I went out today looking for a 78/79 steering wheel for my 1977 F-150. I don't really care for the size of the 1977 wheel plus my horn button is bad and doesn't really like to stay in the wheel. The pre-80 trucks are getting hard to find in the junk yards around here. I found one wheel out of about an 87 Ford van (it had on injected 351). It looked like a 78/79 truck wheel but it was a lot fatter which I like. I pulled that one but then I found another wheel in an 86 Lariat which I pulled and bought for $11. This one is leather wrapped and in decent shape too. I probably should have bought both wheels. I actually had another wheel like this years ago that I put on a 1977.5 F-250. I remember I had to grind out a flat spot in the splines of the wheel but after that it fit fine. I never did license that truck but for some reason I Think that maybe the turn signals didn't cancel??
So basically my question is, has anyone run a 1980 or newer wheel on a 79 or older truck and what mods were needed to make it work correctly. I am thinking something has to be done for the turn signals to cancel. There is also a small Ford emblem in the center of the horn pad. My emblem is not in that great of condition and I couldn't find a better one at the junk yard. Anyone know if that small emblem is available anywhere because it doesn't seem like it.

 

normally there are just one or more small roll pins or dowls that insert into the rear of the wheel or from the column that cancel the turn signal, so just about any wheel can be made to work if you pay attention to how its set up when you take the old one off.

 

I am running a late 80's early 90's wheel. You have to grind a couple of splines or change the short shaft if it is tilt.

 

Mine is not tilt. Do your turn signals cancel? Is this on your 78 F-250 listed in your signature? From my understanding the 78 column is different than the 77 which is where my problem is coming from.

 

I put a 78 column in my 77 a while ago, (non tilt) I used the 77shaft in the 78 column and the snap ring went in a lower groove I think was all used the 78 wheel just fine. I have a mid 80's wheel on my 79 ranchero tilt w/cruise,
and just filed a little off the splines in one spot and it works fine but need to use the 79 center as the cruise buttons are different, I think that will fix it anyway, but that was all I did to put the wheel on and signals cancel just fine, its the leather wrapped looking wheel also..

 

I am running a 78/9 column. I know there is a break in the steering wheels 77 to 78 but I thought it had to do with the rings used to honk the horn.

 

aggreed grind out the flat spot the later cruise horn pad will work just the resume wont all other buttons work as they should

 

I don't have cruise so thats not an issue. If I grind that flat spot out the wheel will fit because I've done it before but I think the turn signals would not cancel.

 

The turn signals won't cancel because the switches are different between 1977 and 1978.

The whole column should be swapped for a proper looking fit.

 

Well I got it on there, the horn works and the turn signals cancel. It was a pretty easy swap. I used a small round hand file to take out the flat spot in the spines on the 1986 wheel. The horn wasn't really an issue, but my horn didn't work before I pulled the wheel so I feel like I accomplished something there. For the turn turn signals to cancel on the 77 wheel there is a metal bracket that clamps around the center hub in the steering wheel. This hub has 2 piece of metal that stick up off of it (should have taken a pic). One cancels for left turns and the other cancels for right turns. All I needed to do was transfer that peice from the 77 wheel to the 86 wheel. Now the center hub on the 86 wheel was a larger diamter so it would not fit right over. I just ground it down to the same diameter (measured with dial caliper) as the 77 wheel and transfered the part over. I put it together and everything works great. I still need to clean up the wheel and horn pad since they are fresh from the junk yard but you get the idea.

 

Looks really nice!

I have a 198X leather wrapped wheel on my 79 that I got off of eBay for 20 Bucks. It was just bolt right in, no mods required.

 

Thanks! And yep, through this little project I found out that the 78-86 wheels are the same. The 77 and earlier wheels not only look different but the whole column and turn signal switch are different as well so bolting a 78 and later wheel to a 77 and earlier column requires a few mods.
Sound like you got a great deal on that wheel, I've looked at them on ebay and the ones I always saw were bringing some serious cash.

 

What year has the spines all the way around the spindle? I ordered a 78 ford wheel and it has the flat spot on it. My truck is a 78.

 

Very timely.
My brand new wheel is already cracking.
I had it leather wrapped by Connor and it's great but I'll be heading to the jy for a spare.

 

If you have cruise and go to the later wheel with resume switch you can get the resume to work by swapping the brain box part to a newer one with resume. It plugs right in and I have used ones from all different models. I love the resume feature.