steering wheel

[Ginormous]

I was going to pop off the steering wheel (to make it easier to punch holes for my gauges) but I couldn't get it off. I thought it was just that top nut holding it on, but after I took the nut off, the wheel still wouldn't budge. What's the trick?

 

[Soundguy]

probably seized on the shaft.

you don't mention what tractor.. but chek yer parts manual.. might be a keyed or splined shaft. very likey have to use a centering puller.

be carefull not to damage the wheel hub or the steering tube.. put the nut back on and push from there.

soundguy

 

[winston1]

Looks like you have a nut and woodruff key. Penetrating oil might help also. Yanmar Tractor Parts: STEERIN_EXTERNAL

 

[deepNdirt]

After letting it sit with pen oil for a while, Then find another same size nut and put it back on and thread it most the way down but leave enough up to cover the last threads on the shaft, if you cannot find another nut turn the castle nut upside down,
if you have someone to help would be all the better, while pulling up on the steering wheel start taping the center NUT..... Not the nut at the wheel
but the nut on the shaft, giving a few good taps should break it free,:thumbsup: if not! then need to get a puller as mentioned,

 

[Ginormous]

DeepNdirt -- Thanks, I'll give that a go. BTW, it's nice that you recommended putting the nut back on the end of the shaft before pulling. I can just picture me (or someone else reading this thread later) doing a backwards somersault off of the back of the tractor when the wheel pops!

 

[deepNdirt]

DeepNdirt -- Thanks, I'll give that a go. BTW, it's nice that you recommended putting the nut back on the end of the shaft before pulling. I can just picture me (or someone else reading this thread later) doing a backwards somersault off of the back of the tractor when the wheel pops!

Now that is a funny thought but not actually the reason for putting the nut back on but more so to keep from buggering up the end of the shaft,
Just a slight bit of pull force should work

 

[shawnjvl]

Now that is a funny thought but not actually the reason for putting the nut back on but more so to keep from buggering up the end of the shaft,
Just a slight bit of pull force should work

I do everything he said with nut on shaft, I sit it the seat with my knees under the steering wheel putting pressure under steering wheel.

 

[Soundguy]

do yerself a favor too.. put neverseize on the shaft and ket after you clean the ID and OD all up before re-assembly.

soundguy

 

[YannyMan]

Rent a steering wheel puller. Will take you 2 minutes to get it off.

 

[2manyrocks]

I do everything he said with nut on shaft, I sit it the seat with my knees under the steering wheel putting pressure under steering wheel.

I think this method depends on how stuck your wheel is and how strong you are. Some folks do exactly the same thing to remove stuck International Cub Cadet steering wheels.

True story: I hired a guy to move a baby grand piano, and he shows up by himself. Somehow, he takes the leg off the piano and drops the part of the piano with the keyboard onto his knees. Then he does another couple of moves and puts it on a special dolly to wheel it out. I wish I had a video. I'm sure he could pop the steering wheel off anything.

 

[deepNdirt]

I wonder did he ever get it off?

 

[Soundguy]

hopefully he's working on it now and that's why he aint responded?

soundguy

 

[Ginormous]

Decided to wait on that... been busy with other improvements.

 

[BC Dave]

Decided to wait on that... been busy with other improvements.

....DAWOOOO!:laughing:

(i was waiting for the drama! I had the problem and just left it on also)

 

[deepNdirt]

....DAWOOOO!:laughing:

(i was waiting for the drama! I had the problem and just left it on also)

Old ancient Chinese proverb:
"Why do today what you can put-off until tomorrow"
...............................................................
But if tomorrow never come then you never get job done

 

[Soundguy]

sounds like he's got a lot of honey=do's

so do ii...

 

[Ginormous]

No shortage of projects, but they're mostly self-inflicted! Like re-painting my new bush hog...

BTW, I finished adding my gauges (Temp, oil pressure and voltage.) I was able to punch the holes without removing the steering wheel. Love the temp gauge and the other 2 are nice to have. I'm an engineer and I want data; the dash lights just didn't give me enough.

 

[Johndeere3720]

Wow, very useful thread, just a few weeks ago I tried to remove my steering wheel by lightly hitting the underside of the steering wheel with a rubber mallet but it would not move. I need to put a new turn signal switch in as the old one has the wires cut.

 

[BC Dave]

Old ancient Chinese proverb:
"Why do today what you can put-off until tomorrow"
...............................................................
But if tomorrow never come then you never get job done

ha ha

... you fun-i guy;

but I have jap-anses tractor

so - I go by jap-anese proverb;

... the bamboo bends ...

.... but does not break. ...

... nore does steering wheel come off-i.

 

[Soundguy]

having worked on alot of antiques.. i have alot of experience in removing stuck steering wheels.

once all the easy and medium non destructive stuff fails. ie.. penetrant oil, pullers, tapping onthe hub, etc, the next thing to do is locate a new or used steering wheel. once you locate one, then you can move up into the heavy and destructive removal methods, including heating the hub with a torch.. also, using 2 hammers to beat on the hub side to side to enlarge it's id... use one hammer 180' over as a backup.. that protects the steering column and wormshaft.

if that fails, what I usually do is cut the spokes and rim off with a grinder, then make some top to bottom cuts in the hub with a die grinder / cutoff wheel or angle grinder.. 1 can work, but 2 is better.. even 3 on super rusty things. cut 95% thru the hub.. stay out of the wormshaft... then in many cases, the heat of grinding and themetal removal lets the hub loosen up after hitting with more penetrant oil.. can sometimes use a mild puller on them.. other times you have to go ahead and use a fat cold chissle wedged into the cuts you made to go ahead and split the hub the rest of the way off..

clean up and splines or threads ont he wormshaft with a pick, thread repair file, and / or triangular file, apply never seize liberally when done, and repalce steering wheel..

that 'floorplan' has yet to fail to remove even the most stubborn rusted on non oem/oem steering wheel on any tractor I've ever owned... and I've never ruined a steering wormshaft doing it that way either..

soundguy