How to get a wheel off

[redneck_reed78]

Ok, I don't know what the heck the previous owner did, but my steering wheel is on upside down. It steers just fine but its upside down!! I have tried multiple pullers, etc. and it is just on too tight and I end up breaking or bending part of the puller and nothin works. My OCD is getting the best of me and I really wanna get it flipped! Anyone run into this problem or have any ideas, tips or tricks?

 

[Georgeb]

What are you using for a puller?
It seems to me, due to the lock ring it's possible the entire shaft is spun 180 not just the wheel but you won't be able to tell without getting the wheel off.

 

[RetroC10Sport]

I would take off the lower steering shaft at the end of the column under the hood near the firewall and spin the wheel 180 and put the shaft back on.

 

[Georgeb]

I would take off the lower steering shaft at the end of the column under the hood near the firewall and spin the wheel 180 and put the shaft back on.

Agreed

 

[redneck_reed78]

I would take off the lower steering shaft at the end of the column under the hood near the firewall and spin the wheel 180 and put the shaft back on.

Ok that makes sense to me, I'll try that as soon as I get home tomorrow evening! I'll post some results too. Thanks.

 

[chengny]

Second option - index the steering wheel at the center drag link:

Go under the truck and on the left hand side locate center drag link. It connects the pitman arm to the steering arm and is shown as item 17 below:

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It looks like this:

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Here is a trick that is possible with a "center drag link" setup. I wrote this awhile ago and was told that it was wrong - it isn't:

If your steering wheel is offset (either CW or CCW) while traveling straight ahead - it can be easily trued up by shortening or extending the effective length of the link.
Just glide to a stop (hands off the steering wheel). Your tires will be pointing straight ahead. Leave the steering wheel unlocked and loosen the clamps on the adjusting sleeve. Then with an assistant watching the steering wheel, turn the sleeve. The wheel will turn (either in the correct direction or not) if it gets worse, turn the sleeve the other way. It only takes about a 1/4 turn to move the wheel spokes about 45 degrees. This doesn't affect your front end alignment (both tires move in unison) only the index of the steering wheel. Much easier than adjusting both tie-rod ends!

 

[Georgeb]

Isn't it possible when indexing as described to get the steering gear too far from center if the steering wheel is way off? Like say installed 180 degrees off?

 

[crazy4offroad]

Yeah if it turns equally sharp left and right I would leave the drag link alone and try what retro suggested first. Those steering wheels can be a bitch, I remember busting myself in the mouth first time I successfully got one pulled lol.

 

[chengny]

I would have been concerned about that too - until I actually tried it. The degree of rotation at the steering wheel - in relation to that of the link - is remarkable.

My memory isn't always perfect, but I seem to recall that just a single turn of the CL is all that would be necessary to return the SW to it's normal position.

Who knows - the problem with the SW may have originally been the result of sloppy adjustment of the center link in the first place.

 

[crazy4offroad]

I would have been concerned about that too - until I actually tried it. The degree of rotation at the steering wheel - in relation to that of the link - is remarkable.

My memory isn't always perfect, but I seem to recall that just a single turn of the CL is all that would be necessary to return the SW to it's normal position.

Who knows - the problem with the SW may have originally been the result of sloppy adjustment of the center link in the first place.

Agreed. It would be worth counting the turns lock to lock, divide it in half and steer to that number. If your wheels aren't straight adjusting the drag link might be the ticket.

 

[Georgeb]

For wht its worth I use a Lisle brand puller on the wheels. I load it up with the lead screw and then give it a good sharp smack with a ball peen. I have aslo been blasted in the chops pulling a wheel!

 

[Old77]

I would take off the lower steering shaft at the end of the column under the hood near the firewall and spin the wheel 180 and put the shaft back on.

And this is why he's paid the big bucks with good ideas such as these

 

[chengny]

Come on guys - the man has OCD:

My OCD is getting the best of me and I really wanna get it flipped!


Aligning the steering wheel to the road wheels at the rag joint flanges can only be done in increments of 180 degrees. So unless the steering wheel is exactly 180 degrees off, the end result will be less than perfect.

A steering wheel with the spokes 5 or 10 degrees off - with the car traveling straight ahead - would work fine and wouldn't cause most folks to even blink an eye.

But not with OCD's. A true, hardcore obsessive compulsive - needs things to be exactly right.

If - after making the adjustment at the rag joint - the steering wheel still had just a tiny bit of mis-alignment, that might actually cause more stress than if it had never been indexed at all.

 

[redneck_reed78]

Come on guys - the man has OCD:

My OCD is getting the best of me and I really wanna get it flipped!


Aligning the steering wheel to the road wheels at the rag joint flanges can only be done in increments of 180 degrees. So unless the steering wheel is exactly 180 degrees off, the end result will be less than perfect.

A steering wheel with the spokes 5 or 10 degrees off - with the car traveling straight ahead - would work fine and wouldn't cause most folks to even blink an eye.

But not with OCD's. A true, hardcore obsessive compulsive - needs things to be exactly right.

If - after making the adjustment at the rag joint - the steering wheel still had just a tiny bit of mis-alignment, that might actually cause more stress than if it had never been indexed at all.

Ha ha nice I just got told

 

[redneck_reed78]

Update:
Thanks for all the responses. I won't have the time to work on my problem until Saturday because some things have come up. I will try these suggestions until I have success, which hopefully won't take too long!