Steering Wheel and Column

[BMIC]

Tear down on my 1950 CJ3A has been going smooth until I got to the steering wheel. I've read everything in this forum on removal and could have purchased 2 new steering wheels for what I've spent on wheel pullers, penatrating oil, and mapp gas. I think an amendment should be added to the great advice that you all provide, call it Jungle Solutions for the frustrated. When all else fails hack saw the three spines close to the hub, peel off the old plastic and carefully cut a slice in the spine gear receiver, off and done.
You guys are purists (meant with a great deal of respect) in your advice but I think sacraficing the steering wheel in this case saved the rest of the steering assembly.

[Carls_jeep]

  That's exactly what I had to do to get my steering wheel off. I really didn't need to save it because I had a like new replacement in hand. I tried everything I could think of to no avail and I have a lot of experience pulling things without damage. I resorted to a die grinder with a cutoff wheel after several hours of all kinds of tricks. It was really just a game to me because of all the problems I have read other owners experienced.

[macrisel]

While I was fighting getting my steering wheel off, I considered buying a new one also.  I ended up just being too stubborn and decided to get the wheel off in one piece no matter what!    Definately not the easiest route, but I needed the moral victory

[Gunslinger]

I totally destroyed the first one, by the time I got done I was just enjoying beating on it,  should have hung the wheel from the ceiling and dropped the jeep out from under  

[Jesse]

I had to get my wheel off. Had to. I was not going to be bested by a stupid wheel like that, so I played it real cool and soaked in in PB blaster for 2 years. Then one day I sprung my attack and put the wheel and shaft into a 5 ton press and cranked it up. When it broke loose the shaft put a 5 inch hole into our packed gravel driveway! But I won, and restored that wheel to a nice grippy driving buddy.

-Jesse

[Carls_jeep]

It's amazing all that pressure didn't crush the plastic on the bottom of the center hub.   I guess you were removing the steering wheel to put a new one on.

[Jesse]

Yeah I have no idea how the wheel took it, but it did and here we are today. I guess the steering wheel needs to be tough to keep up with the rest of the jeep.

-Jesse