Chris,I had the same problem with two steering wheel hubs, which were rusted solid to the shaft. So what I did was cut the hub on the outside with a cutoff tool (or a angle grinder with a flat cutoff blade on it) until it barely touches the shaft or a little before. Then I used a chisel to crack the remaining metal on the steering wheel hub that i hadn't cut away yet, and open it a little larger before it slides off. Make sure the cut does not go through either of the two holes for the retaining pin.
Note, I did try Harold Z's method of putting a monkey wrench on the shaft, and propping it against the dashboard frame before heaving onto the steering wheel in a clockwise fashion. That thing did not budge. Not even after I tried it again with a long wooden 2x4 stud for more leverage, and cracked the plastic shell on the steering wheel in the process.
To reuse the steering wheel, you can weld the cut back up here and there along the notch if you didn't cut all the way through it, or maybe use JB weld to fill it back up, then put it back on and put the pin back through or use a bolt if you want something to hold it on there good without welding it back up.
Matt
From: Christopher Zach <cz alembic crystel com> To: Elec-trak list <elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu> Subject: (ET) Removing the steering wheel Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2006 19:38:43 -0400 Well, I got tired of the terrible steering skip on my E20, so I pulled the plate. Compared to my new steering shaft, the old one is shall we say... rounded. So it needs to come out. I tried the use vice grips and turn the wheel, but said steering wheel is frozen solid to the shaft. Any tips on either getting it free or pointing me to a new steering wheel? Chris _______________________________________________ Elec-trak mailing list Elec-trak cosmos phy tufts edu https://cosmos.phy.tufts.edu/mailman/listinfo/elec-trak
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