Defender 110 steering wheel removal

[MaverickV12]

Hello,

Have google searched this topic a number of times and just can't seem to find any photos etc that show how to remove the steering wheel on my Defender.

I have a new MoMo Eagle Steering wheel on order and I will need to know how to change it.

I have had a look at it and it does not seem to have any bolts or screws underneath it ..... what? do I just use a crowbar?

Its a new type steering wheel that looks like it has an AirBag (but obvioulsy does not).

Photos would be bril people ....!

Thanks in anticipation .........

[Cfnteabag]

If you have a picture if your wheel would be helpful, but if it is anything like the older ones, gently lever out the land rover logo from the centre and behind there is a 27mm nut, undo it most of the way and then pull/hammer gently/ try not to hit yourself in the face etc until it comes off

[MaverickV12]

OK Guys....... I ...... got this steering wheel......



Looks like you just get your fingers into the whole thing and rip it off......



This comes off ......



..and you're left with this .....



My question now is........ I'm guessing its easy to undo the nut holding it on .... but how easy is it for the wheel to come off....?

Is there a special tool? Or do you just pull it off....?

[530dTPhil]

Undo the nut but, as has already been said, DO NOT TAKE THE NUT OFF the thread until the wheel is free on the shaft.

Thumping your hands under the wheel often works in breaking the grip between the wheel and the shaft. Don't overdo it though or you may damage the coumn. You might have to resort to a puller if this doesn't work.

Edited by 530dTPhil on Sunday 9th June 21:56

[530dTPhil]

Undo the nut but, as has already been said, DO NOT TAKE THE NUT OFF the thread until the wheel is free on the shaft.

Thumping your hands under the wheel often works in breaking the grip between the wheel and the shaft. Don't overdo it though or you may damage the coumn. You might have to resort to a puller if this doesn't work.

Edited by 530dTPhil on Sunday 9th June 21:58

[Lefty]

You need one of these:



Search for land rover steering wheel remover on eBay. Much safer and easier than walloping your recalcitrant wheel with a sledgehammer, been there

[vjj]

Here is the way to do it.

1. Undo the nut until it is flush with the end of the shaft.

2. have a buddy standing next you with a lump hammer

3. sit in the drivers seat and grab hold of the steering wheel at either side

4. pull back on it like you are in a tug of war using you feet against the brake pedal - remember to breath or you will die or get a hernia

5. get aforesaid mate to whack the end of nut with hammer as hard as he can.

6. Nine times out of ten this works first time.

7. If no success WD40 wait 5 and try again.

Good luck

[530dTPhil]

vjj said:

Here is the way to do it.

5. get aforesaid mate to whack the end of nut with hammer as hard as he can.

Isn't the steering column a collapsible one? If so, thumping it with a sledge hammer might damage the column.

[V400TC]

loosen the bolt do not remove
then get hold of steering wheel on both sides and pulling side to side towards you.
it will come towards you and stop at the nut you loosened earlier

[vjj]

I said 'lump hammer' - not 'sledge hammer'

[MaverickV12]

I bought this the other day ......



I really caught a break on this one. I undid the nut (didn't remove - now I understand why), gave it a little tug, and I mean a little tug and this happened .....



Then you end up with this in your hands ......



You then only need to put the boss on the rack, MAKE SURE THE STEERING IS STRAIGHT ....



I made sure the steering was straight, drove the damned thing and found it was not straight, had to undo the boss and move it by 1 spline, no stress though, the boss came off easy once you undid it once.

However I did not put the centre back in steering wheel until I knew it was completely straight and ended up with this....



Personally I found that the splines on the MoMo boss meant that the steering was to the left or the right slightly, ohh so very very slightly, but being a really stressy idiot who wants everything perfect, I found that one spline was just (and I really mean - just) not perfect. Having said that, I had to drive for 15 minutes to find a 300metre road that was dead straight and to see if the wheel was straight....... I really am fussy and I am certain that anyone in their right mind would have accepted the wheel as it was.

I have not posted a finished photo of the wheel because I want to get the tracking done to get the wheel 100 perfect straight .....

[vjj]

looks great Maverick

Goose

[crmcatee]

Does the indicator self cancelling work on that boss ?

[MaverickV12]

I know this sounds really really stupid, but .... I don't know!

I must admit that I'm one of those idiots that doesn't indicate ......

I'll make a point of using the damned things tomorrow and see what happened .... I bet the wife will wonder whats going on .....

Do some bosses not self cancel?

[MaverickV12]

crmcatee said:

Does the indicator self cancelling work on that boss ?

Drove a fair old bit today ......... 100%, yes it self cancels ...... wife did wonder what I was doing

[crmcatee]

Excellent. For about five years I've been driving like an old Citreon - cancelling the signals.

Might have to get a new boss - fancy a new wheel also.

[MaverickV12]

The MoMo Eagle fits INSIDE of the old Defender wheel, so its a fair bit smaller, its a funny shape, but I'm loving it .... feels like a fighter jet (with a diesel engine), the wheel just about fits the dials so you can see all the dials ok.

However, I then highered my seat by a full 3 inches, it allowed me to have my arm by the glass and (for me) transformed the driving position - MY RIGHT ARM FITS

This moved my view of the dials, I can see up to 45mph without moving my head, a slight dip of my head and I can see it all - obvioulsy, but if you do higher the seat, then you do need to dip your head for over 45mph view.

[TimCrighton]

Only just seen this but funnily enough I changed the wheel on my Defender this morning for the one you took off! For those that need to know, its a 22mm socket. Remember as well when you are looking that some Defenders are 36 spline and some are 48 spline so make sure you have the right wheel or boss for your column.

[cpas]

The steering wheel position can be corrected to straight ahead by trial and error by turning the track rod ends by the same amount in the same direction - probably a 1/4 at a time until correct - and this should not affect the tracking. The blue bit inside the column shroud and the 2 pointy bits on the back of the original steering wheel are what operate the self cancelling indicators.

[MaverickV12]

cpas said:

trial and error by turning the track rod ends ..... The blue bit inside the column shroud and the .... are what operate the self cancelling indicators.

Yes and Yes, I have now found this all out .....

I took it to my local garage who lifted the car and undid the clamps either side of the steering, "push-me-pull-me thingy".....



and the other side ......



BUT, and this is important as cpas just said, it is trial and error, the garage did not know Landrover very well and normally deal with a 1.3 focus etc etc, we gave the thingy a couple of turns and then tried it, we quickly realised that it was trial and error and, yes cpas, a 1/4 of a turn can be too much. We also found that you don't need a ramp, there is a load of room under the car, it also turned easily.

I'm a really fussy guy and it took about 10 goes to get to 99.8% right, if you are the sort of person who can settle for 99%, then it should only take a couple of goes. Having said that, the steering wheel is quite a direction design and needs to be straight.

It ended up looking like this ......



Which as an overall look to the dash looks like this ....



As I previously said, the centre badge did not fit as it is designed for a horn, so I had to cut the back of it out, which made a right mess of it. I emailed my local MoMo supplier and instead of getting the owner who is normally really really helpful, like always I got the kid behind the counter that said, "thats all we got", totally unhelpful

TBH that kinda suited me because I took it apart again and inserted a round piece of leather from an old re-trim I had, pressed it perfectly and it got rid of the easily scratchable MoMo logo in the centre and the sign of a horn and a push in centre that was useless anyway....not forgetting the black leather matched the black leather.