Can't get my steering wheel off

[R Warlop]

Hello - I'd like to replace my rusty steering wheel on my Greyhound and after taking off the large central nut, nothing is moving...
   I went to a garage and he too couldn't get it to move an inch.
   Is there another secret nut to take off elsewhere?
   Any other hints?
   Thanks,
   Reg

[Flyinghorse]

I don't know the greyhound set up,but most cars are on a morse taper with either broached splines or a woodruff key to hold the wheel in place. The nut you took off will likley over the years have kept the steering wheel on the morse taper/splines  and now the wheel  does not want to come off.
   
   I have had this problem on various cars over the years and for a 1929 Citroen I have I had the local blacksmith make me up a puller and left the assembly on the car in tension,along with WD40/AC90 for about 3 days tightening every day a bit more and hitting with a copper mallet. It eventually popped off.
   
   Perhaps someone in the club has made a puller they can lend you /send dimensions.
   
   It about persistence and patience. I have avoided the use of heat as its hard to get to the appropriate spots on a steering wheel/can damage things.
   
   Graham

[B.P.Bird]

Reg,
   Long time since I did it, but first off there is no other retaining nut. There is a screwed in radial peg which cancels the turn signal switch, but you only see that with the wheel removed. Whilst you are thinking things over remove the carpet or protect it with plastic sheet and tissue, then leave the steering column splines soaking in penetrating oil. Now put the nut back on to protect the threads, just by hand so that the end of the shaft is flush with the top surface of the nut. Take your tool kit mallet for removing road wheels,Thor No. 2 for preference and find an aluminium drift something like 2" diameter and 6" long. Get an assistant to strain the steering wheel back away from the dashboard whilst you apply the drift to the column and nut. The assistant may be best placed in the rear seat reaching over your shoulders as you occupy the drivers seat. This operation should not be attempted by married couples. When you are all set get the assistant to cry out the immortal line, "When I nod my 'ead 'it it," and give the drift a smart tap with the copper end of the mallet. Repeat as required....
   WARNING: I seem to remember that the turn signal switch assembly is quite close to the end of the column inside that circular housing. The switch will not like to be battered, but you have to remove the steering wheel for access so you are somewhat in a cleft stick. I guess you have to use only the minimum force required.
   Did you get a shiny new wheel? I have seen them available at specialists: http://www.steeringwheelrestoration.co.uk/ for example.

[B.P.Bird]

Graham get on with your work, you are not paid to appear on The Forum during working hours.

[nikbj68]

Yeah. What Barrie said. Dad bopped himself on the nose removing the wheel that was only pushed on! Never hit the shaft without a nut on, to protect the thread.
   whoever holds the wheel should hold as near to the boss as possible, as the Bluemels wheel is quite flexible.
   There is precious little room to get a puller behind the boss, and the boss is quite fragile, so I`d not recommend that approach.
   Alternatively, simply unbolt the wheel from the boss. I`m sure our wheel was screwed directly into the boss, but when I fitted a new wheel, I made an adaptor plate and longer screws with nyloc nuts on, as I wasn`t happy with the threads in the boss.
   
   Might I humbly recommend going for a slightly smaller wheel, whilst your at it?
   I had a 15" Moto Lita which was quite nice, but the 16" Cobra wheel with slight dish is really, really nice! (Trouble uploading, photos to follow when possible.)

[B.P.Bird]

Nick isn't the Bluemels wheel riveted on to the boss ? I recollect messing about putting a Cobra wheel on 2535, still there I think. The main embuggeration was fitting a Cobra (VW Beatle) turn signal switch. Nowadays I would keep it original and actually the Bluemels wheel rather suits the G'hound I think.

[R Warlop]

Many thanks for all your contributions - I'm discussing it over with my wife ;-) , hoping that her love for the AC will go up a notch with every smart tap!

[nikbj68]

I assume that`s every tap of the wheel... Ahem.
   
    Yes, Barrie, the wheel was riveted to the boss, and there was a plate screwed over it for the AC emblem to fit into.
   (You can see the rivets that I had drilled out in a little bag, top-left... I wish I had your powers of recall.)
   
   
   
   Here`s the 15" wheel and adaptor plate:
   
   
   
   ...And from behind(And yes, I did fit longer screws to reach the nyloc after this pic was taken!):
   
   
   
   And now with the Cobra wheel fitted:
   
   
   
   We didn`t need to alter the turn switch arrangement as I utilised the existing boss, Dad found it awkward getting in and out with the Bluemels 171/2" wheel as it left little room twixt wheel & thigh and was in constant contact with yer leg; the 15" wheel solved this but steering was a little heavy at low speeds.
   Here is a set of 'compare and contrast' piccies:
   
   Original:
   
   
   15":
   
   
   Cobra 16" dished(and signed by Jack Sears!!!):
   

[B.P.Bird]

Nick & Reg, Now I recall the problem with the Cobra/428 style wheel fitment: The Bluemels wheel is flat and the Cobra/428 is dished. In 2535 that put the wheel too close to the driver (as in your final picture above) with no wheel adjustment fore and aft available on the G'hound. So I shortened the top column, by the amount of dish and used a Cobra solid alloy splined hub which in turn dictated the Cobra turn signal. I have to say that the rather bulbous turn signal housing behind the Bluemels wheel is not elegant so at the time I was happy to see it go. In retrospect it would have been better kept original maybe.....

[nikbj68]

I was concerned about that too, but Dad actually prefers the driving position that bringing the wheel back 11/2" allows, but obviously that may not suit everyone.
   Do you have any idea of the origin of the boss/turn signal unit?
   
   Incidentally, you`ll notice in the first photo that it is a dull grey, and subsequently a shiny black...
   I mounted it in a lathe and very VERY gently polished it with some 2400 grit wet'n'dry and a soapy water solution, followed by WD40 and it has retained it`s sheen for 2 years+, but as I was polishing it, it smelled of ping-pong balls! []

[B.P.Bird]

Nik,
   That boss looks pure Thames Ditton to me and I believe the switch was out of the Lucas range. Could it be the same as supplied for the BMC Farina 1.5 series, or maybe the preceding Riley 1.5 ?
   It seems that celluloid, like that other post war 'can do anything' compound bakelite, has not stood the test of time. Then again I expect all our current wonder widgits, built from stardust and reclaimed hair conditioner bottles, will soon go the same way.......

[R Warlop]

I purchased the Moto-Lita replica of the DB2 steering wheel, which looks exactly as the original steering wheel but in wood:
   http://www.holden.co.uk/displayproduct.asp?sg=2&pgCode=094&sgName=Hardware&pgName=Steering+Wheels&agCode=0684&agName=Wood+Rim+Steering+Wheels&pCode=090.957
   
   Yes- I used some basic Meguiar to polish the boss - such an improvement. My dash is faded matte / haven't found any product yet to buff that one up.

[nikbj68]

That`s nice, Reg! I note that it`s 16", which is smaller than our Bluemels wheel was, so that should be just about perfect.
   One of Dad`s first jobs with the Greyhound was to take the dash out, with a view to re-veneering. It turned out to only need stripping & re-lacquering, and it looks fantastic. Can try to find the name of the company who did it, if interested.

[B.P.Bird]

Reg, That is a lovely wheel and will look very good in the G'hound. Another memory comes back to me: The 1959 G'hound prototype started off with cam and peg steering, the same Bishop Cam 'box as Ace/Aceca/Mk.1 Cobra. Noteworthy in this connection she had the A.C. lightweight alloy wheel, as often seen on Ace and Aceca and it looked super. The change to Cam Gears rack and pinion meant the loss of the old style wheel. You will have to consider the old question of steering wheel configuration - as per the works 12 - 4 - 8 o'clock or, as for some customer's preference, 10 - 2 - 6 o'clock. In the G'hound I think the works orientation is preferable, even more so than the Ace/Aceca, because of the instrument scan.
   Anyway do post a picture when you have the new wheel fitted.