Aftermarket steering wheel

[Mat7783]

Looking to replace my 20 inch wheel with a 18inch version. Where can I find the horn button hub adapter for it?

[cadillackid]

your thomas most likely uses a freightliner style wheel.. many of the aftermarket wheel manufacturers have adapters to fit their wheels to many types of trucks.


I wish i could find a 20 inch wheel I have the small IH 18 inch wheels on 2 of my busses...

[ennonne]

Have you checked out VIP?

Seems like they would be a good resource for at least some information.

Wheel Application Guides

[Rwnielsen]

Give these guys a shot. They carry all kinds of stuff. I bought a few push-pull switches from them and they match OEM. I've been looking at their steering wheel covers.


4statetrucks.com

[Crown_Guy]

Originally Posted by Mat7783

Looking to replace my 20 inch wheel with a 18inch version. Where can I find the horn button hub adapter for it?

The steering column is bought OEM by Thomas probably from Douglas who makes many different types of columns for many manufacturers. Check first with the local Thomas repair place to verify the part numbers they have in the system for your bus. Then you can look around for the many different sources for different aftermarket steering wheels. I'd check out www.iowa80.com for the many and varied steering wheels they offer for truckers. Steering wheels are Easy, most of the mountings are standard or easily adapted to if different. Many other sources I'm sure for steering wheels. Don't forget to check out local heavy duty truck salvage yards. They will have tons of stuff you can use, especially steering wheels, air-ride seats, gauges, lights, you name it.

Now, my problem is that I have one of these abominable Douglas tilt and extend the height columns in my Crown from when new, and I absolutely HATE the damn thing. It flexes as I drive so I don't get the absolutely rock solid feel and reliable control inputs that makes the Crown so fantastic to drive. I'm forever disappointed that Crown used this POS in their builds. I'm constantly on the hunt for a replacement older style one piece, non-adjustable steering column used in all Crowns until the later years of production. I intend to swap it out when I can find a good replacement column assembly.

In addition, I suffer from a malfunction where the damn steering wheel is constantly going up and down and not staying in it's set position. Apparently a part is missing inside the hub that friction locks the height adjustment. To say this makes driving a little bit of a pain is an understatement, I can compensate, but I really don't like it and want to get it fixed as soon as I find either the repair part or preferably a total steering column replacement.

You should have no trouble finding an acceptable steering wheel of the size and design you like. That's easy. I hope your steering column doesn't break something, like for instance the horn button, which on mine isn't reliable, and is now non-functional. Crappy design and crappy materials, this is the Douglas way of doing things. No Thanks.

I'll take mine designed simply with few moving parts that can fail, and built like a battleship, like the Crown it's installed in. That's the Crown legacy I always enjoy the most. Simple, Reliable, Easy to work on and repair, and will get you home if and when you do have trouble on the road. That's a Crown. Those of us who own and operate Crowns know exactly what I'm talking about.