Looking for a new 2-Jaw Puller for late 90's Ford Steering Wheels

[Blue98GT]

Looking for a new 2-Jaw puller. I pull a lot of late 90's Ford steering wheels that require a 2-Jaw puller. I have a Performance Tool W84500 (or it looks very close) and want something better. The things I'm looking for are a forged construction and some sort of interchangeable center press tip that's on a bearing. Not sure what this part is actually called. It's on the end of the threaded shaft that allows the shaft to spin and not dig/mar into the steering column.

The problem with the current PT W84500 is that the press tip is too small and just grinds itself into the steering column.

 

[Tools4Me]

I don't have any leads on good 2 jaw pullers, but those tips you are inquiring about are usually called something along the line of pointed or flat puller forcing screw tip protectors, shaft protectors, or centering points. They are usually hard to find and often a bit expensive to buy individually. As you have already found, most pullers also don't come with any. However, it's often quite easy to make a functional DIY tip protector if you have access to a drill press or a lathe and some scrap steel bar stock handy. Even a little grease on a small but thick steel washer or two can be very helpful. I've had to do something like that quite a few times.

All the tips I currently have, came with my USA Craftsman 47626 harmonic balancer/steering wheel puller set. It came with a fine point on the forcing screw itself, a wide point removable tip protector, and a flat ended removable tip protector. Since the set was USA made, the tips will fit on a couple of my other USA made pullers, or the whole forcing screw from my 47626 puller can also be unscrewed and screwed into a couple of my other USA made 2-3 jaw pullers, because they use the same threads. Since your puller was foreign made it probably has metric threads on it, so if you buy a foreign made harmonic balancer set with removable tips you might be able to use the entire forcing screw and tip setup with your existing 2 jaw puller.

For reference purposes, I have never seen a forcing screw tip protector that rides on a bearing, they are always just simple designs that slip over the tip of the pressure/forcing screw or fit into a hole drilled in the pressure screw. There is often an internal c-ring (that's similar to the c-rings found on hex bit holders) or a ball detent to help hold the tip in place while setting the puller up for use as well, but that feature isn't necessary if you want to make your own tip protector. Before using a puller with a tip protector, I place a small dab of high pressure wheel bearing grease or something similar on the forcing screw end before placing the tip protector on and that does a good job of keeping friction very low and it prevents galling of the metal where the two parts rub.

 

[Wrench97]

Here is the one I use at home> https://shop.advanceautoparts.com/p...uWuQOQqpEs7q-hX266BoCQzQQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

At work I have the Snap On set up that has the 2/3 bolt set up and the 2 bolt on jaws for the fords

 

[nadogail]

When I was working in an Automotive Machine Shop, we used OTC Pullers. I thin they were made by the Otumwa Machine Company.

 

[Blue98GT]

I don't have any leads on good 2 jaw pullers, but those tips you are inquiring about are usually called something along the line of pointed or flat puller forcing screw tip protectors, shaft protectors, or centering points. They are usually hard to find and often a bit expensive to buy individually. As you have already found, most pullers also don't come with any. However, it's often quite easy to make a functional DIY tip protector if you have access to a drill press or a lathe and some scrap steel bar stock handy. Even a little grease on a small but thick steel washer or two can be very helpful. I've had to do something like that quite a few times.

All the tips I currently have, came with my USA Craftsman 47626 harmonic balancer/steering wheel puller set. It came with a fine point on the forcing screw itself, a wide point removable tip protector, and a flat ended removable tip protector. Since the set was USA made, the tips will fit on a couple of my other USA made pullers, or the whole forcing screw from my 47626 puller can also be unscrewed and screwed into a couple of my other USA made 2-3 jaw pullers, because they use the same threads. Since your puller was foreign made it probably has metric threads on it, so if you buy a foreign made harmonic balancer set with removable tips you might be able to use the entire forcing screw and tip setup with your existing 2 jaw puller.

For reference purposes, I have never seen a forcing screw tip protector that rides on a bearing, they are always just simple designs that slip over the tip of the pressure/forcing screw or fit into a hole drilled in the pressure screw. There is often an internal c-ring (that's similar to the c-rings found on hex bit holders) or a ball detent to help hold the tip in place while setting the puller up for use as well, but that feature isn't necessary if you want to make your own tip protector. Before using a puller with a tip protector, I place a small dab of high pressure wheel bearing grease or something similar on the forcing screw end before placing the tip protector on and that does a good job of keeping friction very low and it prevents galling of the metal where the two parts rub.

It never occurred to me to use some hardened high grade washers with grease for this. I'll try this for the forcing screw and report back.