Removing MB steering wheel from my M38

[Herrmann_Sherman]

Removing MB steering wheel from my M38 kills me. A present from my wife for me was a new M38 steering wheel (because on my M38 is a MB wheel actually). But I can´t remove it.
Actually I´m trying it wih an gear puller but everything is twisting...and the stearing weel is still solid. Don´t know what I can do now, using some TNT??
Anybody here with the same problem and a solution for this? I don´t want to destroy the old one.....

Herrmann_Sherman

[RICKG]

SEE "STEERING WHEEL SPLINES" DATED JAN 29, 2011 IN THIS
FORUM. BASICALLY LUBE THE SPLINES VERY WELL, APPLY A
PROPER WHEEL PULLER AND PLACE IT UNDER LOAD, EXERCISE
**EXTREME**PATIENCE-A COUPLE OF DAYS TO A WEEK,
REAPPLY THE LOAD THEN STRIKE THE PULLER BOLT WITH
A DEADBLOW HAMMER..WORKED FOR ME..

IT'S A VERY SPECIAL WIFE THAT BUYS JEEP PARTS AS
PRESENTS--HAPPY BIRTHDAY??
_________________
keep 'em rollin'
RICKG MC 51986 DOD 01-52, '50 CJ3a

[Bretto]

I gave up on mine after a week of soaking and under tension. I guess that is what is nice about the M38 where a large portion of the floor can come out. I just removed the wheel-shaft-box as one unit.
_________________
Brett
'51 M38
PHOTO DIARY OF MY BUILD

[Herrmann_Sherman]

[TomM]

http://www.film.queensu.ca/cj3b/tech/SteeringWheel.html

There are some good tips and puller ideas on the CJ3B page.
Is your MB wheel the early solid rubber wheel or the later metal spoked wheel?
Either one you want to be sure you treat well and remove it in nice condition.

[skyjeep50]

There's a steering wheel puller on e-bay right now, another sold recently. Kind of pricy but might be a solution.
Item number 290564758822
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/290564758822?ru=http%3A%2F%2Fmotors.shop.ebay.com%3A80%2Fi.html%3F_from%3DR40%26_trksid%3Dp3872.m39.l1313%26_nkw%3D290564758822%26_sacat%3D%26_fvi%3D1&_rdc=1
_________________
1951 M38

[Herrmann_Sherman]

TomM: Its a later matal spoked wheel. I will try one of the tips...or all together

skyjeep50: This could be a solution but to expensive. This costs me more (incl. shipping and tax to Germany) than I would get for my used wheel. So its cheeper to cut it away

What I do not know is: what are they doing in the meantime with the horn button if those guys use a steering wheel puller. This puller takes place in the middle of the steering wheel and destroys the button...??
Am I wrong?

[RimfireJim]

See paragraph 239 b. (1) on p. 275 in TM9-8012 (maintenance manual). It says "Unscrew the nut securing the steering wheel and remove the nut and horn button." You have removed the nut, haven't you?

I don't think there is anything special about the puller being sold on ebay that will solve your problem - it's still just applying an axial force to the hub of the wheel by pushing on the steering shaft, just like gear puller you are using probably does.
-Jim
_________________
Jim M.
1952 M38 son-father project
Discovering more worn out parts, one assembly at a time

[Balvar24]

On my M38a1, I used a large wrench to back the wheel (because that's what I had laying around) and used a standard 2 jaw puller to remove the wheel. Cranked it down tight and smacked it with a deadblow. Popped right off.

[Herrmann_Sherman]

[madmike]

I had this same problem on my M38A1. I spent several weeks soaking the threads, which I now do not believe mattered all that much. Soak it for sure but then look up the thread on this forum for pulling these wheels without the military puller. There were three different methods I found since the military pullers are scarce as chicken teeth. One of the methods uses 4x4 blocks of wood under the wheel and a jack on the floor. Another recommends using a bearing puller behind the steering wheel and that is roughly the method I used. The bearing puller, available from Harbor Freight over here, is a clam shell type that acts (takes the place) of the round tension bar behind the wheel.

So I used two legs of a drum puller, the bearing puller and C clamps to help hold the apparatus in place. After placing a larger diameter nut in the center to protect the shaft, I put tension on the wheel, hit the back with a dead blow hammer, put more tension on it, hit it again and repeated this until the wheel broke free. They are stubborn, but will come off with enough determination. Nothing broken on my wheel either.

Your method will depend on your tools available. I printed the process for this and will try to find the reference for you to look it up on line. By the way, the gear puller on epay does not look like the one in my Ord manual, at least for the A1.

Mariposa Mike

[RICKG]

thinking beyond pulling the wheel, what about putting the wheel
back on?? what about the poor fool trying so get that sucker
back off in 2070, 60 yrs later. maybe anti -sieze or?? on the
splines? just concerned for the next generation.
_________________
keep 'em rollin'
RICKG MC 51986 DOD 01-52, '50 CJ3a

[wesk]

Do you have an MB wheel on a M38 sterring column or do you have an MB wheel on an MB steering column? On the M38 the horn button is part of the nut and there is no elextrical contact at the top of the column.
_________________
Wes K
45 MB, 51 M38, 54 M37, 66 M101A1, 60 CJ5, 76 DJ5D, 47Bantam T3-C & 5? M100

Mjeeps photo album: http://www.willysmjeeps.com/v2/modules.php?set_albumName=Wes-Knettle&op=modload&name=gallery&file=index&include=view_album.php

[Herrmann_Sherman]

Hi wesk,
attached two photos





In the middle of the steering wheel is the electrical contact and a clip for the horn...and a cable. As you can see somebody before tried to turn the wheel of. Its a bit compressed...

[Herrmann_Sherman]

OK guys...steering wheel is removed now. I´ve done it with penetrating oil and vibrations. The puller helped too but I think the main thing were the vibrations. I was wiggling and knocking and touched it from the side.
Did a lot and at the end the wheel came up...thank you all for your support, I think I can sleep tonight

Herrmann_Sherman