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How can I get this off????

mduenas

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2015
Messages
511
Loc.
Los Angeles
I’m trying to re-align my steering wheel so it is straight when I go straight. I don’t have a steering wheel puller. Is that my only option? How can I get this center piece off to re-align?
 

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B RON CO

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Jun 29, 2016
Messages
2,412
Loc.
Statesville, NC
Hi, a puller is a big help. You may damage something with out one.
How far off is the wheel? Often if the steering wheel is out of kilter it is because the front end, probably the toe setting, is off.
Good luck
 

B RON CO

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Hi, I just remembered what you can do. Put to the steering wheel back on, and with the nut installed, but loose, a go for a drive, and pull up on the wheel. It will probably pull up off the splines. Good luck
 

72Sport

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Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
2,954
I use a Lisle harmonic balancer puller. You can borrow/rent one from Autozone which means you buy it and then get your money back when you return it. I think the rental time is 30 days. Give your local AutoZone a call. The harmonic balancer puller uses 3 holes just like your adapter. I am not sure what a steering wheel puller has.
 
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mduenas

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2015
Messages
511
Loc.
Los Angeles
Just tried every puller for rental at autozone, nothing works. All the bolts are too big. I’ll try removing from the box. Tried to pull while driving and no go
 

bronkenn

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Bronco Guy
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Apr 27, 2017
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2,662
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Southeast Ohio
Back in the day we would loosen the nut and leave a few threads on , pull hard on the steering wheel while someone taps the nut with a hammer. Works every time. Not as easy as a puller but it works. Ken
 
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mduenas

Sr. Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2015
Messages
511
Loc.
Los Angeles
Turns out I have no idea how to remove the shaft from my steering box. Haha oh well! Looks like I’ll have a crooked wheel forever! It just gets under my skin!
 

Slowleak

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
3,732
Loc.
Georgia
I think those bolts go straight thru the shaft. Not sure you can line it up any other way except to flip it 180 degrees. It doesn’t work on my 77.
 

jagbucket

Full Member
Joined
Aug 9, 2013
Messages
251
Is that an aftermarket wheel ? because i do not have a piece like that unless its missing . what kind of pullers are you looking at most of the ones lve seen you can put whatever bolts you need in them . for that matter if you can drill three holes in a 1/4 inch plate to somewhat match the pattern with the correct bolts just tighten evenly until it comes off
 

Slowleak

Bronco Guru
Joined
Sep 12, 2013
Messages
3,732
Loc.
Georgia
Just tried every puller for rental at autozone, nothing works. All the bolts are too big. I’ll try removing from the box. Tried to pull while driving and no go


I had to buy bolts to use with my puller. The stock ones were the wrong thread.

I’ve pulled wheels with a ratchet strap. I used a hunk of wood with holes drilled in it for the bolts once. Sometimes you can loosen the nut and just pull on the wheel while tapping the shaft with a hammer.

Don’t give up on it.....
 

73azbronco

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Nov 11, 2007
Messages
7,796
goto ace hardware buy the bolts and some washers to fit the puller. They may be metric as that does not look stock
 

71broncman

Sr. Member
Joined
Sep 6, 2009
Messages
407
Loc.
Woodland Park, Co
Is that the adapter for a Grant or some other brand of aftermarket steering wheel? If it's a Grant adapter the bolts are either 1/4 X 20 or 1/4 X 28 thread, depending on the adapter. Take one of the mounting bolts to an Ace hardware and match them up on their thread checker. Whatever size/thread they turn out to be, you can buy 3 bolts 3" to 3 1/2" long with fender washers to fit. Then rent or buy a combo steering wheel/ harmonic balancer puller from the auto parts store. Use the 3 bolts and washers you bought with the puller and should come right off.
Mark.
 

.94 OR

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Is that the adapter for a Grant or some other brand of aftermarket steering wheel? If it's a Grant adapter the bolts are either 1/4 X 20 or 1/4 X 28 thread, depending on the adapter. Take one of the mounting bolts to an Ace hardware and match them up on their thread checker. Whatever size/thread they turn out to be, you can buy 3 bolts 3" to 3 1/2" long with fender washers to fit. Then rent or buy a combo steering wheel/ harmonic balancer puller from the auto parts store. Use the 3 bolts and washers you bought with the puller and should come right off.
Mark.

Make sure the bolts thread all the way in so you don't strip the threads out of that aluminum adapter. On the flip side, don't let them go too far past the back of the adapter either in case the shaft gets turned and you hook the turn signal wiring and muck it up.
 

DirtDonk

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Nov 3, 2003
Messages
47,345
Couple of things.
First, when did it become crooked? Did you first verify that the steering box itself is centered precisely? This is the first thing to make sure of. All other aspects are taken from the box outward.

Next, if you do still need to re-orient the wheel, that yoke/universal joint down at the box in your picture is an aftermarket unit. The set-screw with jam nut at the base (closest point to the box) should be just a simple set-screw. Not an all-the-way-through bolt.
Loosen the nut, loosen the set screw, then pull the shaft away from the box.
It's possible there is another one 90 degrees from this one, but if I'm not mistaken there is only the one.

A key point of safety here though, is to not put it back together without applying thread-locking compound to the screw and nut. This is one thing on a vehicle you do NOT want coming loose! There was a thread about that here just last week in fact.

When all is said and done, there's nothing that says you can't re-orient the steering wheel either with the shaft at the box, or the adapter up at the wheel. But there is a proper way to do it, and that is to make sure that the turn-signal canceling aspect of the steering wheel is still properly set up. After all, you don't want to go through all that work and find out your signals cancel as soon as you move the wheel in one direction or the other.
But the over-riding bottom line to all this is to make sure that all adjustments are made with the steering box centered. This way, once you're done and on the road, if your steering wheel is not centered then you know that the box is not either, and you won't get the best steering feel/handling characteristics until you adjust the draglink to compensate for a lift, or linkage change, or whatever is going on.

I know we're talking about your rig in other threads, but I can't remember all the details. Such as amount of lift, whether you have an adjustable draglink or not, and stuff like that.
I seem to remember you've installed a trackbar drop and a pitman arm? Or is that someone else I'm thinking of? If it's you, all the more reason to make sure that the box is centered before doing anything else.

Good luck.

Paul
 

72Sport

Bronco Guru
Joined
Jul 8, 2002
Messages
2,954
Lisle 45300 GM harmonic balancer (google it) puller will work. I have pulled at least 200 steering wheels off of stock columns and a few of the Grant Or? adapters. Take one of the bolts that you use with the Grant adapter to hold on the steering wheel to the auto parts store and buy three more at least 2 1/2" long. Buy washers so the head of the new bolts don't slip through the puller slots. I usually carry a jar full of bolts with me when I go shopping at the local yards.

If you can't find the Lisle puller I have been spending a lot of time in So El Monte which can't be too far from you. I have my puller there. The puller looks badly worn but it still works fine. By the way I don't know why I have a GM harmonic balancer puller.
 
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