Tricks on seperating steering wheel and steering column?

[Stevemo]

Hi all,

  I am trying to get the steering wheel off of my car but it is stuck to the splined shaft.  I have beat on it a bit but it is bending the shaft so I need to find a smarter solution.

 

Are there any tricks to pulling these things apart?  I undid the steering column bracket and the slip connection on the steering box but this is not helping.  Is it possible that the steering box shaft extends all the way to the steering wheel?

 

Please help.   If anybody has a better matching steering wheel I'd be interested in purchasing it.

 

Regards, Steve

[JFranklin]

Yes you need a steering wheel puller and maybe a Kroil penetrant soak for a week.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

It does look like a fair amount of rust around the area. It's boring, but I think that you need to clean up the as much of the shaft as you can and then begin the long process of repeated spraying with whatever you prefer for rust penetration. I've been experimenting with something that someone posted on a forum that suggested using ATF and then spraying brake clean into the threaded area. I know that it seems a little counter intuitive, but the theory is that the very thin brake clean being sprayed under pressure into the thread carries some of the ATF with it, ensuring deep penetration. I've tried it, but every situation is different, so I can't necessarily say it's the very best solution.

[Guest]

ATF and acetone 50/50, best there is.

[Grimy]

34 minutes ago, Tinindian said:

ATF and acetone 50/50, best there is.

As I learned the hard way, don't put this excellent mixture in a pump-type oil can with a rubber diaphragm; use an old-time metal  gravity drip oiler.  And I don't think the acetone will stay in a plastic drip oiler long without rotting the plastic.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

The advantage to using brake clean, supposedly, is that while it, too is very thin like acetone, it is easily sprayed under pressure right out of the can unlike acetone. I'm not promoting one solution over another, though. I just haven't used the brake clean and ATF enough yet to have a strong opinion.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

Also, I should add that the brake clean/ATF combo should, in theory, be able to work uphill somewhat.

[Guest]

Any liquid will work uphill by capillary action.

[Hudsy Wudsy]

3 hours ago, Tinindian said:

Any liquid will work uphill by capillary action.

I defer to your obviously superior knowledge. Btw, when's the last time you were open to a new idea?

Edited July 26, 2017 by Hudsy Wudsy (see edit history)

[Stevemo]

A couple of days ago I bought a steering wheel puller but as can be seen in the photos the wheel is not set up for it.  I am going to try and drill/tap the wheel so I can get it off.  I actually have a squirt bottle of acetone/atf that I have been using along the way.  It does the job but I suppose the wheel won't just "pop off" so I need a way to grab onto it.

Cheers, Steve

[Hupp36]

Steve,  If  you  go to  an  Autozone  parts  house,  they  have a  bearing  puller  they  will lend you  and  this  will  solve  your  problem.