...i.e. would a '49-'50 steering wheel look good on a '51 column? I got the wheel, and as I look for a column I'd like to know if I should stick to the '49-'50, or if I can expand the search to include the '51 as well. Thanks!
I believe 48 is keyed, neither here nor there with the question tho. Yes 49/50/51 Ford columns will interchange wheels.
Yeah, the '48 is keyed and '49 and up is splined. My point was not if a '49-'50 wheel will fit a '51 column (it will, technically) but if it will fit well and look good. The white one is a '49-'50 steering wheel, and the black one is a '51 wheel. As there are differences in how they are designed I wondered if there also could be differences in the columns as well that would make the earlier wheel look goofy on top of a '51 column. I'm sorry for the confusion, a couple of pictures makes it a little easier, I hope.
I don't think it would look goofy. My understanding is that Ford "lowered" the arms on the steering wheel in 1951 to accomodate visibility of the "new for '51" instrument panel.
Anything would look better than '51 wheel. Ugh! I believe someone once said it looked like a 70s Mustang wheel!
I always looked at it as the first glimpse of the 1968 Mustang wheel! Yes I have seen more than a few 51s w/ 49/50 wheels.
So does anybody have pictures of a 49 or 50 steering wheel on a 51 column? I absolutely hate the 51 wheel and I have a great condition 49 wheel that I want to swap out while I am painting the dash. I spoke with the guys at shoebox ford and they said the best way to do it is to swap the entire steering box and column from the 49 into the 51 because the columns are different lengths. I really want to just swap out the steering wheels, but I don't want it to look out of place on the 51. Also, my car does not have factory turn signals, so I will be using an aftermarket turn signal housing anyways if that makes a difference. Any help would be appreciated.
The splines on a '51 ARE different than the '49-50 Ford. '49-50 is interchangeable. If I remember correct the "clocking" spline is wider on the 51.
'51 has a different hub than the '49-50........look at the small diameter hub underneath the '49-50 wheel.........'51 hub is much wider diameter..... CB
You can put a 49-50 steering wheel on a 51 it will fit..BUT you will see the insides of the turn signal mechanism on the 51 column. To overcome this when I ran a 50 crestliner wheel on my 51,, I took a plastic coffee can lid, cut a hole in the center for the shaft, painted it to match the column used a couple of dabs of epoxy to secure it to the bell & that was that.
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