Steering wheels

[teamharvey]

I have a van tilt and wanting to install a more modern wheel like a "Grant" or something similar. Any tips or ideas on what will fit and what is needed to make it fit ?


Thanks,
Bret

[CHEVYE]

any grant should fit fine. i have a later model 4 spoke chevy wheel on mine.... longhorn man installed it, and it looks good.

[Longhorn Man]

The grants are OK, some models have crude horn kits, and many you have to be able to figure it all out yourself.
Like mentioned above, my truck has the exact same set up (van tilt w/late model 4 spoke GM wheel) and obviously, i like it a lot.
About the only draw back is they styling isn't quite right for the older trucks...it doesn't blend...it doesn't cllash either though. However, they are cheap, plentifull, and VERY comefortable.

The red cab int is chevye's, and the gold one is mine.

[Longhorn Man]

ops...lets try this one instead.

[Longhorn Man]

OK, i REALLY need to go through my pics and get names on them I can remember...
one more time before I give up.

[69Custom]

Here is my grant wheel on a Ididit tilt Column

[Longhorn Man]

I like that wheel, it looks sharp, but isn't it a bit close to you?
That's another thing I like about the 4 spoke GM wheel..it is flat so it is further from you. I feel the wheel is too close in the stock set up. When i install van tilts, i normally shove it down an extra inch or so. Makes the cab feel more roomy, and gives a more natural driving position.

[Brainchild]

I shoved mine down in there so far I don't have room it mount my tach on the column any more It's an awesome upgrade though


Here's mine with a two spoke wheel,that longhornman hates.It works

[Palf70Step]

Here is the Grant I initially used in my 70, I liked the looks/feel and since I didn't have power steering (plus big tires) it was 16 1/2" which made it a bit easier to steer. Since I am now switching to power steering, I have the late model GM wheel. I like both, but I really like the feel of the late model wheels.

Oh yeah, my daughter claimed the grant for her truck, so I'm stuck with the late model even if I didn't want it now

[TugOwar]

Cant beat the late model four spoke IMO. I have one on my 68 gmc and I love it, even rigged up the horn to work! I just need to swap the Chevrolet horn button for a GMC.

[Longhorn Man]

In case anyone looks at these pics and likes the wheel idea...I have a thread in the FAQ on the horn issues.

[1972]

I was going to use a late model wheel from my '89 in my '72 but decided not to and put it in my friend's '84 K5 because it looked like the top two spokes of the wheel would interfere with a clear view of the lower gauges. Is this the case?

[68CST327]

Originally Posted by Longhorn Man

I like that wheel, it looks sharp, but isn't it a bit close to you?
That's another thing I like about the 4 spoke GM wheel..it is flat so it is further from you. I feel the wheel is too close in the stock set up. When i install van tilts, i normally shove it down an extra inch or so. Makes the cab feel more roomy, and gives a more natural driving position.

I just bought that same Grant wheel, model 969. I don't have it installed yet, but I took the stock wheel off, and loose fitted the Grant on there, and it sticks out almost exactly as far as the stock wheel. Arguably, it might look better (I still like the stock wheel though), and it has a thick hard foam grip, which is a lot more comfortable than the stock wheels. Also, at 15 inches, it's an inch and a half in diameter less than stock.

However, the issues with the horn (which I haven't tried hooking up yet), and the fact that I want a little more room between me and the wheel, have me thinking about getting a different wheel. The GM comfort grip wheels from the 69 and 70 Camaros and Chevelles look tempting, but their prices are ridiculous for repro wheels. 260 versus the 80 I spent on the Grant + install kit. The GM comfort grip wheel has a dish of 3" compared to the 4 1/2" of the Grant.

Now, I didn't know that you could install a tilt column, and slide it down further when you install it. Can this be done to the stock column, with some modification? I sure would love to be able to get some more room there.

[poink 71 chev]

I have a tilt column complete out of a 93 van. can I make that work and what is involved? I really like that style wheel. Thanks Poink

[Longhorn Man]

You could make it work...but it wouldn't be easy. A van column out of a 72 - 81 van is what you need.

[GreyHoundSteve]

I had a later model chevy wheel, you know .... the same one everyone else puts of their truck. It bolted right on. I changed it out to an APC billet wheel and i had to buy their mountint and horn kit for it. It looks just like the ones you see on these guys show trucks but i didnt pay $200 for it i got the whole set up for around $90. I would keep an eye on ebay and then you can get the adaptor kit at any pepboys or autozone.

[67ChevyC10Stepside]

longhorn.....if i buy a van tilt...how far can i slide it in close to the dash? about how many inches can i gain? (im kinda tubby)

[Longhorn Man]

Looking at brainchild's pics...I'd guess at 4 or 5 inches.

[PICKMUP]

I am now running the late model (up to '94) wheel. This one happens to be leather wrapped to match the interior.
The other wheel is another that will fit and has a different look.
They both let you see the 7,000 rpm and 130 mph speedo clearly.