Customs Banjo Steering Wheel

Does anyone have experience installing a '37 Banjo Steering Wheel and horn/light switch on a '30/'31 Model A steering column?

 

btt

 

This is something I’d like to know, too...
r


Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.

 

The Model a ford taper is different then the 1932 to 1941 ford taper. It is the same 3 degrees but the model a ford steering shaft is larger . Your option is to machine it down to the later ford diameter or splice in a later taper.

 

Splicing a new taper or spline section opens up a world of options.
As a kid in the sixties, I spent hours with a file trying to get my A taper cut down to accept a later Ford taper adapter (for a Grant style wheel). A few years ago I spliced a new end on my steering wheel shaft, for the same car. I found the banjo of my dreams (‘38 Studebaker) and cut it to the diameter I wanted.

Everything is possible, at least almost everything.

 

Wow what great looking wheel and you said you cut the wheel to the diameter you wanted ? Can you please explain how you did this thanks






[the QUOTE="Russ B, post: 13069349, member: 116185"]Splicing a new taper or spline section opens up a world of options.
As a kid in the sixties, I spent hours with a file trying to get my A taper cut down to accept a later Ford taper adapter (for a Grant style wheel). A few years ago I spliced a new end on my steering wheel shaft, for the same car. I found the banjo of my dreams (‘38 Studebaker) and cut it to the diameter I wanted.

Everything is possible, at least almost everything.[/QUOTE]

 

i rolled a smaller ring of 3/8" steel. It took me about 60' of rod to get a good ring.


I drilled the 3/8" rod to insert the banjo spokes in the new ring. The third side had to be cut.


I welded the spokes to the ring


This is the third side before welding


I wrapped it for temporary use


Sherms Plating, Sacramento, polished the spokes, and Backwards Unlimited in Washington made the new rim, and Kenny March painted the hub and the rest of the car, except for the wood graining that I did.

 

WHOA!!!! Stunning results!

 

John, can you provide the length from where the taper starts to the tread? I need to machine that part to mount a '39 wheel to an F1 shaft.

Thanks!
Carl

 

Russ fantastic job on the wheel and thanks for sharing the info.

 

The taper length can very with the shaft diameter but a typical length would be .850 .
I like to take blue dye or sharpie marker and mark the shaft your cutting. This way you can nibble a few thousands at a time to make sure you have the correct taper . Put the shaft on the steering wheel and rotate the wheel till you see the wear marks and can see if it wears and has full contact on the wheel hub and shaft surface. The key way lines up in the process so you don’t have to mess with that.
The shaft with the longer taper is a BB 1932 ford truck and its shaft diameter is .890 and the truck had a model a steering wheels.

 

Is it possible to change the taper in the wheel itself?

 

It is, that's what I did. I could not find a reamer with the correct taper but I found one that was close and then used a file to finish. I dont have a light switch at the bottom of the column so I needed to make a bracket to keep the horn rod from spinning with the wheel.

 

Here's another way to change diameter