My steering wheel puller failed me.

[The Griff]

Well, I've got a 94 3/4 ton Ford that needs some bearing in the steering column desperately, the steering wheel could move about 2 1/2 - 3 inches in all directions, up, down, left, right.

Anyway I now the truck is sitting, so I decided to get on this, so I pull the center nut off, get my harmonic balancer puller out and thread the two bolts in, and start cranking on it, I am waiting for the steering wheel to fall into my lap, instead, I just keeps turning, and turning, until, POP, the puller came off, it pulled the threads out of the bottom hole, so I re-tap the hole and put a bigger bolt in it, and the same thing happens, it pulls the threads out of the hole.

What the hell?
I could run the metal off the bolts into nice little springs.

 

[wage92]

without having worked on one of these i would say something is still holding it lol. there is a difference when you are removing a press fit versus pulling metal threads out.

 

[ktmoutfront]

A BFH when there is load on the shaft usually does the job. Smack the puller center shaft.

 

[sweetk30]

in that era of ford there was a bit of a problems getting the wheels off.

1 time we had a cust at work with a merc tracer and bad steering coloum and we had to swap in a good used junk yard unit . try and get the old and new wheels off and broke both wheels and the center hub still didn't come off. we tried every trick we had .

I know lots of times on ebay you see whole ford steering coloums for sale.

 

[Massboy]

Put a air hammer with a pin tip right in the center hole in the steering shaft while pulling up on the wheel with both your knees (pushing from the floor). I don't use pullers, takes too much time. Air hammer, 15 seconds.

 

[Kevmohara]

Exactly what he said ^ wasted money on a puller set and use my air hammer more. Don't get crazy with it cause it shouldn't take much.

 

[blazer74]

Nothing would surprise me on a ford after doing a plug change on my 2004 f150 5.4 3V plug change.

Not to mention the cam phaser noise. Chunk chunk chunk.
Sorry too many beers.

 

[Vetteracerx]

Does it have a clip on the end of the steering shaft like a GM?

 

[The Griff]

No, not that I can see.

I do like fords, older ones atleast, after 97, no way.

I tried the air-hammer thing, no luck.

I just went ahead and put it back together, I'll mess with it more later.