Steering wheel

Can anyone tell me? please
What to replace with its a? 1955 Chev truck, I have the original steering wheel 18" and I like to
replace it with something like 16" or any recommendation's

 

You need a wheel that is as flat as the one that is in it now and not a wheel with any dish to it or it will be up in your chest and your arms won't be in a comfortable position steering it.

 

Drive the truck a lot, and get used to it?

Since it's a flat steering wheel, it's not easy to find a suitable replacement. There are reproduction 15" steering wheels made for cars, and they can fit the truck, but they do have a bit of a dish to them, and might stick up too high.

You didn't mention if your truck is first or second series 1955. If it's second series, then the following is one solution:

In 57 trucks, the wheel is deeply dished, and the steering column is shorter. The column and steering gear are one piece in the these trucks. If you replace the whole thing with one from a 57-59 truck, then you can used a dished wheel, and it will be in the right place.

some guys have shortened the column in the old trucks. I don't recommend this unless you really know what you're doing, with welding highly loaded shafts.

 

Aftermarket Grant or something like it, you will need a steering wheel adapter.

 

Aftermarket wheels like the Grant all stick up about 3 or 4" higher than the original wheel, at the rim.

 

Depending on your skill this thread might be worth a look at, using you old steering wheel centre
https://jalopyjournal.com/forum/posts/14333892/

 

Roadmaster con r 2 and others build flat steering wheels google 17 inch or 16 inch steering wheels

 

Search ePay for Flat 4 spoke, Bell, Schroeder, Indy, Sprint car wheels. Check out Lime works speed shop as well. Just need the adapter kit and a fair amount of cash.

 

What's your reason for needing the smaller wheel? You don't like the way it looks? Or you can't fit? Speedway sells cheap steering wheels that look good, and the adapter you need to make it fit.

 

Early Novas and Corvairs have a 17 inch steering wheel and should fit right on.

 

looks like a lot of guys here haven't spent much time in an old truck, with a flat steering wheel....

 

Here you go but think they would be Big $$$. Click on Chevy reduced diameter.

http://www.qualityrestorations.com/chevrolet.html

 

Tell us how it was...

 

If it doesn't have power steering I'd stick with the stock wheel....of course everybody isn't a skinny armed old guy like me
My Studebaker uses stock steering with the stock wheel and parking is not the highlight of my day. And I think of my mother driving our 58 Dodge with manual steering and she didn't know it was hard to park

 

Lokar apparently owns LeCarra now. The Mark 10 and 40 are flat wheels IIRC. I had on a 55 bird and those were a flat wheel car. Not cheap either.

https://www.lokar.com/lecarra.html