I have a 39 ford truck with a huge 18” steering wheel. I now have power steering and want to get a smaller 13” or 14” steering wheel but I want to keep the look of the old style wheel. The 18” wheel has all of the plastic missing from the hub and spokes and the plastic on the rim is badly cracked and bits missing. Is there a way to rework and make a 14” steeing wheel using the hub and spokes from this steering wheel?
Build one. I did this for my GMC using a new 15" Speedway circle track wheel and the stock Jimmy center. A pic of it in progress.
I cut a ’58 Olds wheel down from 18” to 15.5”. It was much harder to bend than anticipated. It took two tight ratchet straps to get it to fit in the blocks that were laid out around the modern wheel. I overlapped the ends, then cut about 4” off each so the other spoke ends up in same place on opposite side, minimizing epoxy work. I also opened up a dozen of the larger cracks. PC7 went on thick so lot of sanding. Bought the Ididit adapter ring.
I used a 57 Ford pass. wheel in my old '39 pickup. Bolted right up...still a bit large, and had to use a remote horn button.
Just make sure you weld it up real good. This was a chinesium re-pop comfort grip on a OT Chevy I built a decade ago. It broke before the car was even finished...fortunately. LOL!
Yeah, I was lying on the floor doing under dash stuff and grabbed the wheel to hoist myself up. The rim snapped lose and hit me in the forehead, almost knocked me out. That left a mark. Reminded me of the time as a teen when I was trying to remove a steering wheel without a puller. I hooked both arms behind the wheel and wiggled while pulling it back toward me. It came lose. I still have the scar form that one and the stiches that followed.
Look up tractor steering wheels, they are pretty reasonable and could be used as a donors rim or some look like vintage truck wheels.
Hello, My wife and I have been watching the TV streaming series called “1928.” It is a wonderful storyline that eventually leads into Yellowstone, the series currently running. The show called 1898 was the first step in the whole storyline of this western coming of age story. So, 1928 is/was the next step. In one of the scenes, there is a wooden framed station wagon built like a woody without the side panels. It is supposed to be the original style, safari type, station wagon taking folks out to see the animals and countryside. It is hard to describe. Does anyone know for sure what year and make it is, with proof? The show is top notch, but I could not believe I saw this old station wagon, safari style wagon with an aluminum, inlaid steering wheel we used to see when they came out on late 60s and 70s hot rods and sporty car accessories. The in-show time period is as described: 1923… So did I actually see an aluminum inlaid ring in the steering wheel? Or my old eyes telling me funny stories? Jnaki The director and prop master are probably saying to themselves… “Oh, no one will notice it, with all that is going on in the action scenes, a good looking actor and actress, and the action…” But, those that had one in our old hot rod days and today are stumped as to the historic value of the sighting… nice set up by @bchctybob
So getting back to making a steering wheel. I picked up a damaged 39 ford banjo wheel to cut down. I have a 14 inch hoop getting made and I will cut the spokes down and weld it all together. This brings me to “how do I cover it”. 3d print the grip? Wrap in with vulcanizing tape? Vulcanizing tape and a stitched on leather cover? Make a resin mold?
"In one of the scenes, there is a wooden framed station wagon built like a woody without the side panels. It is supposed to be the original style, safari type, station wagon taking folks out to see the animals and countryside. It is hard to describe. Does anyone know for sure what year and make it is, with proof?" Hello, It took a while, but I found the answer to my own question. It is a Willys Knight ...or one made by the studio design team. note as follows: "This car was built in Cape Town and modelled on the 1928 Willy's Knight used by Martin and Osa Johnson during the African photographic expedition. Alex Wheeler from Apocalypse (Monster Machines) modified a Landrover chassis, converted the right hand drive to left hand drive, designed the rims, built the roll cages and finish assembled the body parts that I manufactured. Every aspect of this car was hand built from internet pictures - all body panels, windscreen, rims, steering wheel, upholstery, etc.. The headlights were a modern buy-out. Supposedly we weren't allowed to use the Willy's Knight logo and branding. We changed the grill simply to look period. In all 5 cars and a bus were built. The cars were destroyed after shooting." Jnaki Why were the cars destroyed after the shooting? It might have something to do with liability and brand name association. YRMV But, in building the different Safari Tour models, there was a wooden rimmed steering wheel with a metal insert, just like the sporty cars and custom cars of the 60-70s…
Hey, Jnaki; Aluminum center-spiders in 20's(+/-) weren't that uncommon. I have 1, which I haven't ID'd yet, that is a 4-flat(ish)-spoke, that has a decorative raised line design cast in. It would've had a wooden rim. I haven't seen it in awhile(it's somewhere "safe"), but it used a tapered hole w/a keyway for the shaft mounting. Marcus...
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