TheWildcat

Steering wheel removal is not easy to say the least.. here is how I do it now...yes I drill and tap holes..John

first off read the owners manual on un hooking the battery and disabling the air bag... after you do that here is the tools I use to take the bolts out of the air bag


after the airbag is out it looks like this

I have 2 black dots where I will drill 2 holes

next i take a center punch to them

next I drill the holes with a 1/4 inch bit

next tap the holes 5/16 by 18

next take your regular steering wheel puller with the 5/16 bolts, install it and pull it like you would any other wheel

here is what it looks like as it comes off



and when you reinstall it it looks like this

ZedO6

Interesting post...what does the "designed" puller for the wheel look like where does it pull from? Why didn't GM put threaded holes in the wheel like they used to? Any worries with the aluminum chips?

Deviant LS6

You can have a helper hold a vacuum near where you're drilling and later tapping to make less of a mess.

Thanks for this writeup. I've been interested in getting a covered steering wheel and this makes pulling the factory one much easier.

SteveDoten

About half these wheels are almost 'welded' to the column now; I'd be interested to see how many have success with any method...........sometimes you lucky.....others you don't

AngryTurtle

Most people try this after they break the J hooks then tear the threads out with this method.

ZedO6

When my wheel comes off, I'm drilling and tapping and digging out my old school wheel puller. Thanks for the post 'cat

SteveDoten

Yes Sir!! that should be the title of this thread actually, I've broken J hooks and ripped material out to the steering wheel; the J hooks were also GM tools, it's the soft (aluminum??) wheel that fails on removal

This is really a great thread

ZedO6

Back in the day...when I was a dealership mechanic. We used to "break" the weld on the wheel to shaft junction by removing the bolt, using our knees to put rearward pressure on the wheel, and then doing the two hammer method on the shaft with a nut backed off to protect the threads.

Sometimes that actually worked! Worked better when you had a helper doing the hammer work and you used your hands and knees to pull on the wheel.

SteveDoten

I did the same thing when I was stationed out at Luke AFB in AZ, worked at All Mustang(salvage yard) now called AMP in Tempe, although we had the column removed form the car

corvettebob1

First off I'd bet GM doesn't make the wheel at all some outside supplier does and cast holes are a lot cheaper to make then drilled and tapped ones are.

TheWildcat

I have done several.... I only stripped one out ... I then drilled with a 5/16 and tapped with a 3/8 16, used those bolts .. came out just fine..John

chasboy

I have an '02 Z. I'm was thinking about getting a steering wheel cover, but the instructions require wheel removal. I just don't know if it's worth the effort. I'm not a fan of playing with airbags, and the standard wheel isn't that bad. Any opinions?

alextz

This is exactly what I had to do to take my wheel off. Broke the J-hook aluminum slot in the steering wheel. So I went to harbor freight, bought a $25 tap/die, rented a puller that I knew what the threads were, selected two diametrically opposing locations, drilled, tapped....


because this is so much sturdier than the J-hooks which can move around, the wheel came of very easily.

I recommend this method!
Alex

sbadd99

simple but a great idea, havn't been able to get mine off, bloody will now

Bill Curlee

Before you remove the steering wheel, use a Wagner heat gun and heat the steering wheel aluminum hub to about 120-130 deg. Then use the puller and I bet it will come off a LOT easier.

I do the same heating on the harmonic damper hub when removing and installing my dampers. Makes a world of difference!

BC

tiojames

Yep, I remember that one well.

matthewlfd

I rented a pully remover from AutoZone/Advance Auto and had no issues at all...here is how I did mine:

10.5Vette

So is everybody pulling the panels out and disconnecting the airbag wires, or just disconnecting the battery to disarm the air bag?

tytek

The thread is getting resurrected!!!

I have tried two different pullers on my '01 C5Z, and snapped one of the j-hooks in half on one and then went with a three arm puller and ripped one of the freaking airbag mounts off. The wheel ain't coming off!

Used a heat gun to get it hot before the arm airbag mount broke off... didn't help. Haven't tried the hammer method described above yet, but will resort to it if nothing better exists.

Any other ideas? I have not yet drilled and tapped it, but doubt that it will work (Plan C). Plan D is to get the dremel out and cut the bitch in half and get it off that way. Frustrated, as I have a nice Sparco wheel, a MOMO hub adapter and an NRG quick disconnect ready to put on.

Please offer any other suggestions that have a chance of working...

Cybermind

Here is my recent thread on the subject.
https://www.corvetteforum.com/forums...asier-way.html

The three prong gear puller I used fit underneath and around the center hub section of the wheel. You need to push back the rear plastic casing (unclip it) as much as you can to just get the hooks inserted at equal distances on the back of the hub. Anywhere else and they will either damage the wheel or break free. It took a while but I managed to maneuver my puller legs in the right positions.

Good luck!!