Hot Rods 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?

 

30-31 column is a bad choice for steering

 

The column is connected to a F100 steering box.

 

SO!!!!Change it too...damn,buy you books,send you to achool...

 

it will fit the taper up top, but the under side of the wheels are different. only you can say if it looks ok, or needs to be shortend or what ever. the v8 light/horn rod is going to be longer i think. a friend recently cut one in the middle, slipped a piece of brake line inside, and tig welded it back together. i am doing one now, and plan to make a whole new bottom 2" or so on the lathe, then mill it square, then rosette weld it into the tube. it will take some figgerin to get the length of your particular application

 

Can't change the column as the throttle and spark controls are in it.

 

I'd scrap that idea-whatcha want for the wheel?

 

Not sure what steering shaft you have since you say the box is F100 but if it is Model A the banjo wheel will not fit. The tapers are different. You will need to graft a later shaft or ream the wheel hub to fit. I reamed the hub so I could use the 31 box. I used the 31 light rod but you need to make an adapter to keep it from turning so the horn wire stays in one position.

 

62 Pan,
Thank you. That is exactly what I needed to know. As to the light rod. Did you swap the '31 rod onto the Banjo horn button?

 

I honestly don't remember all the details. That banjo wheel caused me a lot of grief until it was all done. I do remember running a new wire up to the horn button on the wheel. How it connects I don't know off hand.

 

There's a fellow on fordbarn.com
That sells the Ford pickup box to take model A horn and light switch I'll bet he would have an answer for you.

 

One STRANGE little problem that is easy to fix but baffling to diagnose:
The Woodruff key for the steering wheel is secretly NOT an actual Woodruff. The curve at the belly of a woodruff is slightly too deep for that position, so it protrudes through into the hollow at center of steering shaft and digs into the light switch tube. This causes the light switch to turn rigidly as part of the steering shaft, giving you a light show and no control at all. The cure is beyond easy if you lost the proper key...just grip a normal woodruff by its flat edge with a vise grip and give it about a 2 second ride on the grinder until it stays just outside of the inside (WTH?) of the steering shaft. Do it now before it drives you mad.



If you are the sort of nut who reads parts catalogs for entertainment, And suggest them to Spielberg for production, you doubtless noted that the key for steering wheel has a Ford steering part number root...3609.
Because it is not a standard hardware part, it is a Ford part...normal woodruffs that happen to live on Fords get a number from the Standard Hardware catalog along with ordinary nuts and cotterpins and such. I believe the hardware numbers are actually universal across the auto industry.