M38a1 Steering Wheel

My M38a1 has a Saginaw steering conversion. The steering wheel mounts with 3 bolts. Unfortunately the wheel is a bit small. Really not ideal for manual steering. I have obtained an original (reproduction?) military wheel. It appears to be for a 36 spline 7/8" shaft.
I would like to make an adapter to mount this wheel to my jeep. The wheel on it is flared towards the driver while the military wheel is flat. So, even with an adapter the effective distance from the driver should be the same. To make the adapter I need to come up with a piece of splined shaft. Does anyone know of a good source for this? I see where I can buy a worm shaft, however spending over $100 to get a small piece seems a bit excessive. Any ideas are appreciated.
Thanks,
Ken

 

Are you sure it is 7/8"?

3/4-36 spline seems much more common in steering shafts, and many specialty vendors offer products. Such as for industrial or hotrod applications. Or junkyard vehicles have UJs and shafts in that diameter.

 

I checked with my calipers just now. Keep in mind all I have to measure is the wheel. I'm coming up with about .83" inside diameter of the wheel. Not sure what that would be.

 

Is there any chance that there is still an adapter on there now for an aftermarket wheel? It used to be that you bought an aftermarket wheel and an adapter kit to mate it to the original column splines.

 

More than 3/4"... 7/8" would be .875".

I found one reference to Massey Fergusson having 7/8".

I think industrial suppliers would have sources, Grainger for instance, or specialty steering or driveline companies.

 

What steering column is in your jeep?

 

This sounds like an aftermarket adapter for a Grant or similar steering wheel. I think the easiest option for you would be a larger aftermarket wheel.

 

I think i have exactly what you need. Its the top of an early column shift cj2a column and i have the big nut but no plastic horn button. You wont need that anyway i guess. It measures just under 7/8" It does fit a sheller cj5 wheel. I can cut it down to 4" or whatever to save on shipping

 

That would be fabulous! I sent you a message.

 

Google Steering shaft extenders. Several different kinds and ideas.

 

I would be very careful about splicing the shaft of a column together, such as that 4" or 5" section offered to you. This is a part that has no tolerance for failure. The adapter your existing wheel is mounted to mates to the shaft by way of splines, and there are probably splines at the other end too at a u-joint. These splines are used for a fail-safe connection. I personally would not have a shaft welded together for a steering column, especially when used on the road.
You haven't answered post #6 as to what steering column you have. Is it the stock Willys column, or from some other vehicle? I have seen an adapter mounted on the stock column to use a smaller custom wheel. Are you sure you can't remove the adapter and have the stock wheel possibly fit correctly? The Willys spline size is not very common and shared with very many other vehicles.
-Donny

 

13/16" diameter w/36 splines.

 

Thanks for the replies. Here are a bunch of photos of what I have going on. The suspension and wheels are different now but I haven't changed the steering:

The steering column is not stock. It appears to be 3/4" hollow tube. There is some type of splines at the top and the flange appears to be welded on from the bottom. My plan was to machine a flange to attach to the shaft stub and mate it with the flange on the column. It should be as secure as the existing wheel.
The setup below the firewall is sub-ideal. The angle of the u-joint is too sharp and it's not very smooth. I'm planning to see about installing a double u-joint to smooth the corner a bit

 

What secures the 3 bolt flange to the splines on the steering shaft?

 

I think that is the stock column. Yes it would be a hollow tube - the original horn wire would actually be inside that tube. The splines you see under the wheel mounting flange (not stock) should be the splines to match your new (stock replacement) wheel. Above those splines should be threads that would receive the nut that secures the steering wheel to the column. I believe that flange is covering the threads. I would see if that flange could be removed without destroying the column. If not - no loss in my opinion as that does not seem like a safe set up. I think the double u-joint idea is great but I would also be concerned about how that existing u-joint is secured to the column. Also it looks to me like the steering column as a whole may be slid towards the engine compartment - I would expect to have about 11 inches of the outer column above the dashboard clamp.

 

From what I can see the existing flange is welded to the shaft around the bottom. I'll have to measure later today and see how much outer shaft I have.
What's the diameter of the original shaft at the bottom end? Does the shaft taper? The one I have is 3/4" where it meets the u joint.

 

Ken I have a couple of Grant steering wheel adaptors, I will look at them and see if I have anything close to what you are looking for and get back with you, Rick

 

I went out in the garage and looked in my hidey hole and found only the horn adapter and column cover, but still have a wheel mounted on the wall, I will take it down and see what spline adapter is in it.

 

Rick, thanks for checking.


I measured and have 11" of outer shaft. Also I got the calipers on the bit of shaft below the flange and it's darn near 7/8" and splined. I'm starting to think the guy who put this together cut off the end of the stock shaft at the nut threads and welded on that flange. Perhaps where the flange is now is about the location where the stock steering wheel would have been?

 

Yes that flange is where your wheel wants to be. The splines on the column are only about a half an inch long and then the threads are about another half inch. Because I can see the splines under the flange is why I thought the flange might be over the threads - also it looks like the tip of the column sticking through the top of the flange. I can not see the weld under the flange because of the spring - but it makes sense that it would be welded as I see no other means for that flange to be secure. If you wanted to try and remove the flange you could try cutting the flange with a grinder or hacksaw in several places like pie cuts and then by try and break the pieces off. This would mean no going back to the existing wheel.