Thread: Does the steering column hit the center of your body in your '28 - '32???

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Hi Everyone, Where does the center of your steering column hit on your body when your in your seat??? I don't know if this applies to only '32's or not as I believe '32 are wider than A's.... But anyway, when I sat in my '32 the steering column didn't line up with the center of my body. It just felt sort of 'weird'. Is this just 'the way it is'??? Now my seat isn't appolstered yet so may be this made a difference as the padding is 'built up' aroung the outside.... Thanks Bill

Are your frame rails pinched? Sometimes it is harder to center everything if you pinch the rails and you don't want severe steering shaft angles.

The steering wheel in my '31 hit dead center. Of course, I set it up that way. I put the seats in first, then aligned the column centerline and height.

Billlsbird---On my model A the steering column is dead nuts on center of my---well, my body. Or, dimension-wise, it sets over 10 3/4" from the center of the car, measured right at the dash. (this means that from the inside of the door to the center of the steering column is10 1/4") when measured at the dash. The car measures 42" from inside to inside of doors, measured at the dash.

.....Ken, yes the frame rails are pinched 3/4" on each side...

.....Henry, well I guess mine was done backwards? The seat was put in {actually it isn't really officially 'in' yet, just sitting there} after the steering was set up...

.....Brian, I didn't measure mine when I was back in Kansas so I have no measurements. I just know that the wheel wasn't centered on my body. I guess it's no big thing but it just didn't seem 'right'. I also didn't like the height of the wheel so they are going to lower it an inch. But I was told that it couldn't be centered that it was just 'the nature of the beast'.... That if it was moved over it would hit the motor. And when I looked it didn't seem as if there was any room. May be I can have them move the seat over as far as possible towards the drivers door??? Plus the seat padding was raised on the sides so that might have thrown me off.....

THANKS everyone Bill

....Brian, after studying your pic's a little closer I see that your steering is set closer to your firewall than mine is. Where as mine is 'based' more towards the center of the motor. But I like to have my wheel lower, or more specificly I like to have the steering wheel at a 90 degree from the ground when it's tilted as far as it'll go. And I don't see how you can have both; 1) the steering wheel centered & 2) the wheel at a 90 degree angle to the bottom of the seat.... Thanks for the pic's, they help. I'll post some pic's when I figure out how to do it on my Niece's Apple computer.... Bill

If you don't get your wheel perfectly in line with you when driving, it will be very uncomfortable to drive. I forget which car it was I had, but one of them had the steering slightly askew as you described, and it was very unpleasant to drive that way.

Don

Just remembered, it was a '32 pickup I had in about 1971 or 72.

Fwiw, the 30-31 and 32 roadster cockpits are very similar.
Main difference is, the 32 cockpit is 2" deeper.
The 29 is very close as well.


Below is an excerpt taken from a two page list of measurements comparing the cars vis a vis cockpit measurements.

Keep in mind that the cars the measurements were taken from all run 14 ½" steering wheels.
The 31 & 32 have Grant wheels, the 29 has an aftermarket wheel that’s retained by eight machine screws to the adapter.

Steering column length from toeboard to bottom front edge of the steering wheel:
29 = 28 1/4"
31 = 27 3/8"
32 = 28"
Both the 31 and 32 have home-built aluminum ball bearing steering columns and the 29 runs a GM tilt column of unknown vintage and origin.

The 29 column is tilted up one notch due to the column proper is installed at a little steeper angle than the 31 and 32 non-tilt columns.
Since the 29 column was set where it’s driven I left it as is and took the measurements.

Distance from the back edge of the eyebrow to the front top of the steering wheel:
29 = 4 3/4"
31 = 4 1/2"
32 = 4 3/4"

Distance from bottom edge of steering wheel to floor:
29 = 18 1/2"
31 = 15 1/2"
32 = 18 3/4"


Steering column
Taken from the front edge of the door top to the center of the column. Keep in mind all three of these roadsters are modified from stock as desired by the owner, so this measurement won’t be a whole lot of use to a stock steering column Model A roadster owner.
29 = N/A - lost this figure somewhere along the line, but it appears close to the 31& 32.
31 = 9 1/4"
32 = 9"


Center of seat back to top surface of brake pedal.
Realize that brake pedal height as well as angle and seat back cushion thickness will create a disparity in these figures:
29 = N/A
31 = 39"
32 = 39"

Center of seat back to top surface of throttle pedal - spoon type in the 32, similar aluminum round piece in the 31.
Throttle pedal travel is about the same in both cars:
29 = N/A
31 = 42"
32 = 41"

Center of seat back to toe board about 2" above the 45 degree juncture between toeboard and floor:
29 = N/A
31 = 45 1/2"
32 = 46"

The figures to the seat back center could be off a small amount as the seat back centers are in different places on the 31 and 32, but that was taken into account.
Even so, the same point on each car’s seat back was used to take the three figures from both the 31 & 32.

These figures reflect an ergonomically sound seating position.
Surprising to a lot of A owners, I have more leg room in the 31 than in the 32.
That's due to the thicker 32 cushion, but the 32 is still comfortable to spend the day in.
'Cept for a couple days back with 44 degree temps and north winds 15-25 mph.
A couple hours of that was enough . . . worth it though, got some good garage sale stuff dirt cheap.


Keep in mind that moving the top of the steering column is no big deal in most cases.

In fact, I built my 31 on 32 rails roadster so I could move the steering wheel transversely in 1" increments in case I had a change of heart.
It ended up going 1" closer to the door.

If you're worried about the steering wheel not being square to the car - IE: off angle transversely speaking, it's not a big deal, not noticeable and in fact an old trick done by Detroit for many years.
Take a look at a 50 Plymouth sometime; they have the worst steering wheel angle I've seen so far and driving the car is pleasant and comfortable.

Like Itoldyouso says, the wheel being centered on the seat is important.
Brought home to me once in a while when I have 3 people in my 32.
It's ok to slide to the left once in a while, but I wouldn't want to have it that way all the time.

Your lower mount where the column goes through the firewall will allow several degrees of movement in most cases and the column angle doesn't change too much by movng the upper column an inch or two left or right.
The U-joints take up the angle change so no big deal there.

Be sure and leave room for your hand between door and wheel if you go left.
Other than that, get in there and change it now or rue the day every time you drive the car.

And . . . if you're running bucket seats and the wheel is about in the right place move the seat.

Another reason why I like bench seats in a roadster....

.....Wow, thanks for all the info....... You know after looking at Brian's pictures & comparing them to where my steering is I see that mine is about as far over as it could go.... zzz