Reclaiming A Stock Steering Wheel - Custom Classic Trucks Magazine

Here is the link, Custom Classic Trucks.

 

I may have that issue, it looks very familier, thanks for posting the link it should help the non believers.

 

Nice find topmoo.

 

Hey Bozworth,
I know this one isn't hand built but it might fit what you are looking for -
It's a 15 inch new 1940's style Ford wheel made to fit on the standard GM columns most folks are using. (I think it was around $240 or so).

Good luck over there.

Ben in Austin

 

Bobby, thanks for the reality check. I guess I got so alarmed when I read that someone wanted to build a steering wheel rim out of thin wall tubing that I got carried away.
Yes I could build a custom steering wheel, but IMHO it's like a frame swap, yes it can be done, but there are few capable of doing it successfully, properly and safely. It looks simple on the surface, but there are a lot of details that must be worked out. No, I'm not saying that building or modifying a steering wheel is as difficult as a frame swap, but it can have just as big an "impact" on safety.
Like that frame swap question when I see someone asking that doesn't seem to have a complete picture, I try to "steer" them away and find realistic and reasonable alternatives to suggest.
Again IMHO Classic Trucks habitually prints articles to woo potential or existing advertisers that are not researched or checked for accuracy before printing as fact, a disservice to the readers, I cancelled my subscription after a year. For some reason my browser will not currently download any of their articles, so I tried researching the authors or "experts" they touted. Of the ones I was able to check, several were using materials and procedures that I would call temporary cosmetic repairs.
I have found that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Just because one fabs his own parts there are costs involved. Ignoring those costs doesn't make them go away. Building or rebuilding a wheel with proper durable materials is likely to cost several hundred dollars.

I could say a lot more and/or give advice on how to do it right, but that just risks being misunderstood again, so I'll stop now and get off the soap box.

 

Great find Topmoo! Thanks!

Bobby/AX/Ted...thanks for the spirited debate, if i didn't know better you sound like a bunch of brothers in the garage arguing over how to do something...we just need some beer cans scattered around and somebody needs to throw a wrench at the wall.

I have switched the materials. I will be using 1/2" solid round stock for the hoop. And I'll be using 3/16" - 1/4" flatstock for the spokes. If I'm not 100% confident in the strength of MY welds, I'll cut them and have it professionally welded. I'm not going to skimp on safety, don't worry about that. If anything, i'll over-build it just to be sure. I will post pictures.

If this whole project fails, well, then I'll hang the carcass on the wall as a reminder of "lesson learned". If it's successful, or even partially successful, then the education and learning experience will be well worth the $50 I'm spending on materials for this idea.

Thanks again for all the input.

 

You might be able to get the place where you buy the 1/2" solid round stock to bend it and weld it together. I would suggest getting some extra 1/2" solid round stock to practice welding it to a smaller piece of steel before you destroy the original steering wheel. As they say practice makes perfect.

 

Hmmm. I may have mentioned that article a week ago....

 

No problem. We all need a good slap now and again (some of us more than others....lol)
There's always trade-offs when fabbing parts. There are those like myself that are flat broke but can sometimes afford the "sweat equity" to make something work, and then there are those others that can afford to buy whats needed. I know that I get frustrated a lot of the time when I have tons of hours invested in something that doesnt quite work out or that I have to end up buying after all. My first instinct is to always try and do it myself.
I'll step down from my soap box also. So, until the next time we butt heads I'll tip a frosty cold one in your directions.....Cheers!

Bobby

 

KP Bob, I take the magazine and read the article last month, and when I saw the thread I went right to the last page (2) to post. Then I finally found my copy and then found the link. I never even saw your post or I would have just looked for the link. Now that I have read the entire thread I missed out on not only your post, but some great debate! I guess it doesn't matter now, looks like Bozworth is going to go for it.

 

Ok, so I have the major materials I need for this little project.
I'm a little pre-occupied with the power steering/3G alternator install, but this is still on the list.

I got the ring. 1/2" steel round stock, rolled. There's a minor issue though...the guy that rolled it for me rolled it at 16 1/2" diameter, instead of 15 1/2". Not too big of a deal, easily fixed.

Here it is on the makeshift jig we made up:


The center hub is top left, the "spokes" are top right....I'm going with a different shaped spoke in the wheel, but I'm using these for mock-up purpose.
1" spacer is bottom right. I think I want a 1" dish in the wheel...

Here's the back side view:


And here's the front:


Next up:
Reduce the diameter of the ring by 1".
Make new spokes out of thicker flatstock. (spokes pictured are only 1/8". I'm going with 3/16" or 1/4".)

Oh, and there's a bonus. The Fab shop rolled the entire length of round-stock, instead of just enough for 1 hoop. And dad turned an extra hub out on the lathe. So, I have 2 rings, and 2 center hubs. I'll be putting up a classified ad to sell the extra ring/hub/spokes...If anyone following is interested, pm me.

 

You moved a long ways from modifying the stock wheel!

 

Cool

Thanks for taking the pics. I'll be following along to see how this turns out. Like AX pointed out, there's not much left of the stock wheel there anywhere....LOL

Bobby

 

Haha, yeah, I thought it best to have a backup plan in place before I go butchering the stock wheel. The building of a new steering wheel from "scratch" should let me work out some mistakes I'm going to make before I pull the original off and start hacking away at it.

 

How tough was it to fab that center hub? It's splined isn't it?

Bobby