jep1210

Ok, I've searched these forums and Google but couldn't' find a definitive answer. I'm helping a friend in stall a new steering wheel on his 1962 Corvette but can't for the life of me figure out how it comes off. I popped the horn button off and expected to find 6 screws that hold the wheel to the hub, but they didn't appear to be screws but rivets(?) of some kind. I thought maybe I needed to take off the nut in the center and use a puller to pull the hub and the wheel off and get to nuts on the back side but there some kind of round "bracket" with 3 tabs that is absolutely riveted on that prevent getting a socket on the nut. Can someone give some advise on how to get the wheel off? TIA

John

DZAUTO

Assuming that you are talking about a factory stock 62 steering wheel, you first pop off the horn button (just a gentle pull with finger tips). Then there is a horn contact which the horn button snaps onto. That contact is attached with 3 Phillips head screws. Remove it. Remove the nut/washer. Use a puller to remove the steering wheel. The hub is riveted to the steering wheel, thus it comes off with the steering wheel. There is (or should be) a small mark on the end of the steering shaft which indicates the straight forward position of the front wheels.
Once the steering wheel is removed, there is (or SHOULD be) a coil spring on the steering shaft. As the steering wheel hub presses against this spring, the spring maintains pressure on the upper bearing for the steering shaft to keep it from being sloppy. Before installing the new steering wheel, try to put a little grease on the bearing *****. It probably hasn't been lubed since 62.

Tom Parsons

chris ritchie

When you take the horn button off, you should find the horn button holder attached to the wheel with three screws. It has three tabs. Underneath that is the large (5/8"?) nut that holds the wheel to the shaft. Also underneath that is the hub for the steering wheel. That hub will have the bolt holes you need for your steering wheel puller. You need to get that horn buttom mount off the wheel. If that's rivetted on the wheel, you'll need to drill those rivets out. Looks like Bubba was in there before you. When you drill those rivets out, you'll find that Bubba used rivets for a reason - those screw holes may be stripped. You can replace the hub (~$50). Or, rivet the holder back on, and somebody will be calling you Bubba 40 years from now.

The shaft has a hash mark that should be at 12 o'clock when the front wheels are straight ahead. I forget how the spokes of the steering wheel should be when the road wheels are straight ahead. Either at 12, 4, and 8. Or, 10, 2, and 6.

Frankie the Fink

First of all the screws under the horn button to remove the horn ring are three clutch head screws with an hour glass shaped head and NAPA has the correct screwdriver to remove them but sometimes a regular flat head screwdriver will work. Then take the horn ring off being careful to get the contact plunger for the horn, its spring and its plastic tube holder out of the assembly. Remove the large nut and the shaft spring.

Then you can use a steering wheel puller to ****** the wheel off. Yes the wheel is riveted to the hub (not Bubba'ed -- that's the factory)...you have to drill those out to get the wheel loose from the hub. You can find short screws with lock washers and nuts to replace the rivets (from Ace hardware like I did)...they are hidden under the horn button anyway and not seen.

The wheel should be reinstalled with the spokes in a "Y" position with the tires straight ahead and the shaft nut torqued to 25 ft-lbs.

If you are installing anything but an original/repro 17" steering wheel with the stock suspension you will increase turning effort.

DZAUTO

Frank is absolutely correct and I had momentarily forgotten (seems to be happening a lot more these days ) that those 3 screws are clutch head. I have replaced those on my column with Phillips head screws.

Tom Parsons

Frankie the Fink

Don't feel bad Tom - I turned 60 this past June 14th and I have to make sure my pants are on before I leave the house anymore...

chris ritchie

Frankie and Tom make a good point. Those 3 screws should be clutch head screws. Are you mistaking rivets for clutch head screws?

Redbird

Steering wheel/horn.

jep1210

Thanks for the help guys. I stopped by my buddies house today and found those three "rivets" weren't rivets at all. I've never seen screws like that before but a flat head screw driver removed them.

Frankie the Fink

Corvette Central sells the four clutch head screwdrivers covering the most common screw sizes on these cars (you can get them via Amazon or directly from CC): http://www.amazon.com/Corvette-Tools-Clutch-Head-Screwdriver/dp/B004DF55JE

AZDoug

Learn something everyday.

i never knew there were supposed to be clutch head screws there. My car came with some mismatched flat head screws when i bought it 37 years ago,a nd I never bothered to change them because you can't see them, and they are something original to the car as i first bought it, and they are the last known leftover of multitudes of bubbaized things I have fixed.

Doug

unclecuzz

I'll gbe 58 on August 8, and have already been having the same problems for about 2 years now.

xkeots

Picture is perfect. I need to pull the steering wheel to get to the turn signal cancelling switch in the picture. I just bought a new one. Mine does not stay up on right turns.
Hell, I am 63 going on 64 and I forgot more than I remember.
Any thoughts on swapping out the signal switch?
Thanks
Jax
1962 C1
1963 SWC
1977 L-82

SDVette

I'll tell you my story: I pulled the wheel as part of a refurb of the cluster and steering column last year. I left the old signal switch in because, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it".. Well, within 3 months I started having signal switch problems (I loose one of the tail lights). I need to pull it again to swap the switch.

Normally I would say just swap it... but Repro parts are of such varying quality... Tough call!

Also, just to add to the above info: You can replace those clutch-head screws with regular phillips if desired.. and many cars have already had this done in the past.