Javelin steering wheel

[paul wilks]

My 1952 PD Javelin is fitted with a fawn coloured tortoiseshell type pattern of steering wheel. This is not one of the splined type but one of the earlier with a sort of 'key' arrangement. I have a replacement steering wheel but having tried to release the nut have found it most reluctant to budge.

Have any members got any hints/tips on easy removal of this type of steering wheel which does not involve hitting it with a mallet? I would hate to damage either the steering column or the wheel I am replacing.

Thanks

Paul

[David Morris]

Hi Paul,

My 1952 Standard Javelin has the same type of keyed wheel and I needed to remove it to replace the top felt bush, which had worn out. The central nut has to be undone, so be prepared to undo this with a large socket. It should come off without too much of a struggle. If not, try soaking with some PlusGas the night before.

Then the wheel has to be drawn off the keyway. The safest way is to use a puller. However, the problem you will find is that the cast boss of the wheel gets in the way when trying to position the legs of a puller around the sloping wheel boss.

Eventually, I had the very kind assistance of Chris Coles, who made a circular steel plate with a large slot in it, to just fit around the column and neatly behind the wheel boss. Then the puller legs can get a good grip behind the steel disc. Then, with the central screw of the puller bearing on the column shaft, which you need to protect by leaving the nut on the upper part of the thread and closing the central hole with a disc of steel scrap or similar ( leave a gap for the horn wire! ), the wheel can be popped off, or at least released until it comes up against the underside of the nut.

Chris might be able to loan you his plate, but it is very heavy to post. I have managed in the past to use a 3 leg puller without Chris's plate, but you need to find one that has long curved legs that will fit around the central boss. You also need at least three hands to hold everything together when tightening up, but gaffer tape helps here!

Other members will probably have different suggestions and I am sure garage mechanics in the past have done unspeakable things with lump hammers but, like you, I am reluctant to use lots of brute force, as the boss is cast from pretty soft metal and you don't want to damage the wheel or the column.

All the best,

David

[Tony Fearn]

Hello David.

I've just read your answer to Paul's request. If you could ask Chris to send me a template of the "circular plate with the large slot" (sounds like the Hello Hello sketch of the rolled-up Madonna picture), and the thickness of the metal, I might be able to reproduce a few at my nightschool class which starts again on April 18th. They may have the sheet steel, and they certainly do have a good few metal-working machines.

I can also punch out discs from sheet steel, so the diameter of the steel disc would be of use also.

Can't promise of course until I start nightschool again, but if it is possible to reproduce one I will do so.

Regards,

Tony.

[paul wilks]

Thanks David and Tony. Can I order one of those steel discs please, Tony?


Paul

[David Morris]

Hi there Tony and Paul,

I will certainly ask Chris to post some dimensions of his plate.

However, I should mention that the disc was constructed from some really solid material! It is machined out of stock steel about 15mm thick, so it won't ever bend!

It probably dosn't need to be so thick, but I will ask Chris to help with what he thinks should be the mininum thickness.

All the best,

David

[Chris Cole]

I made an adaptor to assist in removing my Javelin steering wheel. This is a ‘C’ shaped block some 30 mm thick with a ‘U’ shaped cut out. The width of the ‘U is a few thou larger than the outside diameter of the steering column. The outside diameter of the ‘C’ is about equal to the boss diameter of the steering wheel. This can be used two ways. First as an aid to using a puller, the large OD means that the legs of a puller will hang parallel each side of the wheel boss. Secondarily as an anvil! I held the ‘C’ washer firmly against the underside of the steering wheel and then hit the bottom of the washer with a large hammer. Two blows and it came off. Warnings, watch your fingers and leave the central nut on a few turns because you must hold the ‘C washer firmly against the wheel. This plus the upwards blows, will cause the wheel to jump up and hit you! I will supply actual dimensions of the ‘C’ washer later.
I will also supply the drawings of the nylon sleeve that David Morris & I used in place of the felt strip.

[Chris Cole]

I have returned from holiday. The 'C' shaped wahser measures:- 100 mm / 4" diameter. 19 mm or 3/4" thick mild steel. The slot is 32,5 mm to 33,0 mm wide cut into an inital hole of that dimension. The bush I made was in Nylon 66. This was 28,25 / 28,20mm dimeter with a 22,40/ 22,35 mm bore. The 'head' was 5 mm thick and 33 mm diamter. The whole was 25 mm long. This is a good fit on the central steering wheel shalft but David thought (and I agree) at little sloppy in the column. Try 29,00 to 28,95 mm for the outside diamter. (Don't blame me if it is too tight - just turn it down a tad!) This bush is far superior to the (non-existant) felt!

[Tony Fearn]

Thanks for the measurements Chris. I have been to nightschool this evening and have attempted to fabricate a type of C washer to your spec although it will end up rectangular and perhaps just over half as thick, as I don't have access to a lathe or a milling machine. As the guillotine we had last year has been scrapped there is now only the remaining one that will only take 1/8th inch steel. Nevertheless by next week I should have some sort of C plate which might work with a puller having two arms.

I have also punched out a few steel discs of 25 and 30mm diameter to take the puller screw end. Are these the correct diameters?

Will update next Wed. hopefully.

Tony.

[Tony Fearn]

Hello Paul.

I have managed to make a sort of C plate for Javelin steering wheel removal. It weighs 2lb 6oz (just over 1 Kg I think).

Perhaps it might be better for me to photograph it and email the photo to you so that you can see if it would actually work!

Do you need it now, or should I bring it to the NJW?

Let me know.

Tony.

[paul wilks]

Hello Tony

No rush! I'm still struggling with these blessed Javelin brakes! NJW will be fine. Look forward to seeing you again- even if I will be Jowettless yet again!

Paul

[Chris Cole]

Paul, did you get a steering wheel removal aid? And did you manage to remove the steering wheel? Someone made a removal tool and added it to the auction at the national. It looked, at a distance to be 'square' where mine was round. I wondered if the puller legs fitted around this shape OK.

[paul wilks]

Hi Chris. Thanks for your follow up. I was at the rally and saw the item you mention. Tony kindly made me one of my very own for removal of wheel although I have not got round to that yet. I'm still concentrating on getting the brakes sorted for the MOT (after 30years off the road!) So wish me luck!

Thanks anyway. I'll let you know how I get on with the wheel.

Paul

[Keith Clements]

I think in a fit of euphoria I ended up bidding. It weighs a ton, is U shaped that with a bit of grinding will fit over the column; but also comes with two different sized, what I would describe as nipples or dimples, circular discs like core plugs with a deep centre indentation. I have mo idea what they are for, unless they sit on the top of the column. How do you use this tool?

[Tony Fearn]

See David Morris's post from 4th April further up this subject thread.

The disc is to stop the end of the puller screw from damaging the thread on the nut that holds the steering wheel on.

I don't know the diameter necessary so I made two different sizes.

The 'nipple effect' on the disc is produced by the central location projection on the end of the metal punch in the hydraulic punching machine.

Tony.