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Steering wheel removal help

2K views 25 replies 11 participants last post by  RadioTek 
#1 ·
This bolt should come loose but it won't. Guessing next step would be to drill out. What size bit to use without ruining threads on column?



Hex head is rounded out so been trying to use cold chisel and heat from propane torch.
 
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#2 ·
This bolt should come loose but it won't. Guessing next step would be to drill out. What size bit to use without ruining threads on column?







Hex head is rounded out so been trying to use cold chisel and heat from propane torch.

I'm about to pull my steering wheel this weekend. Was it rounded to begin with, or did it get sloppy trying to break the thread lock?


-Andrew
 
#6 ·
False alarm....it came off, just needed a bigger hammer. Actually, just kept working at it with chisel and finally let loose. It did have hex head to begin with but got rounded out while I had wheel blocked with 2X4 and was using pry bar. With bolt out used grinder to cut slot across top of bolt, if I use same one (hope not), now will be able tighten with wide blade.
Thought it would be hard and maybe a mistake to remove horn assembly but I did, and it was quite easy to pry the rubber loose and unscrew the four bolts with springs on back and lifting the whole thing out of the way. Much easier than trying to work through that little emblem hole. Thanks for looking here.
 
#7 ·
SDR, that is a 10 mm machine screw. You should be able to find the root diameter online, but the chances of you drilling in the exact centre are slim.
I had the same problem. I drilled for a bolt extractor and managed to get it out with a bit of heat to loosen the red loctite.
I had trouble finding a replacement screw so I welded a hex head to the damaged one to reuse it.
I think a good hand could spot weld a hex head on to it in-situ, as Reno suggests.
 
#20 ·
DON'T put any Loc-tite on the new bolt when you reassemble things again. It's not really necessary. There isn't really any stress on the wheel that would cause an untreated bolt to loosen, under normal usage.

Save yourself a lot of future hassle.

Good luck,
Scott
 
#21 ·
DON'T put any Loc-tite on the new bolt when you reassemble things again. It's not really necessary. There isn't really any stress on the wheel that would cause an untreated bolt to loosen, under normal usage.



Save yourself a lot of future hassle.



Good luck,

Scott

Any idea how much I need to cook the bolt to release the existing loc-tite? No offense San Diego Ron, but yours is the kind of cluster f#ck I want to avoid this weekend ;)


-Andrew
 
#25 ·
I found that a heat-resistant fiberglass pad, which I've used when using a propane torch for plumbing work, is handy to have when using a torch on fasteners where the fastener is close to something that heat can damage. You can find one at any big box hardware store in the plumbing tools area.
 
#26 ·
Looked up on Google machine:

The "regular" Loctite releases at 325 degrees, the high temp version at 500 degrees.

A trick mentioned on the board that I got this from was to heat it up, then dab a bit of beeswax on it. The heat melts the beeswax enough to wick into the threads, and it kills the Loctite. Beeswax has a very high smoke point, and it's easily obtainable at a hardware store as a toilet ring. The last time I got one of those, it was less than $2.00.

HTH,
Scott
 
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