Technical Adapting vintage steering wheels to GM tilt columns.

I like using vintage wheels on my street rod builds. But I also like GM tilt columns. I have been lucky on two builds two far on pretty easy jobs.
One was my '53 Chevy pickup. The old wheel and modern column had the same diameter shaft and the same spline count. All that was needed was to modify the base of the wheel to match the column.

Here is the stock '53 wheel on the GM column


I had to cut the back of the wheel off down to the spline.



Then I made a plate to match the column diameter.



A little Bondo to blend the shapes and all that was left was to paint it.


The second was a 1940 Plymouth. The shaft diameter was the same but the splines didn't match. I had to modify the base of the wheel but also cut new splines in the wheel. I looked around for a company who would cut new splines but no luck. I decided to cut my own using a spare GM stub shaft.

Like the Chevy I had to cut the back off the '40 wheel



I made another steel plate to match the column diameter.


It needed a 1/4" spacer soc I made one from plywood


Finally Bondo merged the two shapes.


To cut the new splines in the wheel I bought a stub shaft on ebaY.


I cut this part off the stub shaft. I put it in my lathe and cut two grooves around the splines to for 3 sets of spline teeth. I trimmed two of the spline sections to stepped diameters so each set would cut progressively deeper splines. I heated it to red hot and quenched it in water to harden it and make a cutting tool.


Finally using my Harbor Freight press, I shoved the cutting tool through the steering wheel splined hole. The two sets of splines were already really close so the cutting tool had no problem converting it to GM specs.


The wheel now fits per4fectly and firmly onto the GM column.

 

Nice work.

 

Agreed ,,that cutting tool / hardened and pressed to cut match the splines is hot rodding at its best ......

 

I used a 2000 Chevy truck tilt column in my '39 Chev, and bought a 1953 Chev steering wheel to use. I wasn't sure if they had the same spline, but it bolted right up. I used an old Grant trim plate behind the wheel to finish the gap between wheel and column and it too fit perfectly.



I like old factory wheels better than the aftermarket wheels.