1940 plymouth steering wheel dilema

[old-idaho-iron]

Can anyone tell me other than the obvious, what is the difference on these 2 wheels? They both came out of p10 Plymouth coupes. The "plain jane" one came out of my 40 coupe, and the other "fancier" one came out of the parts car I bought for my 40. I never had really realized any kind of difference until I was looking for the one out of my 40 to get the pitman arm off of it.

Edited August 12, 2012 by old-idaho-iron
forgot the pictures!! duh

[Plymouthy Adams]

quite a unique looking banjo style wheel..going be an interesting thread I think

[1940plymouth]

The banjo steering wheel belongs in a '39 Plymouth, not 1940.

[old-idaho-iron]

might belong in a 39, but most definitely came out of a 40

[1940plymouth]

I don't doubt that, but 1939 was the last year that the banjo steering wheel was an option in the Plymouths

[old-idaho-iron]

I'll try today to get a pic of the Banjo horn button and ring. I took it off right before i snapped the pic, it's the same as the other 40 wheel?? possibly a carryover,with 40 parts??

[Plymouthy Adams]

I new the mid 30's had banjo..did not know the cut off date...in my search on the net I cannot come up with a pic of this exact wheel..but that only means no one was asking/talking about them..

[builtfercomfort]

My 39 Chrysler is missing most of the stuff in the middle of the wheel - I cobbled together something that barely works out of some insulated wires soldered to a copper penny to make contact, so if you wish to sell some steering wheel horn stuff please send me a PM. This is the first time I've seen what I'm missing - that dome in the center for instance.

[B-Watson]

I'll try today to get a pic of the Banjo horn button and ring. I took it off right before i snapped the pic, it's the same as the other 40 wheel?? possibly a carryover,with 40 parts??

Unlikely. Most likely some previous owner replaced the original with the one from a 1939. Why? Who knows - original wheel broke, owner liked the 1939 better, . . . .

Never assume what you find on an old car today was on the car when it rolled off the assembly line.

[builtfercomfort]

I think that the banjo one looks much better myself. I'd roll with that if I had to rebuild one or the other.

But how do you get it off the column? I've seen several like the pic above, with the column - almost never separated from the column.

[Roadkingcoupe]

Can anyone tell me other than the obvious, what is the difference on these 2 wheels? [ATTACH]37717[/ATTACH]

I don't doubt that' date=' but 1939 was the last year that the banjo steering wheel was an option in the Plymouths[/quote']

Information from 1940 Dealer Accessories Catalog and Price lists.

Deluxe Steering Wheel part #830640 1940 Plymouth P9* & P10

List Price $8.50 Dealer Cost $5.10

[Roadkingcoupe]

Can anyone tell me other than the obvious, what is the difference on these 2 wheels? They both came out of p10 Plymouth coupes. The "plain jane" one came out of my 40 coupe, and the other "fancier" one came out of the parts car I bought for my 40. I never had really realized any kind of difference until I was looking for the one out of my 40 to get the pitman arm off of it.

[ATTACH]37717[/ATTACH]

If the Steering wheel was complete the wheel would be equiped with a horn ring.

In the Center cap there would heve been a vertical "ribbed" metal molding that was specific to 1940 ONLY with the Plymouth "crest" embossed in the middle.

1939 Plymouth also had an optional "Banjo" steering wheel but the center cap and horn ring are different.

What I find interesting is that the Plymouth's had Banjo Steering wheels made up of three sets of spokes consisting of three bars (one flat bar with two round spokes) on the Chrysler Banjo Steering wheels they are larger wheels and have three sets of spokes consisting of 5(?) round spokes each.

[Roadkingcoupe]

My 39 Chrysler is missing most of the stuff in the middle of the wheel - I cobbled together something that barely works out of some insulated wires soldered to a copper penny to make contact, so if you wish to sell some steering wheel horn stuff please send me a PM. This is the first time I've seen what I'm missing - that dome in the center for instance.

The "stuff in the middle of the wheel" on your 1939 Chrysler is different from the Plymouth internals , and will NOT fit!

The Chrysler Banjo steering wheel is larger in diameter and has a larger hub. The Horn contact parts are different and the larger hub size might prevent the horn ring from working correctly.

[old-idaho-iron]

Roadking, I think you might be on to something here, the banjo wheel has the same horn ring and center cap as the other wheel did, actually I think the plain jane wheel horn ring was broke, but has the same center piece you described.

[Roadkingcoupe]

Roadking, I think you might be on to something here, the banjo wheel has the same horn ring and center cap as the other wheel did, actually I think the plain jane wheel horn ring was broke, but has the same center piece you described.

Information provided from Dealer Accessories Catalog

Have had both styles of 1940 wheels in the past & 1939 Plymouth Banjos & 1939 Chrysler Banjos as well.

If you need any more info feel free to request.

The Dealer Accessories 1940 Plymouth catalog is detailed and precise with great pics/drawings.

[Roadkingcoupe]

I new the mid 30's had banjo..did not know the cut off date...in my search on the net I cannot come up with a pic of this exact wheel..but that only means no one was asking/talking about them..

In 1941 Chrysler did not offer an optional Plymouth "Banjo" steering wheel.

Just the plain 3 spoke steering wheel with horn button and a "deluxe" wheel with 3 spokes and a horn ring.

[HughForrest]

It is a little o/t, but here is a cut-down '38 banjo with correct center & spokes:

[40P10touring sedan]

Information from 1940 Dealer Accessories Catalog and Price lists.

Deluxe Steering Wheel part #830640 1940 Plymouth P9* & P10

List Price $8.50 Dealer Cost $5.10

Now that's interesting...in pic 1 of those two steering wheels, I have the left wheel but with the right wheel horn button in it!

[knighthawk]

a side question here, if yall got the time.....how do you 'restore' a wheel like that when it's down to the metal bar ?

[Roadkingcoupe]

a side question here, if yall got the time.....how do you 'restore' a wheel like that when it's down to the metal bar ?

The restoration of a wheel that is down to the bare core is "recasting"

Most quality steering wheel restoration shops can recast wheels by using a mold.

Unlike pick and fill repairs "recasting' is the complete remanufacture of the 'PLASTIC' rim.

[Robert Smith]

Information from 1940 Dealer Accessories Catalog and Price lists.

Deluxe Steering Wheel part #830640 1940 Plymouth P9* & P10

List Price $8.50 Dealer Cost $5.10

That's really neat! My '40 Dodge Luxury Liner Deluxe wheel is pictured in the ad on the left!

I wish my car had a banjo wheel... They're so neat! :-) If I had to choose between the two wheels, go with the Banjo, they're rarer and very appealing.

Also wanted to mention that in 1941 Plymouth did briefly offer a banjo wheel. A friend of mine in town has a '41 Plymouth convertible. He has the literature to back it up. He has the fancier ivory and red horn button with the Plymouth script and red sunburst detail... The wheel it's self is a milky slightly transparent wheel... The banjo bars going to the center are slightly arched at each end of the top, and the lower is straight. I need to take a photo of it... It's the only one like it that I've ever seen. My neighbor showed me the ad from a '41 Plymouth page out of a book advertising the banjo wheel for that year. He found it for sale in Hemmings in the late 1970s. He called and it was already sold. He waited for years trying to find another one... Then, another one surfaces in the 1990s... It was the same wheel being sold by the guy who bought it in the 70s. So, my neighbor bought it and put it on his convertible. I suppose it was an accessory that suffered very low production numbers, or very few people bought'em or wanted a banjo wheel in '41.

Interesting stuff!

[old john]

the one on the left is the standard wheel but the one on the right is an accessory wheel that did come original on some 1940 Plymouth models as an accessory. I can say this because my 1940 Plymouth I have was bought by my father from a neighbor in 1949 when I was born. I t is all original with a sun visor and a banjo wheel. nothing was ever changed or added ever. It was never in a wreck. it has been stored since 1959 and the motor has been kept running.

Edited December 14, 2015 by old john

[dpollo]

Most, but not all wheels have two threaded holes on either side of the shaft which allow a "strong back " 

puller to be used.   Care must be taken not to flare the top of the  tube  (shaft) so it is a good idea to replace the nut

just enough to protect the threads.  Wheels are on a taper, either with a keyway or with splines.  They usually come off

quite easily, unless they have been out in the wet for a long time.

 

Wheels without threaded holes need a special puller which goes around the column jacket and allows force to be applied

under the hub.  A lot of trucks are like this, but as I recall, the 39 and 40 have the threaded holes.

[desoto1939]

the picture of the red steering wheel that has the 5 metal rods for the bango wheel is the same that is the standard steering wheel in my 1939 Desoto.

 

Also I have the Miller steering wheel factory puller to remove the 40 Plymouth steering wheel.

 

Rich Hartung

Desoto1939@aol.com

[Robetr Lamanna]

The plane Jane, 3 spoke steering wheel is correct for a 40 Plymouth, 

The 3 metal spoke wheel, is a Deluxe wheel that was offered, in 1939, 

I have one like that on my 1939 Plymouth Rumble seat convertible. 

I also own a 1940 Plymouth.