Well I've tried for 2 days and the wheel ain't coming off. Bought a rubber mallet especially for the job.

If your steering wheel has the two small threaded holes either side of the large nut, then you can make a puller in a few minutes, or even buy one. Worse case it could be like mine.....Mine would not shift so I ended up making a puller to fit the holes, these stripped so I drilled and tapped new holes and made a biggerer and better puller...it came off then, always wondered if the PO has used threadlock....LOL.

Cheers
 
To remove my steering wheel, I had my 11year old daughter hammer the nut whilst I pulled (hard) on the steering wheel.

If you hammer the thread on the steering column though you will damage the thread. By putting the nut on first it protects the thread. So screw the nut on until just before the thread on the column starts to protrude through the nut.

Sit in the driver's seat and keep yanking the steering wheel as hard as you can whilst somebody else hammers the nut. I used an extension bar out of a socket set against the nut and got my daughter to hit that with a heavy hammer as it was easier than trying to hammer the nut directly. Be careful you don't get hit in the face as they're swinging the hammer though.

You should find the steering wheel moves until it is flush with the nut. At this point, undo the nut until is nearly ready to come off and yank the steering wheel again. You shouldn't need to hammer it, but as has already been said, having the nut on a few turns prevents you from hitting yourself in the face with the steering wheel when it does come free.

My last car was a BMW :oops: and I always had a garage do all the work on that. The Defender is so easy to work on though that, as others have suggested, I've found myself growing in confidence and tackling bigger and bigger jobs. This forum has been a tremendous help!

Good luck with your project!
 
If your steering wheel has the two small threaded holes either side of the large nut, then you can make a puller in a few minutes, or even buy one. Worse case it could be like mine.....Mine would not shift so I ended up making a puller to fit the holes, these stripped so I drilled and tapped new holes and made a biggerer and better puller...it came off then, always wondered if the PO has used threadlock....LOL.

Cheers
The word is betterer, I would have thought someone as particular as you would use the correct grammar! :rolleyes:
 
The word is betterer, I would have thought someone as particular as you would use the correct grammar! :rolleyes:
Ark at Miser Gramaraticals, correctering a simpul splelling missistakeral :p:p
... And fer futurer refenences, it's "betterer pullerer" ;);)
 
Well I've tried for 2 days and the wheel ain't coming off. Bought a rubber mallet especially for the job.
Ah well. Turned my Attention to the rear sliding windows as they seem to have a meadow growing out the rails. Cleaned them up and got one window open but not the other.
Can I spray wd40 on rubber to try lubricate it a bit?
You will find that wiwith a 25 year old vehicle nothing will come off first time! however if you persever and make sure that you put things back together with a little sympathy and grease things, the next time you need to take it off will be much easier. The first time doing any job on an old vehicle is always the worst!

meadows in the window channels is very normal. crape out the worst of it, then hose out the rest of it. once the channel is clear a little bit of any lubricant should be fine, WD40 or otherwise. the trick with them is to actually use them regularly regardless of the weather. I have the same problem with mine, I freed them off last year ready fro the summer, but having been closed all winter they now will not open again and have a small forest growing around them!
 
There doesnt seem to be those holes at the side for one of those pullers.
Ill have a go at smacking the nut though, although its only me able to have a go.
Actually my dog is trainable, i could attach her rope toy to the wheel and she can pull that whilst I hammer the nut :D
 
Mine never needed a puller to take off. I found that a gently wobble at all positions, not just 3 and 9, while pulling off worked for me, but I am assuming you have already tried that. If you do not have the threaded holes, you could carefully use a normal puller under the spokes, or the centre boss (may have to remove the plastic column cover). I may have been very lucky but neither the 110 or the series put up much of a fight when I first needed to remove the wheel.
 
Well my steering wheel still refuses to budge. I've smacked the nut with a hammer. I've wobbled every bit of the wheel, I've yanked the wheel so much it feels like it's gona snap at the top.

I've took a pic of the middle bit and can't even tell where it comes apart :/
20180608_161633.jpg

In other news I drove the landy 10 miles to a bodyshop on Tuesday. The blokes there said they can do what needs to be done and they have seen worse!
They also said the rear section has been fashioned out of iron girders!

So I've asked for a 2 quotes one to patch the chassis worse bits including the outriggers and the other for all that plus sorting the rear section out.
 
Just a thought... I know that some cars require the steering lock to be turned off before the steering wheel can be removed. Don't know if it's the same for Defenders but worth a try (i.e. try removing the steering wheel whilst the ignition key is in the second position and you are able to rotate the steering wheel freely).
 
As said before,

Mine had two holes to use a puller on,, yours is so mnaky cannot see if it has them or not? although mine did strip the holes and had to recut threads to M8. I would check your steering wheel for the holes and then make / get one of these,
on the bay 292593130761


IMG_1034.JPG




Cheers
 
Well my steering wheel still refuses to budge. I've smacked the nut with a hammer. I've wobbled every bit of the wheel, I've yanked the wheel so much it feels like it's gona snap at the top.

I've took a pic of the middle bit and can't even tell where it comes apart :/
View attachment 150864

In other news I drove the landy 10 miles to a bodyshop on Tuesday. The blokes there said they can do what needs to be done and they have seen worse!
They also said the rear section has been fashioned out of iron girders!

So I've asked for a 2 quotes one to patch the chassis worse bits including the outriggers and the other for all that plus sorting the rear section out.
Why are you smacking the nut with a hammer? That;s going to do the square root of virtually sod all!
You are taking the nut off when you are knocking the steering wheel back and forth at various points around it? :confused:
 
To remove my steering wheel, I had my 11year old daughter hammer the nut whilst I pulled (hard) on the steering wheel.

Why are you smacking the nut with a hammer? That;s going to do the square root of virtually sod all!
You are taking the nut off when you are knocking the steering wheel back and forth at various points around it? :confused:

He was advised too.

@Peat76 , soory missed your reply about not having holes earlier.

Cheers
 
He was advised too.

@Peat76 , soory missed your reply about not having holes earlier.

Cheers
Aye, had a vague recollection of someone saying something like that, but couldn't be bothered to look through the thread :rolleyes:
Suppose the shock wave might help :eek:, but I'd be more concerned about braying the steering column through the bulkhead :)
 
Aye, had a vague recollection of someone saying something like that, but couldn't be bothered to look through the thread :rolleyes:
Suppose the shock wave might help :eek:, but I'd be more concerned about braying the steering column through the bulkhead :)
Your picture shows why it is not coming off easily! that looks like it has been sat in a pond :eek:! I am assuming you have already tried soaking it in all the different kinds of penetrating spray and oil etc. I am amusing it is a fancy modern padded one which makes getting a puller around the boss more difficult than the earlier ones.
 
yeah ive completely given up on getting the steering wheel off. if the garage ever gives me a quote for fixing the oil leak etc ill ask them to do it.

Heres a pic of the rear axle that the garage said wasnt from a defender.
20180604_172709.jpg


As a side note. What do people use to paint over the rusty rear bumpers? The bodyshop bloke said yeah just sand it down a bit then paint over it. He said do that for front bumper as well and dont bother replacing it. But there's tons of products on the market and some look nuts.

oh and also can anyone tell what tyres i need to get ? one in the front has a screw in it (typical) but they are also worn badly on inner edge so need to be replaced. When i stick the tyre size in tyre places they come up with tred patterns that look nothing like these ones.

Edit: Ignore the tyre question. I spotted Runway on the pic so googled that and found these.
https://www.4x4tyres.co.uk/265-75-16-enduro-runway-at-all-terrain-112s_100ar967

They look pretty similar
 
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That axle is from an early Range Rover.The rear chassis and crossmember are not standard but self made,not a problem if done well.
Tractor paint [ synthetic enamel ] is what I use for those jobs.
 

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