custom steering wheel

[diesel1456]

Hi guy's,girls i got my new steering wheel from Momo and the adapter and the horn kit. I got my old wheel off but here's the thing i haven't done one of these since the 70's and things r a little different now. When i took my wheel off there was that big spring in back do i use that with the new wheel or was that to operate my old horn ? The hub adapter has the slot in it when i slide the hub adapter on where should i position the slot ? I do not want to mess this up and have to pull the new wheel off because i did something stupid or forgot a part that i needed from my stock wheel all help will definetly b appriciated.
Rich

 

[ErnieN85]

Rich, I can say you need the spring, it's the connector for the horn. I hope yours is easier than mine. I had a genaric hub (chevy, caddy, gm) one size fits all i had to drill out a pocket for the spring to set in and also needed to install a set screw in the telescope part of the colum and fix the length. so mu column nolonger telescopes. took me about 4 hrs to do it and i sure was glad I had a drill press. so if it's your only wheels make sure you have enough time (ALL DAY MAYBE). sory i can't remember more details it's been a couple of years since I installed mine. i can say though that I could not believe the change in my car. I never thought a simple steering wheel change would do so much!
Hope you like it!

 

[diesel1456]

reply (custom steering wheel)

Thanks Ernie for the help. I figured it would be a pain in the a** somewhat. I was looking where to attach the tilt lever and saying oh boy this looks like fun. I probably got the same universal hub that you got. I hate to be a pain but do i need the backing plate on my old wheel for the spring or does it just go against the back of the new wheel ? In back of the new wheel there would be nonthing to hold it in but pressure. Thank god i have a friend of mine helping me (used to b a rocket scientist ) kidding but 2 heads are better than one.
Thanks Rich

 

[ErnieN85]

Wow. you got me now but i think that the end othe spring is bent out toward the hub and goes into the hole i had to drill so that would mean that you need the plate! I didn't discard anything. except the old steering wheel (it's in a box in my garage) You will need a lock plate depressor and a steering wheel puller to do this job the set screw goes into the shaft to lock it in place.

 

[diesel1456]

custome steering wheel

Thank's again. I got my old wheel off that's not the problem the directions they give u r very vague. But yea i will take that back plate off. It's round a plastic piece with like built in hold downs for the big spring it like slides under them which is what would hold the spring in place so i guess i have to get that piece out to.
Well thanks again i will let you know how i make out eventually yea your right good thing it's not my everyday car or i would have a bigger problem.
Thanks Rich

 

[diesel1456]

custome steering wheel

ok i need some more help. I couldn't get the hub to go on to easy with just the nut so i got it lined up with the spline and took a piece of wood and wacked it down with a hammer, the hub went on fine tightened down the nut put the clip on and now for the bad new's i can't get the teliscopic to work it won't lock the wheel keeps going back and forth tried flipping the lever putting it in different locations as far as the screw holes go and it does nonthing, does anyone know if i could or is there something in the column that i could of knocked out or broke when i tapped the wheel on ? I really don't want to dissasemble my whole column if i don't have to, any ideas to what is wrong or what that plastic piece is supposed to catch to stop the wheel from telescoping. If anyone can help me with this problem i would appriciate it.
thanks Rich:confused

 

[ErnieN85]

Rick there needs to be a set screw put in the hollow center of the column to lock it in the position you want it in. take a close look at what the lever does. It's shown in the Helm manual for the car. Right now I'm at the National corvette Museum in Bowlin green about 700 miles from my shop manual. I think you can figure it out if you look closely but the wheel does have to come off to put this in. i picked one up at a hardware store i tried different size bolts to find what size i needed then bougnt the right set screw.

 

[diesel1456]

Ok Earnie thanks i remember you saying about drilling something out but i wasn't sure if that pertained to the teliscopic part of the wheel. As long as i didn't brake anything and just the wheel has to come off again that is a relief. so i have to drill a hole and put a set screw in so that plastic piece has something to grab onto. Where do i drill the hole, and i guess just use a tiny set screw
Rich

 

[ErnieN85]

Rich, No you don't have to drill to set the colum length. the drill part was to make the horn connection.so maybe yours was the right one. the lever on the bottom of the steering wheel locks the column when it turns it pushes down in the center of the column take a close look at the lever which locks the telescope part I think you will see it its seperate from the tilt lever

 

[diesel1456]

U know what i have the tilt slot of the hub on the top. I think my horn should be fine. That might be where i screwed up if i put the slot of the hub on the bottom you think that will lock the teliscopic then.
Rich

 

[ErnieN85]

Rich, I'm not really sur you need to change that part. ther is an adjustment (some way I forget just how) but when the lever moves it presses down on the center, maybe with a pin? and that locks the column, thats why I remembered setting it up with aset screw in there. it sound like you got the righ hub and mine is generic! good luck I knoew you'll like it when its done

 

[diesel1456]

Thanks for all your input Ernie, what is happening is everything is going up and down. When i put the center screw in with the plastic piece with the slots (where u put the set screws) it does absolutly nonthing. The whole shaft is going up and down, Now with the set screw that u r talking about do u mean it goes in ahead of the stock screw with the teliscopic plastic piece with the lever ? This is really turning into a project never thought it would be this tough to change a steering wheel.
Rich

 

[ErnieN85]

Rich, Im sorry I just can't remember (been two years) When I get home I'll try to check my shop manual and let you know. But that won't be till Sunday

 

[diesel1456]

Ok thanks i know i can't remember things that i have done years ago either. If i get it fixed before sun. I will let you know so you don't waste time checking on it for me. But i probably won't.
Thanks rich

 

[diesel1456]

Ok Earnie i got it i put a set screw in and it lockrd the wheel from going in and out. What my friend is going to do is to cut the head off the stock screw that was in there use that head which uses the 2 set screw's and weld on a longer shaft. In doing that i think the teliscopic will work with the stock lever again. Thanks for all your help because i would not of thought of putting a set screw in there to hold the wheel because i really didn't understand how the teliscopic part worked but i got it now. Again thanks
Rich

 

[ErnieN85]

Rich, Glad to help. let me know how it fels when you take her out!
It mad an enormous difference in my car!