Steering wheel removal 1955 CJ 5

What is the best way to go about removing the steering wheel from my 1955 cj 5? I have tried using a puller but it seems to be stuck.

 

I guess that you have removed Horn button and steering wheel shaft nut - cause you said you used a puller - dead blow hammer from back side - WD40 helps

 

his worked for unclebill.

 

I would use a real penetrating lube like PB blaster( in my mind the best stuff most people can get) not WD-40. WD-40 does what it was intended very well which is to dissipate water but it is no penetrating lube.

 

yeah and it worked great.
soaked it with pb blaster
loosened the nut and stacked washers on it.
put the strap and jack on it and tightened it every once in a while.
after a while i was doing something else and heard a crack like a bullwhip.
went and looked.
it had popped off.
my patented tenichnique wont mar the steering wheel either!

 

For the steering wheel in my '55, I used a bearing puller under the steering wheel and a two-jaw puller over the top. I kept the nut on the steering shaft to protect the threads. I knew it was on there tight so I had soaked the nut/shaft/steering wheel with penetrating lube (not WD-40 but I can't remember what kind) over the course of a week or so. I was very, very careful in applying force to the puller but even still, I ended up crushing the threaded end of the steering shaft - only the first 3 or four threads but that's enough. The steering wheel eventually came off but only after I applied heat, ended up breaking some of the steering wheel material off, and generally ruining the whole thing. I wasn't upset about ruining the steering wheel since it was going to be thrown away anyway. Finding a new steering shaft turned out to be quite an adventure.

In short, I recommend unclebill's solution. Don't use my method.

Wayne

 

Try a search, I remember reading about methods that were a lot safer than the above methods.

 

whats dangerous about what i did?

 

Nothing that I can see. Pretty crafty IMHO.

I've had good luck with Kroil as a penetrating oil.

 

Some are harder than other I guess.

I tried lots of pullers, slide hammers and was generous with PB Blaster.

Uncle Bill's method finally did it.

 

using stuff that we all already have is a big plus.

 

Been there, done that, What works is a life saver.