff goes anywhere!