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1948 Chevy steering wheel need to fit it into my retro rod.

Discussion in 'The Hokey Ass Message Board' started by 74bowtie, Sep 26, 2010.

  1. 74bowtie
    Joined: May 18, 2010
    Posts: 275

    74bowtie
    Member

    I have a 1948 chevy steering wheel I would love to put into my 29 Model A, its of of my late father-inlaws car. My problem is what steering column will let me do this. I don't want the original style column with the gear box at the base, I want to run with a vega box which I already have. Has anyone come across this problem that has a solution. The one picture is the splined mounting.
     

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    Last edited: Sep 26, 2010
  2. studemisfit
    Joined: Jul 21, 2010
    Posts: 99

    studemisfit
    Member

    Im no help but the "rat rod" word is worse then cursing in church around here. i don't care but im sure theres guys who could help ya but wont even open this thread so i word take that part out. hope some one helps ya out.
     
  3. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,291

    F&J
    Member

    Quick... :) ..go edit out the R word in the ***le. That is not used here.


    Anyways, If your 37 wheel is like a 36 wheel I have here, it has a very small tapered hole. I would think the easiest way is to use the cut off inner shaft from a 37 and make your own column...or put that 37 inner shaft into a simple early to mid 60s GM column.
     
  4. tims37chevy
    Joined: Jan 2, 2007
    Posts: 226

    tims37chevy
    Member
    from Minnesota

    Thats not a 37 wheel looks like maybe a 54
     
  5. 74bowtie
    Joined: May 18, 2010
    Posts: 275

    74bowtie
    Member

    Good catch I forgot he told me it was a 1948 steering wheel that he had in his 1937 Chevy.
     
  6. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,291

    F&J
    Member

    Hold the phone..that is NOT a 37! :rolleyes:

    It is a 41 to 48 wheel, and I am guessing there were slight differences in the 41 through 48 as far as horn ****on styles...but the wheel is the same for 41-48.

    Ok, that wheel will fit many years of GM column splines. The columns may not work perfect, because of how the back of your wheel is shaped. It could sit too low and s****e, or sit too high.


    I just redid a 41 Ford column with a mid 60s chevy truck inner shaft to fit that wheel you have. So I would look for that age of GM column to start with. Either truck, or smaller car; chevy nova,chevelle, lemans, etc.

    But you still may need to move the inner shaft so that the wheel sits on top of the column right.
     
  7. easy....use a `48 chevy column and inner shaft and adapt it to work with the vega box. using a bearing on the lower part of the column tube and machine the inner shaft to work with a DD u-joint. or make a new column tube out of exhaust tubing.

    there has been some excellent tech threads on doing this in the past , if i wasn't so lazy i'd find some for you
     
  8. cuznbrucie
    Joined: May 1, 2005
    Posts: 2,567

    cuznbrucie
    Member

    Nice ***le edit.....and quickly too.......you're catching on fast! Welcome!


    CB
     
  9. roddinron
    Joined: May 24, 2006
    Posts: 2,676

    roddinron
    Member

    It's really pretty easy to cut the steering box off an old chevy column, add a bearing to support the shaft, and weld on a steering u-joint. I think an old column would look more at home in your rat errrrrrr I mean retro rod.
     
  10. Mr48chev
    Joined: Dec 28, 2007
    Posts: 35,969

    Mr48chev
    ALLIANCE MEMBER

    If you are running a floor shift find a late 60's early (70/72) Chev or GMC pickup column from a fourspeed truck.

    [​IMG]
    This one came out of a 70 that I rolled and will probably go in my roadster. Clean, plain, simple and inexpensive. And the wheel should just slip on.
     
  11. cheltenham guy
    Joined: Sep 25, 2010
    Posts: 10

    cheltenham guy
    Member

    i found that a 55/56/57 colunm fits later wheels so im guesing that it would possably fit your wheel worth a try .....Guy
     
  12. F&J
    Joined: Apr 5, 2007
    Posts: 13,291

    F&J
    Member



    Yes that spline will fit, but the back of the 41/48 wheel is very odd. I would think the chev truck inner shaft would need to be moved up quite a bit?

    Rons idea on the 41/48 chevy column is probably the best idea, if you could ever find one locally...shipping one off ebay would be pricey.

    As far as what was said about cutting the early column off, and adding a new lower bearing...this thread might help:
    http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=494589&highlight=bearing
     
  13. 74bowtie
    Joined: May 18, 2010
    Posts: 275

    74bowtie
    Member

    I do have an old chevy truck column but its to fat at the neck and it has the turn signal cancel shaft which the 48 wheel does not. I will look into the 48 column and see if its somewhere at my mother-inlaws. Thanks for all the help eveyone and I will watch my language from now on, meaning no R-word.
     

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