Re: [Amc-list] steering wheel kits

[Frank Swygert <farna@xxxxxxx>]

You're a glutton for punishment! First you need the special steering wheel puller. I had one made but loaned it out and it never returned. At least I asked for a deposit first! I assume you have one or I know you can make one. 

The splines on the pre GM columns are different than the 65 and later ones. I don't recall if anything else will fit, but an early Ford adapter might. The techs at Grant suggested I cut the center out of an old steering wheel and use the puller bolts to attach the wheel, the cover they provide would hide everything. That would work, but you'll have to drill and tap holes to mount the wheel. The early Rambler steering wheels don't have holes for a puller. 

For those who don't know, the puller is basically a threaded piece of pipe about 1" in diameter with a threaded rod in it. The pipe screws into the recess in the center of the wheel, then the threaded rod presses against the steering shaft. I think it's a standard fine thread on the pipe, and a piece of 3/4" black iron or galvanized water pipe is the correct diameter (or close enough to work). You need to at least get 2-3 threads of the pipe in the wheel. I welded a 5/16" nut in the end of a 3" length of pipe after the pipe was threaded by a local shop (coarse threads won't work). For the rod I used a 5/16" carriage bolt. The head was ground on the edge until it fit INSIDE the pipe. That way the rounded head pushed against the end of the steering column. Two nuts were locked together on the end so the carriage bolt could be turned. the nut could be welded on, of course. 


--------------
Date: Sun, 09 Dec 2007 18:19:57 -0800
From: Tom Jennings <tomj@xxxxxxx>

I'm thinking of putting an aftermarket steering wheel on my 63
American.  Has anyone done this? I think all AMCs use basically
the same "mounting kit" -- and is the same spline as one of
the other car brands... anyone know which ones?

I recall from doing my Classic long ago that there's a diameter
issue but I can deal with that -- it's the spline mainly. I
also had to re-make the turn signal canceller and horn slipring.

-- 
Frank Swygert
Publisher, "American Motors Cars" 
Magazine (AMC)
For all AMC enthusiasts
http://farna.home.att.net/AMC.html
(free download available!)

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