Lotus Europa Community
Lotus Europa Forums => Garage => Topic started by: elcaminokid on Tuesday,January 26, 2016, 08:43:08 AM
-
Hi all!
I want to have my steering wheel re-upholstered in my S2 (electrical tape is not a good look for it).
I found a shop who'll do it for me, so have to send them my steering wheel...but I can't seem to be able to remove it. I sprayed it a lot already with rust penetrating oil, but nothing, it wont budge en iota... :headbanger:
Anyone have any experience how to do it?
I tried a puller, but it's to thick and I cant get it under the hub...
Should I use a puller in the steering wheel spokes?
Or drill out the rivets from the hub and replace em with screws or new rivets afterwards?
Please :help:
-
They're often stuck in place, after all most folks never touch them in the life of the car. This is what I do......
1. Loosen the nut on the steering column. I usually take it off completely and then squirt a bit of release agent at the boss/steering column interface if it all looks dry and dusty.
2. Replace the nut & washer, but leave it 2 or 3 threads away from being tight, roughly 2-3mm gap away from the wheel hub.
3. Slowly but firmly pull on either side of the steering wheel, first one side then the other as if you're trying to rock it off. It's not a massive show of force because you stand a chance of bending the arms, just enough to feel you're putting strain on the wheel boss.
This is not an instant fix but I've found that repeated rocking/pulling over a minute or so usually does the trick and suddenly the wheel will launch towards you. That's why the nut is loosely in place, to stop the wheel smacking you in the face ;)
Brian
-
I presume the nut came off reasonably easily.
What he said. :I-agree:
-
You can also try pulling back on the wheel with one hand, and thumping the loosened nut with a hide hammer to jolt it free.
Note I wrote "hide" - so you won't damage anything if your blow is a bit stray!
-
I don't know that I've ever heard of - or if I have I haven't seen - a hide hammer, but I know what you're talking about. If you go this route, I would suggest a rubber or plastic mallet in case you don't have the hide hammer.
My method is outlined by Brian. I do it so often, I don't need any release agent!
-
If all else fails, taking the whole steering column out and working on it out of the car is an option.
-
I just removed one with a small two jaw puller. I had to use a piece of square tube around the pullers shaft to keep the jaws from slipping off but it came off.
-
thanks for all the tips!
I'll give it a shot in a couple of days when I get home before dark and keep you all updated on the progress!
-
Alternatively, perhaps leave the wheel on and recover it? For this to work I'd think the old upholstery (leather and foam?), or what ever is covered, would need to be smooth enough to not telegraph through the new leather.
http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=158.msg956#msg956 (http://www.lotuseuropa.org/LotusForum/index.php?topic=158.msg956#msg956)
http://www.ebay.com/itm/FITS-LOTUS-EUROPA-1966-1975-REAL-BLACK-ITALIAN-LEATHER-STEERING-WHEEL-COVER-NEW-/250901023436?hash=item3a6addcacc:m:mf5OBXUwigBOGTCGjA3DFAg (http://www.ebay.com/itm/FITS-LOTUS-EUROPA-1966-1975-REAL-BLACK-ITALIAN-LEATHER-STEERING-WHEEL-COVER-NEW-/250901023436?hash=item3a6addcacc:m:mf5OBXUwigBOGTCGjA3DFAg)
-
It's not that hard to fit a new leather outer covering yourself,. As proof, even I was able to master it! I used this supplier:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/250901023436
I fortuitously ordered two as I got in a rush and foo-barred the first one. Go slow, the leather cover is a very tight fit (otherwise it will bag later). Mine looks absolutely factory fresh now.
The one caveat being that the underlying padding has to still be in good shape. Mine looked terrible but was fine was the ragged old cover was removed.
-
been wiggling like a madman for half an hour: nothing so far... :blowup:
will keep trying.
-
If it's really stuck, try soaking it overnight in a release agent, not WD40 but something like Plus Gas ? If all else fails you could remove the column completely as in 4129R's post and try with it in a vice.
Brian
-
Any good penetrating oil would do. Here in the states we have Kroil and Liquid Wrench.
If you can find an assistant, you might try wiggling the steering wheel while tapping the end of the steering shaft with a hammer. I wouldn't consider hitting it hard enough to worry about damaging the threads but if you're worried about it, you can be safe and put the nut on so it's flush with the end of the shaft before you do your "tapping."
-
Pull strongly and evenly on the steering wheel (nut loosened just two turns) and have your beautiful assistant smack the nut/steering shaft with a hammer and a brass/alloy drift.
-
Is there any way you can attach a slide hammer to the steering without without damaging it?
-
I doubt you will get it off pulling by hand. It is a tapered fit like a tie rod. They are designed to not just pull off.
-
I've pulled many by hand, I start by pulling at 12 'o clock, then 6, back & forth. Then 3 & 9, then 2 & 8, then 4 & 10.
Usually twice around it will pop off, if not, have someone TAP on the shaft while you do it like JB said...
It will come off. >:D
-
When you finally do get it off, you should wire brush the splines on both the shaft and the steering wheel and maybe even put some antiseize, oil, or grease on them when you reassemble it. The antiseize is way overkill but why leave any opportunity open to go through this again? I doubt this will be the last time you take the steering wheel off.
-
Success! :trophy:
I got the steeringwheel off today. I used a bearing puller on the inside of the steering wheel hub. Had to tighten it quite a bit and then, suddenly, a loud 'pop' and then I could take it off by hand.
Would it be ok to use coppergrease on the spline (not on the thread) when reassembling?
-
I would think a very small smear of Copperslip would stop any corrosion of the metal surfaces. Clean up the splines, put a small amount of Copperslip on the splines,put the wheel back on, clean any surplus that comes out from the hole, and take the wheel back off. Make sure that the two surfaces have a thin covering and clean any excess before re-assembly. Make sure the nut is tight. Put it on full lock when you tighten to stop the wheel going round but don't overtighten it.
-
Generally not a good idea to lube a taper fit. It allows the parts to fit together tighter with less force and possibly distort.
-
I was going to suggest that it is a straight spline, but I think you're right about a taper - I had never thought about it before.
I figured some lube would keep the interface between the two pieces from freezing and make it slippery and easier to get off the next time. What would you suggest, John?
-
Hi all, got my steering wheel back all nice and re-upholstered:
(http://i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu319/filipvr/stuurnewleather_zpsudcidzhr.jpg)
Very pleased with the result! They did a very good job :-)
-
How much did that cost to re-upholster?
I have one which has been dinner for several rodents !
Alex in Norfolk.
-
Sorry BDA, asleep at the wheel again. Some do have a straight spline but then they have a clip or shoulder onto which the wheel tightens -- Jags with adjustable columns are one example. Most though have a slight taper. Clean and dry are the norm for any taper fit. If you feel you must use a lube then reduce your tightening torque. Lubing a taper with one part being steel and the other aluminium is especially problematic as the aluminium "forms" to the taper. Too much torque means the aluminium "de-forms" and you could end up with the nut tightened down to the shoulder and the taper still not secure. This is where lubrication causes problems as it greatly lowers the torque required to deform the aluminium taper.
Further, aluminium on steel tapers behave differently than steel on steel tapers. Once tightened, over time the aluminium taper settles and forms to the steel taper. This may cause the nut to appear to loosen. If you keep tightening the nut, the aluminium taper will continue to settle and work its way along the steel taper until the alloy taper is ruined. The forces involved are generally too small with a steering wheel but, in other applications such as bicycle crank arms, you have to be very careful.
-
Thanks for the great information (as usual), jb! My steering wheel doesn't give me any problems and I don't use any lube - maybe partially because I've had it off several times since I got the car on the road! And also because I never tighten it that hard - snug and then a little more.
Kid, your wheel looks great!!
-
How much did that cost to re-upholster?
I have one which has been dinner for several rodents !
Alex in Norfolk.
Was €120, including return shipping from Germany. Turnaround time was just over a week.