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49 chrysler royal steering wheel


Jeff I indu

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As you can see my steering wheel is not in very good shape. I was looking at the eastwood steering wheel repair videos but still have concerns due to the many, many cracks on mine. Was wondering if anyone has used this kit and were satisfied with the results? My other option is there is a NOS steering wheel on Ebay for a few hundred bucks but it is blue. Either way I will need to eventually have one wheel or the other painted. I asked a few months ago if there was a way to cross reference steering wheels by part number and did not get a response but will try again. A few weeks ago a bought what I thought was a match off Ebay only to find the horn button had to be twisted a quarter turn to remove. Mine is screwed on with 3 screws from the back. So it wont work. I have now removed and dismantled my wheel so i wont make the same mistake again. Anyhow the part number on my wheel is BH 1139492. The Ebay item number I am looking at is 254774312418. The part number is BH 1122314 or maybe BH 1122814 and is advertised to fit a 46 thru 48. Visually I think I have a match. The only difference i can detect is that the Ebay wheel has 3 fatter areas where the the 3 screws that hold the horn button attach. Marked it with the tip of the pen in the photo. 

Its empty space under my horn button so I dont think it will effect me. Worse case I can dremel it away. Just wondering what others have done in this same situation. I've looked at Gary's wheel repair and there is a guy in San Diego who does beautiful work but I dont feel like spending $2000 for a wheel repair

 

Jeff

 

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I all too well know this stuff is under pay to play but somewhere one does have to draw the line.....this is usually where one digs his toes in and strikes out on his own.....what is the worse you can do...solid wheel slightly out of round maybe...usually not noticed on a leaping elephant.

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Pictured are 1949 Chrysler Parts book wheel #'s. Actual cast steering wheel #'s are a number off compared to the part number in the book.

Basically all 1946-48 Chrysler wheels start out 1122....

1949 Chrysler wheels 1313....in the book..

1313...actual casting starting numbers.

Your wheel 1139...????????

Cannot find that # anywhere.

Shown are Pics of a couple 1949 Chrysler blue Steering wheels...one with the 1949 "unique one year only chrome hub" and another 1949 wheel with out the hub.

The 1946-48 Chrysler chrome wheel hubs are fully rounded at the bottom of the hub ...and the steering wheel center section is cast smaller than a 49 wheel.

1949 hubs are straight sided and perfectly flat on the bottom as shown.

Also 1946-48 wheels come in two steering shaft spline sizes...3/4" and approx. 5/8".

1949 only uses the 3/4" larger spline size.

Trying to swap between different years leads to difficulties in hub mounting, grounding and horn button fitting. Been there, done that.

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Edited by Dodgeb4ya
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The informed replies to this post over a steering wheel are one of the things that make this the best damn board on the web. 

 

Can't remember ever seeing even ONE snotty answer to a serious question here. Nothing but people trying to help a fellow restorer.

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Wow great advise and exactly what I needed. Dodgeb4ya, great pictures. The bottom of the wheel is the main issue I have now. Mine is smooth as shown in your first picture of the 2 blue wheels. The bottom of the NOS wheel on Ebay looks exactly like the second blue wheel in your first picture with high and low spots. But will the chrome hub # 1141455 piece ride at the same depth on both wheels? If so and it looks like a 3/4 shaft size,I may be able to make it work

 If not then it's back to Ebay with a lot more knowledge of what i need than i had before

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Later today I will see how the 1141455 hub fits the 1946-48 chrysler wheel....

I know the hub will not attach to it as the screw holes are completely different.

More pics later....

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I mixed and matched as much as I could.

The 1949 hub will fit over a 1948 Chrysler wheel....not very well. The three screw holes that mount the 1949 hub and horn ring cap do not at all work with the 1948 wheel.

The 3 hub holes line up radially but the bolt pattern is like a 3-1/2" on the 1949 wheel compared to 3" on the 48 wheel.

The picture shows them assembled to the 1948 wheel but fit loosely with no proper way to firmly attach the chrome hub and cap accurate.

Bottom pic shows underside of small 48 wheel against 49 wheel.

Top pic shows 49 hub on 48 wheel.

You see that the hub is too large for the wheel.

Possibly with enough effort and hours...maybe you might be able to attach the hub assembly.

Seeing similar questionable tasks done before..

Of course at the wrong time the horn starts honking at the cop in front of you at a stop light!

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You may have some luck getting a wheel from Steve Rotholz -Globe Auto Parts. He is located in Selma CA. He loves NOS and stock parts and probably has 6,000 items at his warehouse. His phone is (559) 352-1407. Leave a message if you call. His eBay name is forthebeachonly. I was able to find a steering wheel for my 1954 Chrysler with almost no cracks for $50. He has a pile of steering wheels. 

0D993AB8-10C8-4EE6-A69E-83AAD9E18A5B.heic

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Dodgeb4ya

Thanks for the education. I definitely want to keep my 49 hub and front cover so you have answered my question. I was optimistic that it would work. I have a much greater understanding of the differences and now know exactly what I need. Most of the steering wheels on Ebay are advertised as buyer beware, no returns, best of our knowledge, unsure of year, etc so I now more than some of the sellers

 

Bob, just saw your post and I will be  contacting steve tomorrow

 

The interior in my car is 100% original and my goal is to upgrade back to original one section at a time. The steering wheel seemed like a good place to start. I have all winter to either replace or repair my wheel. Worse case I put it back on as is and just keep driving it. I will figure it out

 Again, thanks for the advise

 

Jeff

 

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Here is my steering wheel for the P10 woodie. I used POR15 epoxy putty, which worked well. After primer and paint, you can't tell it wasn't a new wheel. That was 10 years ago and although some of the paint has rubbed off (wear marks) the cracks are still invisible. Don't know how crumbly your's is, which would mean this process might not work.

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1 hour ago, Sniper said:

Nice work Bob.

 

This thread has gotten me to looking at an aftermarket wheel.  Stock wheel is 17", not too many aftermarket ones that large.

 

 

Thanks. What is the shape of your wheel now? I may have a spare '51 or '52.

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The PO put a wrap on it so most of the worst is covered.  But it's falling apart, chunks are missing, the hub where the horn button bolts go thru is pretty fragile and cracking.  The horn button itself is good, but it appears to be bakelite not whatever the wheel is made of.

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Thanks,  I'll be out in the garage tomorrow stripping down an A833 to send the case out to someone.  So I might not be quick to respond.  Man this week has been a real bear, I was in Amarillo Tuesday and in El Paso yesterday, got my household chores done today so I can play tomorrow.  My hip is killing me from all the driving and I get to go north of Amarillo Monday, wee.  This is gonna be another 7500 mile+ month.  Such is the life of a field service engineer

 

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  • 4 weeks later...

This steering wheel project had a happy ending. A forum member sold me a wheel at a fair price that was in very solid condition. A coat of adhesive promoter then a coat of self etching primer followed by 3 or 4 light coats of rustoleum high performance enamel and done. Actually the can of enamel spit a few times so it took a bit of sanding between coats. But one of the few times I successfully painted something without runs. Lots of interior work left to do and this wheel will just be the beginning. Just need some warmer weather. 

Jeff

 

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Absolutely a wonderful restoration job.

What a sucessful way to finish off 2020 too.....

And a great start for 2021?

 

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