Hi, i´m looking for a new steering wheel for my 48`Fleetmaster, currently driving with a 53/54 Bel Air steering wheel. I found a nice 55/56 Bel Air steering wheel, but i´m not sure if it fits directly to 48 column or if i need a adapter. Does someone know this and can help me? Thanks in advance. European Custom
For what it is worth.....On my 38 Chevy I cobbled together a steering column that a friend had cut off of a 40's era Pontiac? I think. I've had three different wheels on that splined tube. An early 50's Pontiac wheel, a 58 Chevy wheel and currently about a 1940 Pontiac wheel. GM seemed to stay with the same spline arrangement for quite a few years. The problem may/will be with how well it matches the flow of your current lower column and.....you may need to modify the column to flow with the wheel. Sorry I can't give you a direct yes or no answer.
The wheel should fit on the shaft, but like he said, it won't have the right "fit" where the mast jacket (the outer part of the column) and the back of the steering wheel meet. The 55 wheel is designed to fit over a turn signal switch, which the 48 column does not have. If you want to get fancy, you can probably adapt a 53-54 car or 53-56 truck type Chevy turn signal switch assembly to the column, then it would look "right".
Attached a photo of my current setup, the diameter of the steering wheel mounting is actual also much bigger than the column. But as you can see, the steering wheel has a flat shape, the 1955/56 wheels have more height (from mounting plate to horn) as the shape is conical. Does some know (or can measure) the total height for a 1955/56 steering wheel for me? By the way, as you see in the photo i use a standard aftermarket direction indicator, which i don´t like in terms of the base size. Is there anything smaller available? Best regards European custom
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