Need help with JD 870 steering wheel

[DennisX495]

Hi

I have a JD 870 compact with bad gauges and need to replace the instrument cluster which requires removing the steering wheel. I have been unsuccessful now for two years trying to remove this steering wheel. Tried penetrating oil, various pullers, hammer ETC and no luck so far. I'm about to the point of just cutting it off but don't want to head down that road unless I have a replacement steering wheel in hand which is not available.

Not sure if this can be removed as a complete unit with the instrument panel and disassembled down to the steering shaft than maybe pressed out. I don't have a good manual that shown a good breakdown of this which leads me to my next question. Who sells the best shop manual for this tractor? I would prefer JD manuals if available.

Anyway, any ideas on what to do??

Dennis

 

[beenthere]

You can get the service tech manual for the 870 either through Deere, or online sources, including eBay.

Assume you have power steering.. ?

 

[DennisX495]

Yes I have power steering

 

[beenthere]

Looked the 870 up in the service tech manual I have that covers it, and it just says "remove the steering wheel" for getting at the steering column as well as removing the instrument panel.
Suspect wheel puller is the way.. which you suggest that you have already tried that..

Others may know of a trick.. be it heating or whatever. Would be good to hear how.

 

[DennisH]

My guess it's rusted in the spline area, I'm going to attempt to take it apart from where it connects to the steering box at the shifter area and see what that gets me. If I can get it broken down to just the shaft and steering wheel I can press it out.

Ordered my manuals tonight so hope to have those by the end of week.

Btw, figured out my original user name.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Drill two holes opposite each other the same distance from the splines of the steering shaft. Thread them. I would use about a 5/16" bolt. Drill holes to match in a piece of thicker flat iron. Say about 1/2 - 3/4" thick. Put the flat iron across the steering shaft. Leave the nut 90% of the way on and let it support the flat iron and protect the steering shaft threads. Take two bolts and thread them through the flat iron into the threaded holes in the steering wheel. Tighten up the bolts evenly and soak the splines with a penetrant. Most likely this will do the job. If it doesn't then the slow safe way is to use the tractor as needed and tighten up the bolts a little each use.

Another method I use is to grab the steering wheel with both hands and pull up as hard as I can while twisting the steering wheel up and down while pulling.

If the waiting gets to you then just have someone pull the steering wheel up while the second person raps the center of the flat iron on top of the splines with a hammer. The reason to have someone pull up on the steering wheel while hammering is to prevent the shock of hammering from damaging parts under the steering shaft. An air hammer can take the place of a regular hammer.

Good luck.

Edited to add that if there isn't enough material to drill holes for threading then the twisting method or the hammer method have worked for me in the past. You could also make a slotted plate to fit behind the steering wheel and thread the bolts into that.

 

[JimRB]

What about making a custom puller? The wheel has three spokes. Get a piece of 1/2" plate cut in a 12" circle. Drill and tap a fine threaded 1/2" to 3/4" hole or weld a nut to the backside so you can use bolt to press agains the steering input shaft. Weld three L shapped legs to grab the three spokes. Use a bolts on the open side so the 3 legs do not bend.

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asci art is not treating me well. The hashed line is that 12" disk of 1/2" plate. The left leg and the bottom solid line making an L are welded to the plate. The right line is the bolt that goes through the top plate and the bottom spoke leg to reduce deflection. Anyhow you are trying to make a big puller kind of like a harminic balancer puller but has something to grab the three spokes. The big fine threaded bolt in the middle is to apply torque against the steering shaft. I could swear I have popped my steering wheel off my 870 once without great drama. I loosened the nut a bit. Apply torque pushing the wheel up into the air with my knees. A few taps on the nut still on the shaft and it pops loose. Important to keep the nut on so you don't mangle the threads and to knock pop yourself in the face with a wheel that poppped off.

The official JD manual is good.

 

[JimRB]

That asci did not work.

 

[DennisH]

Jim

Looks like I will have to make a puller to get this steering wheel off, looking at the attached breakdown of the steering column looks like Item # 18 steering column will not separate from the Item # 13 steering shaft unless the steering wheel is removed.

I'm not going to let this kick my Azz.

Dennis

 

[Gator6x4]

Go to Harbor Freight or another supplier and obtain one of these. Performance Tool Bearing Splitters W8455 - Free Shipping on Orders Over $99 at Summit Racing.

Place it underneath the steering wheel and use a puller to pull the steering wheel up and off.