Steering wheel puller for '36

[JMFL36]

Does anyone have a puller I can borrow/rent for a couple days? It's for a '36 coupe. I have the horn rod out for repairs and would like to restore the wheel while I have the rod out. I'm in southwest Florida. Attached is a picture of one type of puller. Thanks, John

[cmbrucew]

Check your auto parts stores, some have rental tools.
Bruce

[JMFL36]

Bruce, I've checked them all. They only have pullers for newer steering wheels, nothing that will work on a '36 wheel.

[cas3]

i drill and tap two holes in the hub and pull it with a piece of flat stock and two bolts

[Tinker]

Cas didn't you are someone do a tech thread on this? Or have pictures.

[cas3]

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no, not me. but, if you look at any modern steering wheel, they all have two threaded holes for pulling. the old ford hub is wide enough to drill two 5/16 nf holes, and still stay on the steel, not in the plastic, then match that bolt spacing to a piece of heavy, like 3/8 or so stock and pull er off. any monkey business under the bottom side of the wheel without the real KW puller and you will do damage

[4 MAINS V8]

Cas like this one? Pops straight off and no damage to steering wheel.

[Mart]

Would a standard bearing puller - the type with two split halves that bolt together around the item to be pulled, two long studs, a cross piece and a puller screw - do it? Pad it out well to protect the wheel and if sized correctly it would probably work.

The threads on the end of the shaft are not very strong - it's a good idea to put a bolt down the end of the shaft and pull (push) on that.

Just thinking out loud.

Mart.

[JM 35 Sedan]

This is an old post on removing a steering wheel.

https://www.fordbarn.com/forum/showt...ghlight=Puller

[Terry,OH]

Mac VanPelt used to rent tools out. The K R W steering wheel puller was re-manufactured so your likely to find one.

[cas3]

wow john, thats really a nice puller you made. you must be popular in your club! that little rig that 4 mains shows is what usually do, and mart is correct, be careful of the threads on the shaft. i took a photo of a busted up 34 wheel to show the hub construction, i would guess 36 to be similar, perhaps some one else would know. anyway, you can see the top plate of the hub is over 1/4" thick, and covers the whole area, so plenty of room to drill without making it weak. the other photo is the bottom of a 39 chevy, you can see gm ran the holes all the way thru the hub. much smaller though, about 3/16, but still to me looks weaker than two holes in the ford plate would be. the kr wilson tool, and johns rig are what ford had in mind, but i am too impatient, and figure out a way to get it done. let us know the end of the story

[JMFL36]

Thanks everyone for the advice and pictures. You guys are great! Here is what I ended up with. The bold text refers to the photo with the same name attached.
Steering Wheel 1 - Here's the wheel after pulling the horn rod and before using the puller. I tried tugging on the wheel and tapping the bottom side of the wheel hub with no success. It was really on there tight.
Steering Wheel 2 - With the nut on I started a hole on each side as close to the nut as possible. A little tape over the horn rod hole prevents shavings from getting into the shaft. I used a 1/4" drill bit.
Steering Wheel 3 - After getting the holes started I removed the nut and drilled the holes. Notice the shavings of bakelite among the metal shavings. You need to drill past the metal plate a bit to make room for the tap.
Steering Wheel 4 - I tapped each hole with a 5/16" - 18 tap.
Steering Wheel 5 - Shows the holes now tapped.
Steering Wheel 6 - I then used a standard puller, replacing the big bolts that came with the puller with some old 5/16" bolts I had laying around. I screwed the nut back on the shaft until it was flush with the top of the shaft. I then covered the nut with a couple of thick washers. The top washer matched the diameter of the center plunger bolt on the puller.
Steering Wheel 7 - Shows the puller plunger bolt engaged with the washers. Ready to pull!
Steering Wheel 8 - 2 turns and it popped free.
Steering Wheel 9 - Wheel off with puller still attached.
Steering Wheel 10 - Puller on bench.
Steering Wheel 11 - Wheel on bench.

[cmbrucew]

JMF
You done real good.
Bruce

[cas3]

good job!!! also good you kept the metal chips out of the tube, nice thinkin

[JMFL36]

I hate drilling holes in original equipment. But it did the job and the holes will be hidden once the horn rod goes back in. Let's keep it between us ;-)

[Al 29Tudor]

Nice going John

[Tinker]

Originally Posted by Al 29Tudor

Nice going John

I agree. Gets the job done non destructively and works. I like it anyways.

[cas3]

this whole thread was quite successful in several ways, to me anyway. first, JMF used a very correct title in his thread topic-steering wheel puller for a 36. having a real topic will make it come up on a google search, where as "how do i get this thing off" , will be buried forever in cyberspace, and of no use to any one who is trying to do the same thing by searching first, ask questions next. nothing wrong with questions here on the barn, thats why we are here, to learn and to ask. its fun when a problem gets solved by a few peoples input and good results come of it. next, JMF also did a very nice detailed followup of the procedure, with nice pictures, and all set up to follow along, it was great presentation ! thanks for that! so, the next guy searching, will find it, and the story is all here....thanks JMF

[Admiral]

Originally Posted by JMFL36

I hate drilling holes in original equipment. But it did the job and the holes will be hidden once the horn rod goes back in. Let's keep it between us ;-)

You removed your car's steering wheel the correct way, by drilling and tapping holes in the hub and using a puller. I took the lazy-man's approach when I recently swapped a 1937 steering box in my '36 Ford, but it worked.

Since I knew the tapered surfaces of the steering shaft and steering wheel were both clean and rust free, having restored the car just a few years before, I removed the wheel with nothing more than a hammer. This sounds terrible but in this instance it was a snap.

After loosening the steering box from the frame and dropping the column from the dashboard, the wheel rested on my lap. In this position I could apply rearward pressure to the rim with both legs and my left hand. With the center nut loosened but still threaded on, a few firm raps on said nut with a ball-peen hammer jostled the wheel loose without damaging anything. I gave this "method" a shot since I wasn't keen on drilling and tapping holes, though if it didn't work I would have, however this saved time. As always, your mileage WILL vary.