Another Soft Grip Steering Wheel Thread - Hub Does not engage enough splines!

[RoyL]

Have read a bunch of threads on this steering wheel and seems like all who have installed have had no issues, other than the horn setup. It looks like no one has had this issue, at least not that I found. The hub will not slide on far enough to engage all the steering shaft splines...
I have 65 Suburban, but swapped out the stock column for a rebuilt van tilt column from Les (nice work he does!). Made to be like a 67-72 tilt column.


I bought a softgrip steering wheel, 67-68 Camaro hub, horn kit from SS396, IXS-678:
https://www.ss396.com/camaro/IXS-678.html


Measured spline engagement and it's only about 1/4"...


Hub to column is ~0.18"


The shaft tapers from 0.73 to 0.75" and the hub (ID is ~0.73"), so it will not slide any further down to engage more splines. Not sure what going on, other than I don't like that I can't get more splines engaged. What am I missing?

p.s. don't tell Les I scratched his nice paint job...

Not sure what going on, other than I don't like that I can't get more splines engaged. What am I missing?

[72SB]

I put on a Grant wheel/kit recently. The hub to spline is an interference fit so you need to use the large nut to "draw" the hub down. This assumes your hub is for your truck.

In my case I needed to use a thin washer (not included in my install kit) under hub to keep the the column cup (under wheel) from hitting the column (where you currently have that big gap in 3rd pic)

Are you sure your install kit is compatible with your column and spline shaft??

I have grant wheels on both my 67 Camaro & 72 C10...they are different hub kits

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by 72SB

I put on a Grant wheel/kit recently. The hub to spline is an interference fit so you need to use the large nut to "draw" the hub down. This assumes your hub is for your truck.

In my case I needed to use a thin washer (not included in my install kit) under hub to keep the the column cup (under wheel) from hitting the column (where you currently have that big gap in 3rd pic)

Are you sure your install kit is compatible with your column and spline shaft??

I have grant wheels on both my 67 Camaro & 72 C10...they are different hub kits

I don't know if I have the wrong hub kit... Based on what I've read from others on this forum, the consensus seemed to be, get the 67-68 Camaro hub vs the 69-70 hub, due to the smaller diameter with the 67-68. I assumed that they were identical otherwise... maybe they are not?

Reference to your the interference fit, I did put the nut on and tighten her down a bit, but it did not move any further. It looks to be bottoming out on the tapered threads on the column shaft, where I measured it to be 0.73". It does not seem right to have the smooth hub inner surface to slide over a tapered threaded surface... I'm confused as to what it's supposed to be, cause I don't have a stock wheel to compare how it all goes together...

[72SB]

The hub for your wheel just goes over the tooth spline part, not the threaded part of the column shaft below that.

I do know the hub kit I used for my Grant on my stock 72 C10 is different from the hub I used on my stock 67 Camaro shaft

Maybe the ,117 gap you have is "normal"....I don't have any experience with your brand of wheel & hub

If you needed your hub to go lower....grind .xx off the bottom of it if it bottoms out against the threaded part under the tooth section of the shaft

or call whoever you bought it from about your issue if its a 67-68 Camaro steering column and wheel and hub for the car/column. There may be a difference between tilt or non tilt columns, IDK

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by 72SB

The hub for your wheel just goes over the tooth spline part, not the threaded part of the column shaft below that.

I do know the hub kit I used for my Grant on my stock 72 C10 is different from the hub I used on my stock 67 Camaro shaft

Maybe the ,117 gap you have is "normal"....I don't have any experience with your brand of wheel & hub

If you needed your hub to go lower....grind .xx off the bottom of it if it bottoms out against the threaded part under the tooth section of the shaft

or call whoever you bought it from about your issue if its a 67-68 Camaro steering column and wheel and hub for the car/column. There may be a difference between tilt or non tilt columns, IDK

I reached out SS396 for advice, and suggested as you did, that I ordered the wrong hub, suggesting I need the ‘69 hub.
How many versions of the hub are there?
Here are links to the 67-68 hub and to a ‘69 hub, cannot tell what’s different… only thing I’ve read is that 67-68 one fits the existing column diameter better, anybody seen both to compare?

67-68 - https://www.ss396.com/camaro/IK-062.html

‘69 - https://www.ss396.com/chevelle/IJ-3520.html

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by 72SB

The hub for your wheel just goes over the tooth spline part, not the threaded part of the column shaft below that.

I do know the hub kit I used for my Grant on my stock 72 C10 is different from the hub I used on my stock 67 Camaro shaft

Maybe the ,117 gap you have is "normal"....I don't have any experience with your brand of wheel & hub

If you needed your hub to go lower....grind .xx off the bottom of it if it bottoms out against the threaded part under the tooth section of the shaft

or call whoever you bought it from about your issue if its a 67-68 Camaro steering column and wheel and hub for the car/column. There may be a difference between tilt or non tilt columns, IDK

It doesn't make sense to me either that the smooth bore of the hub would slide into the threaded portion of the steering shaft... but right or wrong, the bottom of the hub does bottom out on the threaded portion...

Originally Posted by typerr

I had the same issue with a polished hub I ordered for the same wheel. The gap was way to big. I also tried to crank down on the nut to close the gap with no effect. I ended up going at the inside of the hub with some 200 grit sandpaper and slowly the gap reduced until I got it where I wanted it. It took about 15 minutes of sanding and periodic checking. You only need to remove a few thousandths of an inch of material. Give it a try before you buy a different hub.

After measuring a 69-up hub at a parts store, it looked to be the same diameter bore and depth, confirming what others have said... So wanting to get this wheel installed, I decided to ream out the lower bore of the hub, using a 3/4" drill bit, to a depth of about 1/4". ID of the lower hub is 0.73, so taking off 20 thousands allowed more spline engagement, just below the top of the hub, more to my satisfaction to "send it."



Not the solution I wanted, as I thought this would be an easy one given the success of many others. Can't explain why, so that's frustrating. Can anyone answer the question: what columns have this threaded portion vs smooth at the top of the shaft?

[lolife99]

The 69-up hub is for larger diameter steering columns with the keyed ignition switch in the side of the column.
In my opinion that doesn’t look right on the 67-72 truck columns.

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by lolife99

The 69-up hub is for larger diameter steering columns with the keyed ignition switch in the side of the column.
In my opinion that doesn’t look right on the 67-72 truck columns.

That’s what I’ve read, so puzzled as why I’m having issues…

[CAMAROBOY68SS]

I used a 67/68 Camaro Hub on my truck with no issues, I even checked with 68 Camaro and its original tilt, wood wheel and hub and no issues even with my truck being a non tilt. There are 3 different hubs actually that Chevy used, but mainly the 67/68 Camaro version and then the 69 and later are the most common. The third is the 63-66 Corvette hub. It lacks the little milled area for the bottom spoke as their wheels were no offset like the later wood and comfort grip wheels.

The splines are guts are the same between a 67/68 hub and a 69 hub. The 69 is just visibly larger in overall diameter.

Buick also used the same wheel for a bit and their hub works as well, but its a little different. Its diameter is just slightly larger than the 67/68 Camaro style.

As for your column you should be able to adjust the shaft a little to get the hub tighter to the column case. I had to do that on my column, as for the spline engagement, might just need to file the splines a bit to clean up the grooves. The hubs are cast so it might be a little fuzzy and not allowing it to seat down properly. I pulled the best pics I have from when I was putting mine together. I run these wheels in pretty much every car I have, but I mainly use original hubs.

[typerr]

I had the same issue with a polished hub I ordered for the same wheel. The gap was way to big. I also tried to crank down on the nut to close the gap with no effect. I ended up going at the inside of the hub with some 200 grit sandpaper and slowly the gap reduced until I got it where I wanted it. It took about 15 minutes of sanding and periodic checking. You only need to remove a few thousandths of an inch of material. Give it a try before you buy a different hub.

[RoyL]

Originally Posted by CAMAROBOY68SS

I used a 67/68 Camaro Hub on my truck with no issues, I even checked with 68 Camaro and its original tilt, wood wheel and hub and no issues even with my truck being a non tilt. There are 3 different hubs actually that Chevy used, but mainly the 67/68 Camaro version and then the 69 and later are the most common. The third is the 63-66 Corvette hub. It lacks the little milled area for the bottom spoke as their wheels were no offset like the later wood and comfort grip wheels.

The splines are guts are the same between a 67/68 hub and a 69 hub. The 69 is just visibly larger in overall diameter.

Buick also used the same wheel for a bit and their hub works as well, but its a little different. Its diameter is just slightly larger than the 67/68 Camaro style.

As for your column you should be able to adjust the shaft a little to get the hub tighter to the column case. I had to do that on my column, as for the spline engagement, might just need to file the splines a bit to clean up the grooves. The hubs are cast so it might be a little fuzzy and not allowing it to seat down properly. I pulled the best pics I have from when I was putting mine together. I run these wheels in pretty much every car I have, but I mainly use original hubs.

That's what I have read (in blue). SS396 wants me to try the 69-7 hub... based on what I've read, it'll fit the same just look like it's mismatched with the column diameter.... I'm gonna see if they do some measuring or send me one to swap out.

[NoNeck]

We used the '69 Camaro hub on our truck and it fit perfect. Ours was a Restoration Parts brand if I remember. The outer diameter is just slightly bigger, but not enough to notice in my opinion.

If you still have questions, Lynn at Chevy World Parts in Bryant Alabama is an expert on installing the comfort grip wheels.

POP