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12-07-2003, 12:36 AM
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#1
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Posts: 809
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Bus steering wheels..
I'm not a big fan of large steering wheels. A wheel that is 22- 20 inches in diameter is too large for me. My Crown has an unusual steering shaft size and spline. I'm changing from a factory shaft to a GM shaft size. The modification will not be difficult. I'm using a Chevy pickup wheel that is 16 inches diameter. There are lots of choices of steering wheels from GM. And the prices are very much cheeper.. Later, I may change to a tilt column.
Frank in Idaho
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12-27-2003, 10:31 AM
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#2
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Texas
Posts: 11
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GM Steering Wheel
Frank, my 86 GMC has a large wheel that is broken at the hub, and I want to replace it, too, with a smaller wheel. Will any GM steering wheel fit on that shaft?
Thanks for any information you can share.
__________________
Unless there is something within you that is above you, you become lost in those things that are about you.
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12-27-2003, 04:01 PM
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#3
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Bus Crazy
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Central Iowa
Posts: 1,839
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Is your new steering wheel large enough that you could still drive (or at least keep control of) the bus without power steering should anything ever happen?
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12-29-2003, 12:38 AM
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#4
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Posts: 809
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Big truck steering wheels
Many folks have mentioned that control of a big vehicle is tough with a small wheel. That is true, but how often has this happened? The most usual action if a vehicle engine suddenly stops, is to apply the brakes. Now ya cannot got racing but the wheel can be turned to move off roadway. A smaller wheel makes driving fun. A GM trucks over 1.5 ton use the same size steering shaft. The spline is 13/16 and has 36 splines. A heavy duty wheel puller is required. Frank
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01-30-2004, 01:33 AM
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#5
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: Twin Falls, Idaho
Posts: 809
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GM steering wheels
All GM steering wheels are the same steering shaft size. It is 3/4 in OD, I forgot the spline count, and not important. GM vehicles use many size wheels, but are easily interchanged to satisfy, egos, power,looks,or task..
Using a steering wheel puller required to guarantee not to damage any parts. Many folks remove the steering lock of RVs for lots of reasons. New steering wheels are very spendy but salvage yards have lots of cheap good wheels.
All the GM wheels will interchange up to about 1990, as air bags came into use...... Yep, the spline is still the same. Frank
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07-27-2007, 05:36 PM
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#6
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New Member
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: North Dakota
Posts: 7
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
Definitely use a Heavy Duty steering wheel puller. We had 3 days of downtime because my buddy thought he could get it off using the old hammer in the middle trick, except that he used a claw hammer instead of a rubber mallet and mushroomed the steering column shaft. I ended up buying a steering wheel puller to get it off but the only one's napa had were light duty (meant for cars and light trucks) Bent the hell out of that one but got it off. We looked all over town and couldn't find a 3/4" die to re-cut the shaft so ended up having to grind off the top of the shaft from where the snap ring goes on upwards.
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08-06-2007, 11:27 PM
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#7
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 151
Year: 1950
Coachwork: don't know
Chassis: cheverolet
Engine: to be determined
Rated Cap: 28
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
I was always told that the size of the steering wheel corresponds to the diameter of your wheels.
If you decrease the size of the steering wheel you decrease the amount of turns it takes to go from lock to lock
when turning all the way left and then right.
I can't see it being a problem as long as the driver is aware that he is turning the wheels faster than he is the steering wheel.
(change lanes quicker ect.)
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08-07-2007, 04:45 AM
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#8
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Skoolie
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Hamel, IL
Posts: 160
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
Quote:
Originally Posted by delbertinie
I was always told that the size of the steering wheel corresponds to the diameter of your wheels.
If you decrease the size of the steering wheel you decrease the amount of turns it takes to go from lock to lock
when turning all the way left and then right.
I can't see it being a problem as long as the driver is aware that he is turning the wheels faster than he is the steering wheel.
(change lanes quicker ect.)
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Do what?  I dont think that is correct. The number of turns required to go from lock to lock is independent of the size of the steering wheel. You can even remove the steering wheel all together and the number of turns lock to lock is still the same. The only thing that is decreased is the distance the hand has to go when turning the wheel. Which is the difference of the circumference of the steering wheels.
__________________
Jeff
95 IH 72 passenger transit school bus w/ DT466 and 545 Allison.
79 IH Scout II/392 (0.030 over) Hamilton Injected/727/D300/Full size axles/36" Swampers/Lockers/OBA/38 gal Custom fuel tank, roll bar, tube doors.
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08-07-2007, 03:22 PM
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#9
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 786
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
Quote:
Do what? I dont think that is correct. The number of turns required to go from lock to lock is independent of the size of the steering wheel. You can even remove the steering wheel all together and the number of turns lock to lock is still the same. The only thing that is decreased is the distance the hand has to go when turning the wheel. Which is the difference of the circumference of the steering wheels.
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I agree, I was going to say the same thing, but I'm too lazy to type all that. ha ha ha
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08-08-2007, 11:12 PM
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#10
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 151
Year: 1950
Coachwork: don't know
Chassis: cheverolet
Engine: to be determined
Rated Cap: 28
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
well when I was kid and we used to weld together links of chain to make steering wheel and had them chromed. We made them much smaller
than the original so that the steering would be quicker( thats the best way I could describe it). It wouldn't take much of anything to be in the next lane before you knew it.
I may not have explained it right, but in know in mo I got a tickect for changing the diametor of the steering wheel.
In the early 70's we jacked the rear ends up, big meats in the back little skinnies in the front and little steering wheels.
It may have cool then but with a big block it sure made a scary ride.
At times going around a curve( or just trying to turn a corner) we overcompensated on the steering and slid the car into the curb or another car.
it was good case of push steer. ya overturned the skinny wheels in front and big rears pushed you straight into whatever was in front of you.
That what I was trying to explain without going around the bush 5 times to get there
hopefully this helps my statement before make some sense
dale
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08-08-2007, 11:15 PM
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#11
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 151
Year: 1950
Coachwork: don't know
Chassis: cheverolet
Engine: to be determined
Rated Cap: 28
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
by the way didn't claim it was the gospel truth either.
It's just what the old timers told me when we started modifying our cars
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08-09-2007, 10:08 AM
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#12
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Bus Nut
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
Posts: 786
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
It would turn quicker because with a smaller steering wheel, less movement is needed to turn the steering shaft the same amount. Same thing as smaller tires have to turn faster to cover the same distance as larger ones. That's why when you change tire size your speedometer will be off and your gear ratio will change. Since the steering shaft is not altered (nor the steering gear) the number of turns lock to lock would be the same. The wheel would just turn much "quicker" to make one revolution.
Anyway no one was putting you down for saying that... That's not how we are on this board. We're all here to learn, and we all know that. Eggman was just trying to explain it to ya, I wanted to but I suck at explaining stuff sometimes (which is why I put "ha ha" in my last post... not to make fun of you)
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08-09-2007, 09:39 PM
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#13
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Skoolie
Join Date: Jul 2007
Posts: 151
Year: 1950
Coachwork: don't know
Chassis: cheverolet
Engine: to be determined
Rated Cap: 28
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
well I suck at explainations too and I didn't take it as a put down
Dale
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08-17-2007, 04:26 PM
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#14
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Mini-Skoolie
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Colorado
Posts: 34
Year: 1987
Coachwork: Thomas
Chassis: SaftLiner
Engine: Cat 3208 Turbo 250HP
Rated Cap: 84
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Re: Bus steering wheels..
A large steering wheel is so you'll have enough leverage to retain control over your bus in the event of a blowout. I feel you may be asking for trouble if you try to go too small.
__________________
Jay
87 SaftLiner
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