New E body steering wheels from Grant

[Challenger6pak]

Mike, Hopalong was talking about the factory tuff wheel.

[matt63]

The Grant Tuff wheel just bolted right on to the can where my stock 2 spoke wheel sat.  At $100 it's a great buy!

[MEK-Dangerfield]

Mike, Hopalong was talking about the factory tuff wheel.

My bad.   

[crcarch]

Are those wheels a smaller diameter than the stock black/woodgrain wheel?

Also, did you guys see that XV has come out with a new tilt column specifically for the E-body.  Sure would help with "nut cruncher" position on the OEM wheel.

[chevyconvert]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160144151874&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:middle:us
would my stock '70 Challenger crushcan (black spoke/woodgrain wheel) accept this new wood wheel without an adapter?
I seem to hear yes and no in this thread

[gkring]

MINE WILL BE HERE TOMORROW. I have a three spoke wheel and am replacing with the grant wood tuff wheel.
That's a good price on the ebay ad. I paid $160 delivered from Summit racing and had to wait a coupel weeks because they keep backordering.

[MEK-Dangerfield]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160144151874&fromMakeTrack=true&ssPageName=VIP:watchlink:middle:us
would my stock '70 Challenger crushcan (black spoke/woodgrain wheel) accept this new wood wheel without an adapter?
I seem to hear yes and no in this thread

The answer is "yes and no". The wheel fits fine. I had to buy a horn switch kit for it though. The Grant wheel isn't like the Mopar wheel under the horn button.  I paid someone on E-Bay $149 for my wheel, plus another $29.95 for the adapter kit... most of the parts of which I didn't need.


  Mike

[gkring]

Just received it.
Not as good looking as the pictures. The wheel has a more natural finish, no clearcoat or varnish on the wood so it is kind of dull. The rivits we could also do without. It comes without a horn switch, so you can either use a tuff wheel or the ones out of their adapter kit. I haven't installed it yet, but I assume some fabbing will be needed to use a Grant horn switch with a non tuffwheel crush can. I think I'll keep it. Grant does have much better looking wood wheels, but since this one has the Tuff wheel flavor it looks more correct to me. I'll get some install pics up in a day or two when I have time to actually mess with putting it on.

[IMNCARN82]

These are very cool steering wheels.    Can't wait for more pics!!    I'm think'n the black on too

[gkring]

Before pic, standard 3 spoke wheel

[gkring]

three spoke wheel compares to Grant 246 wooden Tuff wheel
original wheel is about an inch bigger diameter, dish is about the same, all mounting holes match up exactly

[gkring]

Here's the only "tricky" part. You can use your existing horn switch. It screws right into the new tuff wheel. However the Grant supplied horn pad will not snap onto the three spoke horn switch.
The three spoke horn switch has a center hole diameter of 1.3125 (1 5/16).
The Grant horn pad is designed to snap into a 1.375 (1 3/8) hole. I assume a tuff wheel horn switch is this size.
Grant is nice enough to supply an adapter horn ring to be used with their $30 install kits.
I see no reason to buy their install kit just to get a horn switch that you still have to "make work" just to use an adapter on top of another adapter.
I got out the unibit and opened my horn switch up to 1.375, a dremel or die grinder would do the same thing. You can not shove the horn pad on without opening up the hole. Better to go a little bigger than smaller. The retaining ring on the horn pad is just glued on, so if the hole is too small and tight you may rip it off next time you need to remove it. I test fitted mine before putting the wheel on and had to knock it loose from the backside with a screwdriver and enlarge the hole slightly with a Dremel.

[gkring]

Rim bolted up, ready to put on horn pad. About a 20 minute deal from start to finish, including the custom fitting.

[gkring]

Horn pad snapped on, finished!
Still would rather have it without the rivits, but it looks a hundred times better than a worn out plastic/wood rim.
If you have leg or gut clearance problems with your three spoke you are going to have the same issues with this wheel. Luckily I don't have that issue, but have heard plenty of concerns in this area so I figured I would pass it along.

[gkring]

Last one, side shot. Hope this answers all the questions.