Pulling the steering wheel on a 49 truck

[ssaeger]

Anyone have any suggestions on a particular steering wheel puller to get the steering wheel off of my 1949 2R5 studebaker truck? I dont want to purchase anything just to find out it wont work..no sense wasting the $$. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Steve Saeger
Marysville, Ohio

[gilmo100]

I tried a few of the ones that autozone sells and rents and had a terrible time with them, ended up ruining my wheel and am stuck trying to find another wheel so beware! I have searched the threads and a few members have made up their own pullers with much more success than I had. Do a search for steering wheel pullers I thionk they have pictures of what they made.

Glendora, California

[Mark57]

I know that SI sells a steering wheel puller fairly cheap, but I have never used it.

<h5>Mark
'57 Transtar Deluxe
Vancouver Island

Plan on attending the NW Overdrive Tour in Parksville, BC
May 23 & 24, 2009</h5>

[mbstude]

My uncle and I made one out of a piece of scrap steal, to use on the Orange truck. Worked pretty well.

Matthew Burnette
Hazlehurst, GA

[Skip Lackie]

The one Studebaker specified for pulling those wheels looked a bit like a pulley puller, with arms that clamped togther under the two spokes and pushed up on the underside of the spokes. I guess you were supposed to put some sort of padding under the spokes to prevent the wheel from being damaged.

Skip Lackie
Washington DC

[52-fan]

The only wheel like this I ever pulled was with a two armed gear puller and a device I made to go under it with some scrap steel and muffler clamps. Maybe I was lucky, but the wheel came off fairly easy with no damage. If I was doing the job today, I would probably get one of those adapters that bolt together behind the wheel or gear and use the same two arm puller.


1952 Champion Starlight, 1962 Daytona.Searcy,Arkansas
"I may be lazy, but I'm not shiftless."

[Alan]

Don't know how far you are from a Harbor Freight but they have on that is on sale through June 23, Lot No. 93980 for $29.95 reg. price $49.95 that works well.

[gordr]

The answer is to use what is called a bearing separator. Consists of two heavy forged-steel plates linked together with two through-bolts, forming a square. There is a round hole in the center of the square, and the metal tapers down to a thin edge at the hole. The plates are drilled and tapped at several points to accept puller bolts.

You separate the two plates, and reassemble into the gap between the steering wheel and the top of the column, flat side toward the wheel. Then use puller bolts and a straight-bar type gear puller. Be sure to have the steering wheel nut on flush with the end of the threads to avoid damaging the threaded shaft.

Just ask for a "bearing separator" at any good tool store or Harbor Freight, and they will know what you need. Should have a puller to go with, too.

Gord Richmond, within Weasel range of the Alberta Badlands

[JDP]

Like this one

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/_W0QQitemZ330244469263

JDP/Maryland

[Guest]

I was told to use the bearing seperator from harbor freight too this is used with a regular steering wheel puller and let met tell you I had tried everything else this worked great!!!

[studebakerjeff]

I tryed two diffrent pullers on my 50 champion and the steering wheel did not budge. The only thing that moved was the center metal piece that the horn grounded against. I'm not going to try that again. I'm thinking, that something that would fit under the spokes would work. The threads on the steering looked very small,but when the center plate started to come off ,that when I stopped. The bearing separator sounds like it will work.


Jeff

1950 Champion business coupe

[Doug Arnold]

I guess I have been very lucky.....I have removed 2 steering wheels in my past off Studebakers and they simply unbolted! For years I seen steering wheel pullers and wondered why people needed one!?? I guess they get hung up-right? The only thing i have removed that was a total pain in my but (from studebaker) is the Back drums on a 60 lark!?! After pounding and prying and using 2 cans of wd-40...I went to autozone and got a "lend-a-tool" slide hammer puller and then in about 6 hard hits they came off!

[Tom Bredehoft]

Being your standard CASO, I took the nut off the center of the wheel (on my 55 that had been sitting in the hot sun and wet rain since 1979,) and (with a dead face hammer) beat on the back of one of the arms, just to see how hard I was hitting. The wheel popped off in my lap.

[img=left]http://www.alink.com/personal/tbredehoft/Avatar.jpg[/img=left]
Tom Bredehoft
'53 Commander Coupe
'55 President (6H Y6) State Sedan
(Under Construction) 299 hrs.
'05 Legacy Ltd Wagon
All Indiana built cars

[Alan]

I am as cheap as it gets, but I have a tool fetish. He who dies with the most tools wins.