Thread: brookville experience

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I had never seen how the Dearbourne Deuce was braced before Ken posted those pics. I'm surprised because I also used 1 x 3 box tubing for the cowl in my 30 Brookville and I incorporated my Hagan hiden hinges into this 1 x 3 tubing which made my cowl way stiffer and also added support/stiffining to my roadster doors. My column drop feels like it is set in cement and this tubing like others mentioned has helped with attaching everything.

Bob, this is an old thread but I have been looking at every picture of a steering wheel and column on the Forum that I can and in particular the picture you show here is on a tilt column of the same type I have. I have been testing with an old junk Camaro wheel which has at least a 3" dish and it is horrible, half way up the windshield impairing vision through the chopped windshield and to make matters worse I can barely get in/out of the seat! Maybe I have to reengineer the column drop but for now it is on the bottom edge of the '32 style dash and the "tulip" part of the upper column is on the top of the column drop so it can't do down further unless I move the drop with considerable effort. Soooo, I have noticed you have a flat wheel here and a few others have flat wheels. So far most of the wheels I see commercially available have at least a 2" dish but I think I could gain 2" clearance all around if I had a flat wheel with zero dish and 13" diameter, so what it the name/type/brand of the wheel in your picture and maybe you can recommend a 13" flat wheel that can host a horn button?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

but I think I could gain 2" clearance all around if I had a flat wheel with zero dish and 13" diameter, so what it the name/type/brand of the wheel in your picture and maybe you can recommend a 13" flat wheel that can host a horn button?

I have a old original Bell Auto Parts wheel in my 32 ... owned it for 30 years and it was used when I bought it. I believe Lobecks sells a reproduction or a wheel that is very similar.

Don, that column is a GM but similar to the ididit configuration. That particular wheel I just used for mockup (thus the wood hub), it's a Euro aftermarket I pulled off a Jag I parted out eons ago.

The wheel you're looking for is really pretty common. They are often referred to as Bell wheels, patterned after the wheel Bell Auto Parts produced back in the '40s-50s. You can get them from any dealer for Borgeson/Mullin, also Pete&Jakes makes a similar one, though it doesn't have the rubber wrap outer ring, it is a leather half round, with metal ring on the back. Here's a link to SoCal; http://www.est1946.com/index.asp?Pag...ROD&ProdID=179 they're available in both three and four spoke. Their price is pretty typical, so for you finding someone closer that wouldn't cost as much for shipping might be a better alternative.

Don, Riley Automotive sells a 14 inch version of this wheel. Mine is a 15, but theirs is very similar.

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html

Don

Don,
Why in the world do you want to fool around with a beat and battered junkyard Camaro steering wheel. There are just too many choices available - and the most used one in my area is a LeCarra. This is a 14" wheel, flat, the color of my upholstery, though the adapter needs to be painted the color of the column(I had forgotten to do this - thanks for the reminder). Billet Specialties make some very nice, but very pricey wheels. Then there are the tried and true Grant wheels. The The drop is an IDIDIT 6.5" measured from the upper mounting surface to the CL of the column hole - and I don't like it's appearance so will be looking for another or making one that I like the looks of better(another $50-$60 'coulda been a better item' ).

The wheel came from Juliano's, the column adapter, from Wilk-Bilt.

And of course - I don't like the horn button either so that will need an "update"

Just to add another for variety, even though it goes the other direction size wise from what you want, most are 14" like the one Pops showed, this is an option for those wanting 15 or 17", http://www.limeworkspeedshop.com/sto...carwheels.html

They also sell a flat banjo style for variety; http://www.limeworkspeedshop.com/sto...njowheels.html

Thanks all, those are some good leads. IC2, the "junk" Camaro wheel is only for mock up and indeed I have learned from it that I do not want ANY dish! I have a Grant Challenger but it has a 2" dish and is 13 1/2" but it got damaged in storage and the dish is too deep so I am looking for a flat one. Itoldyouso, thanks, that is a reasonable price for a classic Bell style and it is indeed flat as I learned when I called the site. On another thread, Deuce commented that his Bell-type is over 25 years old and was used then so apparently the style is nostalgic as well as available. Bob the one you show looks like it has flames and may be from your collection of parts over the years but it does look flat as well. I now know that I need a flat wheel and maybe I can try a longer drop so it looks like the project will continue until I get this right. Thanks for your help, the contacts/leads are useful.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

The Bell wheel repros are on eBay ... if interested ... made by Mullins now

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mulli...2em118Q2el1247

Originally Posted by Deuce

The Bell wheel repros are on eBay ... if interested ... made by Mullins now

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Mulli...2em118Q2el1247

Not exactly priced for the faint of heart - but does look nice - (and not a soul said that street rods are a cheap hobby)

I'm surprised that it isn't leather wrapped instead of urethane/vinyl

The leather wrapped wheels from Lobeck's and Juliano's are $160.00.
These are 14", 3 or 4 spoke style and come in 10 colors.

Mick

Originally Posted by IC2

I'm surprised that it isn't leather wrapped instead of urethane/vinyl

Then it would not be like the original ...

I spent the day researching steering wheels and learned a lot. The Bell type has the zero dish I need but I ordered the cheap "flat" all aluminum 13" with dragons teeth from Speedway ($50) under the IC2 principle of look and maybe return and also found a four-spoke for a lower price at:

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html

The three spoke has the advantage of a better view of the speedometer I intend to put in front of the wheel but the Mullens is more expensive. Maybe I will end up with the Mullens three spoke after all but I want to use the Grant three hole setup for which I already have the adapter and a "V8" horn button. The Speedway 13" racing wheel is flat and I found that you can use a Grant adapter and horn button with it. I might get it anodized red if I decide to keep it. I also looked at some "drifting D-wheels" but they require a different adapter. At least with a zero dish I should have an inch or more additional clearance to help entry. I chatted with a tech guy at Speedway whose ride is a '29 highboy and he admitted he has to "squirm" his way into his seat so the '29 is tight and needs every bit of clearance possible. DennyW brings up the idea that a 13" wheel will lead to hard steering when parking but maybe the dragon teeth on the back of the aluminum wheel will help with a good grip. All of this just means that whatever extended experience I had working over, under, in and around that MG midget restoration was just replacing parts that bolt in eventually and is very different from adapting and finding aftermarket parts that fit together. It would definitely be easier to just buy resto parts and bolt them in than have to mini-engineer every part, but that is the way it is and that is why it is so helpful to have experienced Forum folks available for questions.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Originally Posted by Don Shillady

http://www.riley-auto.com/STEERING_WHEELS.html


Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Interesting web site, Don - any idea where they're located?

IC2, they are in Denver. Several years ago my wife figured out that it was easier to get a "call anywhere in the US" phone line than to figure out the individual calls each month so it is easy to call around for info and besides Riley has an 800 number. I did call them and learned that both the four-spoke wheels are three hole fits to a Grant adapter (3196 for GM column) and are flat zero-dish with real rubber rings. The shipping from Denver should be about what it is for Speedway. Today I found a shop at the nearby Hanover Air Park which does powder coating and gave me a quote of $50 to powder coat the aluminum three spoke 13" wheel I ordered from Speedway. Thus I will install the 13" and if it looks good from the point of improving entry/exit from the '29 I can get it powder coated some shade of maroon to roughly match the rest of the car and then add the neat V8 emblem horn button availble from Grant for the 3196 adapter so I might actually come out of this with a nice looking wheel that allows me to get into and out of the '29! Hopefully the car is light enough that parking will not be a problem with a small wheel?

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder