Anyone strip the Torx on your steering wheel bolt?

[Dthiss]

Started to change my 2022 LTD Custom Trail Boss’ steering wheel out for one with the right side buttons. Tried to loosen the bolt on the steering wheel with my ratchet but no go. So I’ve read others had to use an impact. Broke out my Dewalt impact and as soon as I put some on it the torx let loose. Now not sure exactly what to do. I can drill it but these things must have some serious lock tight. Anyone else have this issue, if so what did you do about it?

 

[Dthiss]

I got it squared away today and performed the install. I bought a T55 torx bit and a pencil torch. Pounded the T55 into the stripped hole as far as I could. Used the torch to heat it up some, knocked the bit back in and it moved a bit. Repeated the process until I got maybe a full turn. One more heat cycle and then soft fingered my impact gun and it came out. Bought 2 new bolts, one from Amazon and got one from the dealer in case. All’s good now except for a bit of rubbing on the clock spring trim. Will pull the trim off this weekend to see if it wasn’t pushed all the way on.

 

[Brando]

I have been thinking of doing this, but was not sure exactly which bolts to remove or how. Do you have a pic of what you did exactly?

 

[Dthiss]

I have been thinking of doing this, but was not sure exactly which bolts to remove or how. Do you have a pic of what you did exactly?

I did not take any pictures. I’m an in and out kinda guy. Luckily there are others who do. See the video below. Just take note of why I posted the original thread. For me the actual install took no longer than an hour, but the steering wheel bolt can be a serious gotcha and was for me. The key is to put some heat to it before you attemp to remove it. This will loosen the blue loctite’s grip on it. A small focused butane pencil torch (about $25 w/fuel) from somewhere like Home Depot will be your best friend. Also make sure your T50 Torx bit is in good shape, I think mine was abused some and compounded the issue.

 

[tbuss5831]

I hate GM and their torx head steering wheel bolts that are completely covered in lock tight and only tightened to 18ft/lb, LOL.
I have stripped one on a colorado and I had to get the air hammer out with a chisel to get it to turn. After that I got a small butane solder gun/torch to heat up the head and use a long 3/8" ratchet to break it loose. Then one day I got fed up and just pulled out the 1/2" impact and braced hard against the bolt, gave it a few hits and it zipped right out, been doing it that way since. Only reason I feared the impact at first was the potential damage to everything in the steering column, but so far so good. Hope that helps.

 

[Micker325]

I did not take any pictures. I’m an in and out kinda guy. Luckily there are others who do. See the video below. Just take note of why I posted the original thread. For me the actual install took no longer than an hour, but the steering wheel bolt can be a serious gotcha and was for me. The key is to put some heat to it before you attemp to remove it. This will loosen the blue loctite’s grip on it. A small focused butane pencil torch (about $25 w/fuel) from somewhere like Home Depot will be your best friend. Also make sure your T50 Torx bit is in good shape, I think mine was abused some and compounded the issue.

Love this! Where did you purchase the new steering wheel?

 

[Dthiss]

Love this! Where did you purchase the new steering wheel?

Off of Ebay. $175

 

[Micker325]

Thanks. What ya search? When I tried all the results are steering wheel covers.

 

[Dthiss]

I searched for 2021 Silverado steering wheel.

 

[Atibrad]

I hate GM and their torx head steering wheel bolts that are completely covered in lock tight and only tightened to 18ft/lb, LOL.
I have stripped one on a colorado and I had to get the air hammer out with a chisel to get it to turn. After that I got a small butane solder gun/torch to heat up the head and use a long 3/8" ratchet to break it loose. Then one day I got fed up and just pulled out the 1/2" impact and braced hard against the bolt, gave it a few hits and it zipped right out, been doing it that way since. Only reason I feared the impact at first was the potential damage to everything in the steering column, but so far so good. Hope that helps.

I stripped it out on our Acadia. What about welding a nut to bolt? Think it’ll hurt anything inside the steering wheel or column? I tried to heat the bolt up but stuff around it started smoking so I stopped.

 

[The Raven]

This is a problem across GM's entire line. I had the same issues with my CTS. I used a dremel to cut the head of the bolt into a shape that I could pound a universal socket on, then heated the bolt to try to soften the 10lbs of loctite they put on it. With the steering wheel braced with a 2x4 and a 4ft breaker bar on the socket I was finally able to break it loose. I then shaved as much loctite off the replacement bolt as I could.

 

[GETGONE]

I had ZERO issues with mine once I used a heat gun to heat up the bolt then use the proper size torx bit and a manual ratchet that extends for extra leverage. Broke loose super easy.