Classic Industries Steering wheel

[kwmech]

Customer ordered a steering wheel for her truck from Classic Industries in So Cal. 15'' and green. Getting rid of the 17'' black and cracked. Anyways the steering contact plate will not center. I called them up and now have to prove that their parts don't fit properly with pictures and a story. How are they to deal with and where can I get a wheel that will fit properly. LMC?

[dmjlambert]

Let's see pictures of what you mean by steering contact plate will not center.

[kwmech]

Pics if they will work in a steering wheel hole

[kwmech]

The black wheel I took off is obviously distorted b'cuz of the severe cracking, but the horn plate on the green wheel will not stay centered as opposed to the OE wheel, you can see the gap on the green just about 1/4''

[dmjlambert]

I don't see the problem, but I'm not there. Are the large holes in the contact plate large enough to accommodate the plastic spacer and screws to center the contact plate enough to do its job?

[kwmech]

Yes, but the inside diameter of the steering wheel will not center the contact disc. The disc floats around grounding out the pin. The plastic on the side is too large for the diameter of the disc, so the disc falls on the metal. Look closely at the first pic and you can see the diameter difference. Unless there is a large diameter center disc

[LockDoc]

-
The plastic piece with the 3 screws in it is what centers the disk, it doesn't have anything to do with the inside or outside diameter. Check out post #7 in this thread.

http://67-72chevytrucks.com/vboard/s...d.php?t=295764
.

[kwmech]

The plastic piece centers the horn retainer. The holes in the contact plate are larger than the holes in the retainer. Nothing centers up correctly when all the holes are different sizes. I bought the whole kit from LMC Number 8 on page 133

[LockDoc]

Originally Posted by kwmech

The plastic piece centers the horn retainer. The holes in the contact plate are larger than the holes in the retainer. Nothing centers up correctly when all the holes are different sizes. I bought the whole kit from LMC Number 8 on page 133

The holes in the cup and the holes in the disk should be the same size.

Trust me, the plastic piece centers the metal disk.

Unless they have changed it the LMC catalog shows the horn parts in the wrong order of assembly.

Did you read post #7 in the thread I posted above?

Also check post #24 in this thread

https://www.67-72chevytrucks.com/vbo...d.php?t=426902
.

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by kwmech

The plastic on the side is too large for the diameter of the disc, so the disc falls on the metal.

OK if the disc falls on the metal along the outer edge, the easy fix for that is put a bead of caulk along that outer edge in the steering wheel and let it dry, or cut a coffee can lid to make an insulating ring gasket. Have you compared the disc size to an original disc so see if they match?

[kwmech]

There was no original disc to compare. Maybe I'm wrong after working on these truck for over 40 years but if I recall the disc centered in the wheel and not by the plastic insulator. The thicker piece that the horn cap snaps on to is what is centered by the insulator. BTW, the contact disc is only about 1/64th larger than the steel contact area. AND I did read the posts you linked up.


AND why can't these parts be correct for the amount of money they're getting for them. I shouldn't have to silicone, file, grind, twist, tweak etc.

[dmjlambert]

Originally Posted by kwmech

There was no original disc to compare. Maybe I'm wrong after working on these truck for over 40 years but if I recall the disc centered in the wheel and not by the plastic insulator. The thicker piece that the horn cap snaps on to is what is centered by the insulator. BTW, the contact disc is only about 1/64th larger than the steel contact area. AND I did read the posts you linked up.


AND why can't these parts be correct for the amount of money they're getting for them. I shouldn't have to silicone, file, grind, twist, tweak etc.

I thought you may have a stash to pick an old disc from and compare. I don't know what you mean about the disc centered in the wheel and not by the plastic insulator. The disc sits on the outer edge contacting nothing but plastic of the steering wheel, so it needs to have a good amount of plastic holding the outer edge of the disc away from the metal, more than 1/64 inch. The middle big round hole of the disc snaps down against the metal hub to sound the horn. The only thing holding the disc in any sort of orientation is the 3 legs of that plastic spacer through the small holes in the disc.

[dmjlambert]

It looks like those discs are 2.5 inches, or 63.5 mm if the metric system got you.

[dmjlambert]

But that is for the standard size stock steering wheel, I don't know about the 15 inch aftermarket wheels.

[kwmech]

Finally got a hold of somebody at LMC with knowledge. they said there has been quality issues with the steering wheels. I've got a wheel coming from them that has been through QC and are saying will work. Thanks for the dimension of the ring. What I have from LMC is the same. You wouldn't believe what I went through putting the battery tray in..geeesh, same thing. Bending, twisting chasing the thread holes. Most of the stuff now-a-days is just absolute junk for quality

[custom10nut]

Originally Posted by kwmech

Finally got a hold of somebody at LMC with knowledge. they said there has been quality issues with the steering wheels. I've got a wheel coming from them that has been through QC and are saying will work. Thanks for the dimension of the ring. What I have from LMC is the same. You wouldn't believe what I went through putting the battery tray in..geeesh, same thing. Bending, twisting chasing the thread holes. Most of the stuff now-a-days is just absolute junk for quality

The direct result of sending manufacturing Overseas.
The “accepted tolerance” parameters are getting more sloppy every year.
Also, the parts are made with such quality, that you’re going to be replacing them in short time, forcing you to buy another piece of junk.
Not a “Political” statement, but just the truth.
Finding quality working/fitting parts has become a “Crap Shoot”.

[kwmech]

Working on a customers 2wd toyota pickup. had to 'special order' a center link and an idler arm. Got pieces from NAPA... the only ones in the state! Yeah, they didn't fit. The center link was too short and the idler arm was locked up. I put them on the truck without looking closely, the center ling towed the tires in about 3 or more inches. The holes were off 3/4'' being too short. I had to order the part off of Rock Auto----Beck Arnley part. Better than a chinese made Dorman I guess. Now I wait for a week or so for them to show up

[jumpsoffrock]

Originally Posted by kwmech

Most of the stuff now-a-days is just absolute junk for quality

Originally Posted by custom10nut

The direct result of sending manufacturing Overseas.
The “accepted tolerance” parameters are getting more sloppy every year.
Also, the parts are made with such quality, that you’re going to be replacing them in short time, forcing you to buy another piece of junk.
Not a “Political” statement, but just the truth.
Finding quality working/fitting parts has become a “Crap Shoot”.

China builds spaceships, surgical equipment, and has some of the most sophisticated engineered hardware and software in existence next to USA.

It is not "China's" fault.
They make stuff using specific parameters set by businesses here in the states. Those parameters are quality and cost.
They can only build something so good if you want to pay X for it.
If you want it any better, you'd have to pay more; I'm taking a wild guess that the marketing departments of these USA companies who order these parts from China did research before they made multi-million dollar orders of thousands of parts.

Their marketing and sales people said: "If we make a battery tray that fits like a factory piece it will cost the consumer $200. Nobody in our study group would buy it. So we'll make it for sale at $40 a piece and it will fit 3/5's of the time"
I know this sounds odd but marketing and sales are in charge--not hobbyists.


If the products are getting worse, I'd say conversely: These USA companies marketing teams are finding people want greater value and more parts offered. "We can do that but there will be a cost to pay in terms of quality or price, the consumer will decide."
There are lots of parts available today that were only a pipe-dream 15 years ago. This doesn't happen by magic, it happens by careful economic-driven strategy(and in this case that means give people lots of diverse stuff for affordable prices; and all of it will be low quality)