Steering Wheel Removal-2006 Workhorse Chassis

FIRE UP wrote:

RLS7201 wrote:
If no air bag, this method has worked for me for over 50 years.
Loosen the nut until it's flush with the shaft, get you knees behind the steering wheel and apply force, grab two ball peen hammers, lay the flat end of the first hammer on the shaft and hit the first hammer with the second hammer. The pressure from your knees will keep the shaft from collapsing unto its self. A couple of taps will release the tapered fit. Final removal of the nut will repair, if any thread damage to the shaft.

Richard

Hey Richard,
How ya doin'? Member me, Scott, met you and Eric at Quartzsite. Your method is pretty darn close to mine for extracting a stuck steering wheel but, I have one thing that maybe should be a word of caution here is, banging two hammers together is kind-a not too good of an idea. I'm certainly no metalergical expert but, I've just been told all my life that two hammers should not be used against each other.
I've been told that one of them can shatter due to the way the hammers are hardened. Just thinking here.
Scott

Well darn it! Now you tell me after a lifetime of banging hammers together. Maybe the midwest hammers are made differently, than the left coast hammers. Never shattered a ball peen hammer but have had to reshape them after they mushroomed. Now where is that old time blacksmith that taught me the two hammer trick?

Richard

Sorry double post

I've done this job a few times. I think a puller is well worth the money, and it will work on the next vehicle if using muscle doesn't work. You can get a puller for next to nothing at Harbor Freight. Before you pull it, take a scratch awl and mark the exact position of the wheel to the shaft. If you don't put it back exactly the way it came off the steering wheel will not be straight.

RLS7201 wrote:
If no air bag, this method has worked for me for over 50 years.
Loosen the nut until it's flush with the shaft, get you knees behind the steering wheel and apply force, grab two ball peen hammers, lay the flat end of the first hammer on the shaft and hit the first hammer with the second hammer. The pressure from your knees will keep the shaft from collapsing unto its self. A couple of taps will release the tapered fit. Final removal of the nut will repair, if any thread damage to the shaft.

Richard

Hey Richard,
How ya doin'? Member me, Scott, met you and Eric at Quartzsite. Your method is pretty darn close to mine for extracting a stuck steering wheel but, I have one thing that maybe should be a word of caution here is, banging two hammers together is kind-a not too good of an idea. I'm certainly no metalergical expert but, I've just been told all my life that two hammers should not be used against each other.
I've been told that one of them can shatter due to the way the hammers are hardened. Just thinking here.
Scott

If no air bag, this method has worked for me for over 50 years.
Loosen the nut until it's flush with the shaft, get you knees behind the steering wheel and apply force, grab two ball peen hammers, lay the flat end of the first hammer on the shaft and hit the first hammer with the second hammer. The pressure from your knees will keep the shaft from collapsing unto its self. A couple of taps will release the tapered fit. Final removal of the nut will repair, if any thread damage to the shaft.

Richard

PoppiBrown wrote:
I need to remove the steering wheel from my 2007 Southwind in order to remove the refer through the driver's side door. Any tips and/or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

PoppiBrown,
Steering wheels can be a bear to pull without a puller. I don't know if I've got lucky over the years or, just refused to be the looser in the battle of pulling steering wheels. While some may not approve of this method, it's worked for me, every single time. Basically, I've removed all retention, nuts, washers anything and everything that may retain that wheel to the shaft and, with both arms straight as can be, grab hold of each side of the Steering wheel, preferably where the spokes are attached, and sort of tip my shoulders back and forth sort of "tweaking" the steering wheel a tad bit with each shoulder move.

What I'm doing in that maneuver is, simply finitely tweaking the tapered/splined hold that the outer section has on the inner shaft. 100% of the time, within a few seconds, those steering wheels POP off. Steering wheels are pretty darn strong and can take a lot of thrust/torque in various directions. I've NEVER even come close to braking one or even cracking it. I have yet to be defeated using this method. Maybe one of these days, I'll buy a puller, probably when I quit working on my own vehicles.
Scott

Do you have a steering wheel puller? Also, are there any controls on the steering wheel such as radio controls? Photos may be helpful.