help with steering wheel install

[57chevyman]

They say its allways something. i have an aftertermarket steering wheel to install. i removed my steering wheel succesfully. Then i couldnt get passed step one in the instructions ....

heres the issue.... the instructions say to insert the spring, plastic sleeve and (+) horn wire into the plastic housing...... i see a metal spring loaded pin in the spot where they show a hollow plastic housing....

can someone give me advice on how to proceed?

[mgchevyparts]

That's because the instructions are for a GM car, trucks up to about 72 use the different style pin like you have.

[mr48chev]

Did you get the horn kit for the year of the truck or the year of the column. As that is a later column you need the correct horn kit for that column and the year model of the truck really has no influence on the kit you need.

[57chevyman]

The fella who built this truck said that the steering column is 1978 GM... but i suppose he is mistaken. can i make this work or is there a different adapter kit that works with this?
my adapter kit is for 1969-1994 GM 36 tooth spline.

[57chevyman]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

Did you get the horn kit for the year of the truck or the year of the column. As that is a later column you need the correct horn kit for that column and the year model of the truck really has no influence on the kit you need.

i got the horn kit for the year of the column, i was told its a 1978 column by the guy who built the truck.. maybe he is wrong about that?

[57chevyman]

If someone can tell me what year steering column this might be, that would help. theres no key on the column. it is tilt

[57chevyman]

Originally Posted by mgchevyparts

That's because the instructions are for a GM car, trucks up to about 72 use the different style pin like you have.

so would you say this is from a 1960s truck?

[mr48chev]

A stock 57 Chevy pickup column uses a Grant 4187 horn kit.
That would use these instructions http://www.grantproducts.com/files/i...7508-00-01.pdf

A 68 Car would use a 3162 kit using these instructions
http://www.grantproducts.com/files/i...7508-00-01.pdf

A 72 car column would use a 3196 horn kit that uses these instructions
http://www.grantproducts.com/files/i...7505-00-01.pdf
Note: 69 and later cars had the key in the column

an 80 van with a tilt would take a 4198 that takes this set of instructions
http://www.grantproducts.com/files/i...7508-00-01.pdf

I'm not sure what column you have but it looks like a 60's car tilt or a 67/72 truck tilt.

[mr48chev]

That style of 4 way flasher button looks like the earlier style of flasher button but I can't remember where the break between that style and the newer ones that have the spring loaded setup is.

More photos of the column from both sides might let someone figure out exactly what you have.

[57chevyman]

I will post a few more pics soon

[57chevyman]

more pics

[57chevyman]

The eBay seller says i should remove this pin so i can install the spring, plastic sleeve, and wire that came with my adapter kit. does this sound right? the pin is spring loaded. i dont see any way to remove it from the front.

[57chevyman]

i must have misunderstood the seller. he was talking about the other spring loaded pin, which i can remove..... but the round hole that im left with is not right... the horn wire that came with my adapter kit has a black plastic part thats supposed to lock into place. see attached photos. i can probably "make it work" by trimming the plastic piece and gluing it in place.. but im thinking that i either need a different adapter kit, or different horn contact part ( whatever you call that part that i took off the column for these pics)

[57chevyman]

can i just get a horn contact like this? see how its notched out

[57chevyman]

http://youtu.be/-_K1wwi3f-M

Okay people listen up. The people upstairs handed us this one . We gotta come through. We gotta find a way to make this fit in the hole for this, with nothing but that.

[mr48chev]

m Doing some hunting through various tilt columns I am fairly sure that the column is out of a 1966 or 1967 GM mid size floor shift car. Chevelle, Lemans, Cutlass or Skylark.

Here is one out of a 67 Skylark that looks real close. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-Buick-T...2d374e&vxp=mtr

I don't think that wheel came on that column originally though as I cannot id it.

That by the way is one clean and slick looking tilt column that looks far better in that truck than the clunky late model columns with the built in key switch and dimmer switch box on the side of the turn signal housing.

[57chevyman]

Originally Posted by mr48chev

m Doing some hunting through various tilt columns I am fairly sure that the column is out of a 1966 or 1967 GM mid size floor shift car. Chevelle, Lemans, Cutlass or Skylark.

Here is one out of a 67 Skylark that looks real close. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1968-Buick-T...2d374e&vxp=mtr

I don't think that wheel came on that column originally though as I cannot id it.

That by the way is one clean and slick looking tilt column that looks far better in that truck than the clunky late model columns with the built in key switch and dimmer switch box on the side of the turn signal housing.

Thank you, that column does look very similar to mine. the horn contact doesnt match, but mine could have been swapped out and replaced with what i have to work with the steeering wheel. the wheel looks alot like a late 70s jeep cj5. the grip looks thicker on the jeep tho

[57chevyman]

im probably wrong about the horn contact. since its also the turn signal canceling cam, it is specific for this column

[57chevyman]

after sleeping on it, i looked at the parts with fresh eyes and the solution came to me. Theres a plastic ring that holds the pin and spring in place... i can use that plastic ring instead of the part that came with my adapter kit.

[57chevyman]

I got the horn wire attached and it works. heres some pics with the adapter kit installed.... is anyone familiar with these kits? my steering wheel is made by Forever Sharp. theres a noticeable gap between the adapter and my steering column.... and the new steering wheel is going to be that much closer to me? the old steering wheel sat right up against the blue steering column. now I have 4 inches of shiny stuff bringing the wheel closer to me. is this normal with aftermarket steering wheels? Do you think theres another adapter kit that would fill that gap and be half as thick as this?

[57chevyman]

done

[mr48chev]

That looks nice in there.

Watch those "rivet" holes in the wood though as the love to eat the palms of your hands up if they didn't chamfer the holes a bit. I had a 70's/80's grant wood wheel that I finally took off and hung in the shed because it ate my hands up. It wasn't that style of wheel though it was the one with the oil finish on the wood they sold way back then.

[OrrieG]

Did you get the part that mounts to the spline pulled all the way down? Nut looks flush with the end of the splined shaft, usually there is about 3/8-1/2" thread showing. That would explain the gap....

[57chevyman]

Originally Posted by OrrieG

Did you get the part that mounts to the spline pulled all the way down? Nut looks flush with the end of the splined shaft, usually there is about 3/8-1/2" thread showing. That would explain the gap....

yeah my mistake.. that was just threaded on by hand in that pic. 1/4" gap closed up when i tightened that nut down