Loosen the 21 mm steering wheel lock nut?
Discussion
Hello,
car is 1997 mx5 NA, i am a total beginner.
I have been trying to loosen the 21 mm lock nut of the steering wheel but it can't make it move. Would you have any tip?
what I do: With the right hand, i hold the steering wheel, and with left hand, i try to loosen the 21 mm lock nut with a ratchet handle. Does it require a lot of strength? Is there a risk I break anything if I use too much strength? Any advice?
thank you
Ben
car is 1997 mx5 NA, i am a total beginner.
I have been trying to loosen the 21 mm lock nut of the steering wheel but it can't make it move. Would you have any tip?
what I do: With the right hand, i hold the steering wheel, and with left hand, i try to loosen the 21 mm lock nut with a ratchet handle. Does it require a lot of strength? Is there a risk I break anything if I use too much strength? Any advice?
thank you
Ben
List of things to try before brute force;
Penetrant oil, WD40, Plus Gas, many others. Let it soak down the threads for 24hrs and try again.
Try tightening it a bit, then loosening. Repeat as necessary if the threads start to bind up.
Tap with a hammer. Put a drift on the nut and tap all around. Helps shock time welded threads loose.
Borrow/buy an impact driver. Makes such a difference to getting old nuts off. (like the difference between putting a nail in with a hammer or trying to push it in)
2 people, one to hold a bar wedged through the wheel, one to wield the ratchet or preferably breaker bar.
Absolute last resort - Heat, flame probably not an option. Electric heat gun possibly.
Penetrant oil, WD40, Plus Gas, many others. Let it soak down the threads for 24hrs and try again.
Try tightening it a bit, then loosening. Repeat as necessary if the threads start to bind up.
Tap with a hammer. Put a drift on the nut and tap all around. Helps shock time welded threads loose.
Borrow/buy an impact driver. Makes such a difference to getting old nuts off. (like the difference between putting a nail in with a hammer or trying to push it in)
2 people, one to hold a bar wedged through the wheel, one to wield the ratchet or preferably breaker bar.
Absolute last resort - Heat, flame probably not an option. Electric heat gun possibly.
I've taken a few steering wheels off in my time, I personally wouldn't use WD40, heat, drifts etc, just a bigger bar, they just break free with a good bit of force and then will screw off by hand easily as the threads are nice and clean, dry and rust free in my experience as they are out of the elements.
Have you got someone to lend you a hand? They hold the steering wheel as tight as they can with both hands (don't lever against the steering security lock) and you use a breaker bar on the nut it should come off without too much problem.
Have you got someone to lend you a hand? They hold the steering wheel as tight as they can with both hands (don't lever against the steering security lock) and you use a breaker bar on the nut it should come off without too much problem.
Thank you very much, to all of you
Think it’s just time to buy a breaker bar. They all seem affordable, any recommendation on the length? I saw 450mm, 600mm, 750mm, 900mm but i suppose most are overkill and 450mm or 600mm to be safe are definitely enough?
Thank you again for your wisdom
Ben
Think it’s just time to buy a breaker bar. They all seem affordable, any recommendation on the length? I saw 450mm, 600mm, 750mm, 900mm but i suppose most are overkill and 450mm or 600mm to be safe are definitely enough?
Thank you again for your wisdom
Ben
If you are doing this with the intention of removing the steering wheel then once you've managed to get it off put it back on again loosely before you start trying to pull the steering wheel off.
Very likely the steering wheel will also be stiff & will suddenly release as you are pulling.
Without the nut in place your face is going to be the stopping point!
Might be worth considering a puller to remove the wheel.
Very likely the steering wheel will also be stiff & will suddenly release as you are pulling.
Without the nut in place your face is going to be the stopping point!
Might be worth considering a puller to remove the wheel.
On top of the above good advice just remember:
It isn't really meant to be easy to take off (for obvious reasons) so it will be F.Tight.
You won't be able to hold the wheel against the torque required to turn it, you will need to let it go to full lock & turn it against the steering lock-stop.
It isn't really meant to be easy to take off (for obvious reasons) so it will be F.Tight.
You won't be able to hold the wheel against the torque required to turn it, you will need to let it go to full lock & turn it against the steering lock-stop.
Matt_E_Mulsion said:
If you are using 1/2" drive sockets then I wouldn't buy a breaker bar longer than 600mm. With enough force you'll snap a socket or the adapter with that length, any longer and you'll break it even easier.
You must have had some cheep ,1/2" socket's if your breaking them a breaker bar,1/4 and 3/8 maybe
Chris32345 said:
You must have had some cheep ,1/2" socket's if your breaking them a breaker bar
,1/4 and 3/8 maybe
Not really, you can put a lot of torque through a 600mm length breaker bar, if you slip a pole over the end or stand on it something is going to give.,1/4 and 3/8 maybe
One of my work mates bought a 900mm (3ft) 1/2" drive breaker bar so he could get more leverage on stuff. All he did was break sockets/knuckles on stuff that needed that much leverage to undo it. He couldn't grasp that once a 2ft breaker bar wouldn't undo stuff that he really needed to step up to 3/4" drive socketry.
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