Steering wheel replacement

[Tootallmike]

Hi all,

Just back to playing with the MUTT again after a few hectic weeks away. Jay Mallari brought a very nice steering wheel to War & Peace for me but I am confused and I'd appreciate some advice before I break something trying to fit it. The problem is that the replacement has a steel boss embedded in the centre which prevents it fitting onto the steering column. Does this have to come out, is this the wrong wheel, or have I missed something?

The original is on the left, the new one on the right:





Thanks in advance - Mike

[Jay Mallari]

Hi Mike. Do you have pic of your steering column?

Jay

[Tootallmike]

Hi Mike. Do you have pic of your steering column?

Jay

Hi Jay,

I'll get a photo tonight. If I remember correctly the column has a screw-on collar at the top which holds the top bearing in position.

- Mike

[Tootallmike]

Here are the photos of the top of the column. Any suggestions welcome at this stage!

Cheers - Mike

[muttguru]

Mike,

at a guess, I think the boss on your steering column belongs in the centre of your old wheel. It has separated from the moulding.
If I were you, I'd soak the old boss in Plus-Gas and leave it a day or so, then use a puller to draw it off.

Hope this helps............

[Tootallmike]

Hi Ken,

That's what I thought at first but the 'boss'-looking part at the top of the column is actually screwed onto the column so it's not the centre part of the wheel...

I'll take another photo tomorrow evening with it unscrewed to clarify matters.

I'm concerned I might have an early column or summat? If so I might have to knock the boss out of the new one to make it match the old

- Mike

[muttguru]

Mike,

now you've got me wondering about this. I took my wheel off about three years ago when I did the horn button. It's an A2 wheel with an A2 column on a Ford A2....it's just that I don't recall this boss being separate from the wheel....although it is shown as separate in the -34 TM.

If it ever stops raining, I'll go and have a shufti at mine again.....

[Tootallmike]

Here are a couple of photos showing the top collar unscrewed from the column. The collar appears to retain the bearing.

- Mike

[Jay Mallari]

Hi Mike.

Here is my wild guess. Could it be that the steering column cap you have unscrewed is the same as the boss on the replacement steering wheel, but installed upside down? Have a look at the inside of the boss and check for any threads.If they are the same, it obviously needs to be pulled out. When I bought the steering wheel, it was already like that and I was none the wiser

Jay

[Tootallmike]

Mystery solved!

After reading your replies I put a bit more force behind my efforts to remove the metal boss and it came out! It's just a plain section of steel pressed into the back of the wheel as seen in the photo:



My theory is that it is to protect the plastic of the wheel from crush damage during storage and handling.

Thanks for all the ideas and I'm glad it wasn't anything serious. Now I can fit it and go back to having fun!

- Mike

[Jay Mallari]

Well done Mike
Does that metal boss have a part number? I wonder if it's part of the steering column further down

Jay

[Tootallmike]

Hi Jay,

There's no part number on it.

If it is for protecting the wheel during handling, it's strange that there's an internal step at one end the tube:
o.d. 55mm
i.d. plain end 38mm
i.d. step end 33mm
overall depth 23mm
depth to step 18mm

I've handled every single component on the MUTT during my rebuild and I do not recognise this as being a part from anywhere else.

Where did the wheel come from orginally? Was it NOS?

This is intriguing!

- Mike

[Jay Mallari]

Mike,
It was surplus to requirements and was bought from a supplier in Manila.
The seller claims it was NOS but I took his word with a pinch of salt as it
was sold as is with no wrapping or packaging. He further added that the
scuffs and chipping was due to improper storage. It will be interesting to
know if NOS steering wheels indeed come with that boss.

Jay

[Tootallmike]

Hi Jay,

The splines looked new, the storage grease is clean and the rim appears not to have been used so I expect he was telling the truth.

However if that boss is genuine, what is the internal step for and why is there no part number stamped on it? I thought all Mil equipment had part numbers...

Has anyone else ever purchasd a NOS steering wheel?

- Mike