Wanting to put a 55 Buick steering wheel on 50 Chevy column....adapter?

Just picked up a really nice 55 or 56 Buick Steering wheel and I want to put it on my 50 Chevy Styleline steering column. The two differences are these two prongs that come out of the back side of the threaded holes around the spline hole, and then the size of the spline hole itself. The spline hole on the steering wheel is larger than the spline shaft on my 50's column. Are there any adapter kits or MacGyver workarounds that ya'll know of or have come up with?

Thanks!!!

 

Im doing the same thing in my truck,Im going to go ahead and adapt the column itself to my steering. The column dia near the bottom should be the same you could cut it and machine both ends of the steering shaft to a double d. weld the dd coupling to each side then weld the tubes up. Im not by any means saying it will be simple because the buick shaft may not exactly the same dia down low. Also it may be hollow. So modifiyng the coupling may be the answer. I am assuming you still have the stock box in your 50. I have it a little easier since mine is already cut off and going to the nova box on my clip. Thats my plan anyway something to think about. If you beat me to it let me know what you find. I have got my wheel I just have to go back and get the column. Not sure when I will be able to though.

 

Yeah, I was trying to avoid messing with the column itself. That is above my skill level at the moment. I'd rather try and modify the wheel than the column at this point. All it really needs is a sleeve that makes up the gap between the current spline shaft and the shaft hole in the wheel. If push comes to shove, I might just have to engineer something and have it CNC'd.

 

Bump for the night crowd...any ideas?

 

How much of a gap is there between the two part? The inside spline would be the hard part but it can be done on a conventional vert mill or even a lathe if you have a divider head or rotary table. My only other idea would be cut and weld as mentioned or perhaps a casting but thats something i've not tried yet.

 

if you can get a grant adapter to put a three bolt wheel to your column,you could adapt the wheel to the adapter...i put a 57 plymouth wheel on a gm column like that,but i don't have any photos right now.
george

 

I can't find the adapter you're talking about online...have any pics or know a good place to look?

 

Ok...I called Grant and here's the one they said to use to mount to the shaft of my 50.... Part # 4187 :



So, in order to adapt the wheel to the adapter, I'd need the original splined shaft from the 55, correct? I'm figuring this would necessitate making a mount plate to match the 3 bolt setup, then cutting the splined shaft to a nub, more or less, then welding that to the plate I just made. The plate/nub combo bolts to the adapter, then the wheel mounts on the nub of the splined shaft. I guess i would also have to accommodate for the springs that went behind the steering wheels, somehow......

 

You are going to want to get the upper bell off the buick column to match the base of your wheel. The chevy is not the same diameter and does not look right IMHO. Thats why I am going to get the other column. I thought about trying the grant adapter too but after I started adding all the adapter stuff the gap in the wheel to the bell was rediculous.

 

Yeah, I've been thinking about going back for the column, too...problem is that I don't exactly feel safe in that particular pick-a-part yard. Not to mention the car is in 3ft tall grass, wasp nests everywhere, in the middle of the woods, and I just know there's some nasty snakes around somewhere

I do engineering and rapid prototyping as a part of my trade, so I might just try and CAD model up an adapter to work on the Grant one, have it cast up by someone here on the HAMB. I'd also just make a bell to fit and have it prototyped, too. Maybe I could make the money back by turning it into a kit or something...for others that are trying to do this and aren't welders or machinists. I know I'm not!

 

I will take two! I guess either way we do it its going to be alot of work. But its worth it those wheels are just so damn nice lookin!

 

I know...they are pretty sweet. I also want to make a custom bullet cap for the center, at some point.

Here's what I'm thinking for the adapter. Let me know if you see any problems...



It doesn't address the new bell piece...but that's easy sleazy.

 

what kind of material would you use? Thats a pretty damn good idea.

 

Are you milling the grant adapter flat? Or making the inside of the upper adapter able to accept the whole grant adapter?

 

I was thinking of using the same grade aluminum that I worked in when I used to work for subcontractor of Raytheon. I'd have to look up the number on the aluminum.

Originally, the idea was to have the bottom plate mount directly to the Grant adapter, bolting into the three holes in the same way that the Grant steering wheel would. I believe it would just be milled flat, but it might need to be two components...the shaft and the bottom plate. I always had the luxury of designing the part, then the mill shop had this chain smoking Vietnamese guy who would churn it out...the guy was a milling bad ass.

 

Without power steering would the aluminum hold up? I have power but if it ever went out...... maybe im over thinking?

 

Well, the aluminum that we used was extra hardened somehow. It was used on battlefield equipment, so they put it through the ringer in the field, we never had a complaint of parts failing, stripping, and such. Mine doesn't have power steering, so that *is* a concern on my part, no doubt.

We also got all the parts hard-coat annodized...which added to the strength. I'm sure there are some other metallurgical guys on here who might know more.

 

Why not just turn down the hub of an old Chevy wheel and bore the inside of the Buick wheel so they fit together. Then spot weld the two parts together being careful not to melt the plastic on the Buick wheel.

 

I guess if theres enough room you could put more of a taper on the base just in case? Might interrupt the spring though too. Where are all the metalurgy guys when you need em? LOL And also what kind of cost are YOU looking at just for the one? I cant imagine that being very cheap. (bad term I know being cheap here is a mistake of course)

 

BTW, how difficult is it (and what's involved) in taking the steering column out of that 55/56? I didn't get to look under the hood, so I don't know if it's a whole afternoon job...in which case I'll just engineer off of the steering wheel and leave the column.

 

You know, the only thing I'd be afraid of is Murphy. I've got my original wheel, and with my luck the whole thing would go sideways and I'd be left without any wheel that works!!!

For some reason, and I don't know why, I like inventing things....which is pretty much my day to day job. I like the idea of having something on file that can be replicated via CNC or other computer means....and if it works and can be made cheaply enough, it can be a source of income that helped pay for the R&D.

That being said....I'll be looking at your idea more.

Cost will be the crux of it all. I could mock up a rough digital model and get it priced out. I'd have to go through my contacts to try and get a deal on it.

 

Since you wont need the box itself you could cut it just past the fire wall and remove the column support inside the car. Honestly I cannot remember if the box is mounted directly to the column.(I believe it is) I tried to call my brother in law to check is car but hes not answering. He has a 55. I would get my hands on a battery operated dewalt sawzall. I would lend you mine but.....
Maybe an hour tops. It would be worth it just to have the bell and turn signal stuff,bring your wasp spray and weed wacker.

 

I might go and try to get the column this weekend. Outside of modifying the shaft, I haven't found an affordable solution to this. I couldn't figure out anything using existing bolt-on hardware, and I CAD modeled a simple adapter that would have been too expensive for something like this. I'm SURE that someone else has already crossed this bridge and has the photos to show, if you do, please SPEAK UP!!!!

 

i must have gotten lucky on the grant adapter deal...i just drilled out the wheel and welded the black part to it,then drilled the three holes...no spline to worry about...then bolt that to the splined adapter,making your wheel a three hole wheel,so it could be bolted to any column that you can put a three hole adapter on...i'll try to take a picture when i get home from work.

 

That would ROCK. I'd really appreciate it.

 

you had the right idea for the adapter idea,but are over complicating things...modify the wheel not the column...i figure that i changed the wheel to a three bolt,so i can use it on any car that i can get a grant adapter for,plus alot easier to change a wheel than a column...if you sell your car,put the old wheel back on and you can repaint this wheel and use it again....it's shown on a gm tilt column,but it's been on other columns than this one...just put the adapter on the spline of the column,drilled out the spline on the wheel to make a large hole(just make sure all of this is in the metal in the wheel center,not the plastic),measured the three holes and drilled the wheel,groung the bottom of the wheel flat and welded the adapter cover(the black cup in your photo)to the bottom of the wheel using plug welds...hope this makes sence...george

 

Ahh, it makes sense now! However, the wheel I have is different from yours. Yours has enough meat and diameter to the center to be able to drill those holes. Mine doesn't. Here's some images of one that's like mine:





And here's an image of what the back of that model looks like:



The little prongs are already snapped off the back of mine, and the center hub isn't anywhere near large enough in diameter to drill holes. I'll have to figure out something else :/

 

Your wheel can't be a Buick - a Chrysler product maybe? I have '37 and '58 wheels sitting here - the '58 similar in design to the 54-56. GM cars all use the same size shaft with the same splines from the mid-30s into the 1990s, so far as I know, I know I've had stuff swapped around and have yet to run into anything different. You lop off those prongs it should go right on there, what games you need to play to make the horn switch work is another story but it may be easier b/c the Chevy column should have a horn wire up the center.

FWIW if you go back, unless maybe if it's a P/S car the column and box are going to be one piece, most GMs don't go to a rag joint until '57.


Come to think of it I have the '58 column out loose, too, if you wanted to just use one of those. Or just get a still later column and put it in.

 

is there enough room to weld the plat to the back of the wheel,even if the bolts where out wider than the whell,but would still be covered by the horn ring..........hey hot rod manufacturers,we hobbyists need someone to sell adapters for all kinds of popular old wheels to put on other makes and models!!!...

 

That wheel is a 55 century wheel.I have the same one. One of my favorites!