TC Steering Wheel Swap

[Luke_s]

Trying to swap my Moto Lita wheel with a spoked Brooklands I picked up from Abingdon Spares. (Beautiful wheel). I was able to easily pull the Moto, it came right off, but when trying to install the Brooklands, I can only seem to get it on a little more than an inch. It feels like it's bottoming, but there is several inches to go. Tried prying the sleeve a little, but I just cant get it on further. I'm deathly afraid to resort to brute force with a rubber mallet. Put some silicone grease on the splines, still getting nowhere.

[Steve Simmons]

I've seen more than one Brooklands hub where the splines were too tight and needed to be broached. These were new hubs, not originals.

[Luke_s]

Correct. Tis brand new. Sigh, I don't even know where to begin on broaching splines.

[Steve Simmons]

If you can find an old steering shaft, you can use it as a broach.

[antijam]

If you can find an old steering shaft, you can use it as a broach.

That's what I did with some valve lapping paste - got it on eventually.

[Luke_s]

Well, I definitely don't have an old steering shaft around.

[Rob Zucca]

I had the same problem with a new Brooklands hub. DONT pry on it like I did and cracked it. I resorted to lapping compound on a new hub. Back and forth a million times until it fit.

[Luke_s]

I'll try the million times method. Thanks

[Luke_s]

Would I be okay to use the existing shaft and lapping paste and have at it back and forth or would I risk damaging the shaft? I found 220 grit available nearby, is that sufficient or coarser grit?

[antijam]

Would I be okay to use the existing shaft and lapping paste and have at it back and forth or would I risk damaging the shaft? I found 220 grit available nearby, is that sufficient or coarser grit?

The shaft is steel and the wheel boss aluminium. Conventional wisdom suggests that the abrasive will become embedded in the softer material (the boss) and abrade the harder surface (the shaft). In practice I suspect both will wear to some extent, but if that overcomes your problem, maybe that's the best solution.

[Luke_s]

Amazing what you can accomplish in under an hour - with lots of elbow grease and lots of lapping paste. I realized about 45 minutes in that if I take the old steering wheel and lapped that up and went at it, things moved MUCH faster. Was then done in 2 minutes
Thanks, all!.