Postby Hasbeen » 02 Jan 2015 23:02
When I had the steering & suspension business I took the wheel off hundreds, probably thousands of cars. I always used the same technique, & never damaged anything.
Undo the nut, & wind out until exactly level with the end of the column.
If you have a helper, get them to apply a little upward pressure on the wheel. If not sit in the seat, & move it to where you can do this with your knees/upper thighs.
Place a large brass drift on the column/nut, & give it a mild hit with a heavy hammer, [I use a 4Lb short handled one], The wheel will pop off quite easily, to the distance the nut allows.
Don't tighten the nut as if you were fitting a road wheel when refitting, it's not necessary.
Hasbeen