Date: Mon, 22 Jul 2002 01:35:26 -0400
From: Joe Elliott <jee@domain.elided>
Subject: steering wheel hell
I am still trying to get my steering wheel off to replace the
headlight switch and not having any luck. Since the original 6mm
holes in my wheel turned out to be stripped, I drilled them out to
5/16" and tapped new threads. I put the puller on it, and put a few
turns on the ratchet, but it felt pretty dang tight, so I hit it a
few times with the big hammer. Maybe I didn't hit hard enough. So I
went ahead and tightened it a little more, and DOH--one of the bolts
slipped out. I think my new threads are still okay, but the threads
on the bolt are trashed. So I guess I'll get stronger bolts, but it
was starting to deform the wheel. What should I do here?
Joe Elliott
'82 GTV6
Your'e on the right track, you just didn't go far enough. I haven't
stopped to figure out what 5/16 is close to metrically, but I had the
"mother of all bitch steering wheels." According to my mechanic. He
re-drilled the 6 mm holes out to tap holes for 8mm, and re-tapped the
holes for 8mm bolts. You did a similar thing at 5/16. But I think you
need to go bigger - maybe to 3/8 -1/2 to make the bolts big enough to
not bend or 'taffy-pull' under the tension of the wheel puller. After
drilling/taping for larger bolts (the biggest that will fit in the 'T'
on your wheel puller), you need to do one other thing. The hub on your
wheel is fairly soft aluminum (I'm assuming a stock Alfa wheel, here)
and all that pressure could still strip the threads off of either the
bolt or out of the hub. SO, the coupe-de-gras, so to speak, would be to
screw the threads far enough out the under side of the wheel hub that
you can place a washer and a FULL nut on there and lock it against the
threads in the hub. This will give you enough thread purchase to keep
the bolt from stripping either the threads in the hub, or the threads on
the bolt, and the larger diameter bolt will avoid the bolts bending to
the side or taffy-pulling. I guarantee that the most stubborn steering
wheel will yield to this ploy.