Steering wheel removal

[Star27buck]

I have removed the bolt and nut at the base of the steering wheel hub, wedged the split apart a bit and tried (with little success) to attach a puller but the wheel ('60 Series 2 with four spoke wheel) hub will not budge from the shaft. I don't want to distort the composite material that the hub is made from by beating the bejezzis out of it. Am I missing something? I don't see that heat would help and might melt the hub.

[chilidavid]

Not sure about an older Series 2 with a spoked steering wheel, but mine (2a) has a female splined insert inside the base of the steering wheel, which easily slides onto (and off) the male splined top of the steering column. That allows the steering wheel orientation to be adjusted or "aligned" with the direction of the front wheels. And there's only one large bolt (inside the wheel, behind the horn button) holding my wheel onto the shaft. Maybe your steering wheel and steering column are frozen, or rusted together? And just maybe, just maybe, the PO used some sort of binding agent (not necessary, of course) to "glue" the wheel to the steering column? Believe me: when you're not the first owner of a Series Rover, expect the unexpected!

David

[chilidavid]

Correction:

It's a large (27mm?) HEX NUT holding the wheel onto the column. I get my nuts and bolts mixed up often. Good Luck!

[lumpydog]

I've read some good stories of people pulling and pulling until the wheel suddenly pops off - and they clock themselves in the face with it.

I think you will find being a bit forceful back/forth will jar it loose.

[slowmo]

Just went through this. Tappy tappy tappy with a rubber mallet and changing which spoke I tappied on, and I mean tappy...not smashy. It suddenly just almost fell off like it was never stuck in the first place.

[1971Series88]

I've read some good stories of people pulling and pulling until the wheel suddenly pops off - and they clock themselves in the face with it.

I think you will find being a bit forceful back/forth will jar it loose.

Yep, my nose didn't stop bleeding for hours....I saw stars. I did spray with a penetrator too.....took the center horn cap off too get it in. Then a matter of pulling and wobbling. And ducking.