Unable to pull, the steering wheel off the shaft.

capt jim · #1 01-19-2012, 08:59 PM

Hi again guys. I'm having another tough time with my old CC 125, and I need to get this thing going again, cuz I have a few mounds of dirt that need to be moved with my nice little Danco loader. I started getting into the steering problems, and of course rebuilding the steering box requires the removal of the steering wheel in order to drop the steering box and shaft etc out through the bottom of the frame. Getting the big nut off the steering wheel shaft was a two day affair...using a lot of PB Blaster, some hammering, and a very long breaker bar on the socket wench. That was just the beginning. I tried several styles and sizes of three hook gear pullers...to no avail. I applied a torch....I only succeeded in burning up the steering wheel plastic hub center. I didn't care...I want to replace the wheel with a larger one...If I can find one to fit. I have now stripped away the charred remains of the plastic hub center, exposing the steel wheel hub. It is actually still quite useable as it is. However, all of the heating, hammering, and torquing down on the various standard three-hook gear pullers has failed to budge the frozen wheel from the steering shaft spline. Does anyone have a magic thought on wheel removal that may make my tomorrow, a bit better than today was.
Thanks in advance to all.....you guys are always a great source of help.
Jim

_DX3_ · #2 01-19-2012, 09:13 PM

See if this might help. Has worked for me quite well.

http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...steering+wheel

CADplans · #3 01-19-2012, 09:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by _DX3_

See if this might help. Has worked for me quite well.

http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...steering+wheel

I used the "jbrewer" technique at the end of that thread on 3 wheels, 100% success.

Thanks jbrewer !!

I swing a 3 pound hammer!! Well I always use that hammer!!

jbrewer · #4 01-20-2012, 06:49 AM

Glad it helped.... it was just a variation on an existing theme (solvent+impact+pressure)

I think the upward knee pressure/patience with PBblaster/impact will loosen the Washington Monument with enough time.

Make sure to back the nut off until the shaft end is protected, and use some sort of flat steel in between the nut and the hammer face, and you're good!

My "O" had sat in the N. Carolina rain for 8 years... and it STILL came off.

John

jaredwaltz · #5 01-20-2012, 07:33 AM

I have had the same luck getting a steering wheel off a 125. I ended up splitting the top of the shaft, ruining the threads. I called it quits after that. Hope you have better luck than I did.

capt jim · #6 01-20-2012, 09:39 AM

These ideas give me some more good tricks to try today.
Overnight, I left the puller on the wheel hub, torqued down as hard as I could get it, and let the thing soak in PB Blaster throughout the night.
I am hoping that the PB Blaster and the puller tension might soften things up.
We shall see! More news to follow soon.
jim

Mortgaged · #7 01-20-2012, 12:13 PM

If you're not worried about saving the existing wheel, use a hacksaw or abrasive wheel to cut the collar in a direction parallel to the shaft. You won't need to cut it all the way through. Just enough to seriously weaken the collar and give it room to move. Then heat it up with the torch and it should open up and come off. Use an impact wrench with the 3 jaw puller if you have to at this point.

I also made a U bracket out of 1/2" steel plate that allowed me to get a better grip with the 3 jaw puller for those that I wanted to save.

I've pulled 8 or 9 steering wheels and I'm always amazed at how well they stick to the shaft.

capt jim · #8 01-21-2012, 08:13 AM

:>) Good morning...and here's the latest in this nagging ongoing battle with the Cub 125 wheel.
Yesterday was another day of messy and frustrating labor. I tried propping the wheel on my knees while hammering......all that did was make a lot of noise and left me with sore legs. :>) I tried the three jaw puller again...and again....even ground the jaws a bit to give a better grip on the wheel hub....and in desperation I played the torch on it while the 3-jaw was under a lot of tension, thinking that it may help the thing budge.. Actually, all that was accomplished was that my little Bernz-o-matic hand torch developed some kind of a back leak, which threw a huge ball of propane fire at me, and I now have no hair on my right arm. Hmmm, there must be a better way!
I am considering the suggestion to cut open the wheel hub with an abrasive wheel, thus destroying the wheel....but since I had peeled away all the molded plastic from the wheel hub, I see that it is still a perfectly useable wheel. A nice steel hub with welded steel radial arms on it, and now I would kinda like to save it...if I can. Placing that cutting idea on hold for a while, and having run out of alternate ideas, the project is on hold until I can become re-energized, and develop some confidence in yet another thing to try. I appreciate all the contributors to this thing...I sure have learned a few more tricks. Maybe more to come????
Thank you all, and Bye for now.
Jim

jbrewer · #9 01-21-2012, 08:24 AM

One good trick is patience....which I'm generally short of.

PBblaster takes repeated applications on stubborn stuff. Coupled with some good raps to loosen the interface between hub and shaft, it WILL work eventually.

John

maddog784 · #10 01-21-2012, 08:48 AM

I have never removed a cub steering wheel, but I have removed some stubborn throwout bearings on larger tractors and I have to say that the air hammer may surprise you. An old mechanic came over to help me while removing a throwout bearing and said "watch this." Ten seconds later, the thing was off. You may want to consider the possible damage to your steering box if you go this direction.