Steering wheel grooves are stripped smooth

[Jon]

Subject = 1972 240Z

Yesterday, my steering wheel--the factory-installed "mahogany" wheel--began slipping on the steering shaft. Upon pulling the steering wheel, I was greeted by a pile of gray dust.

Evidently, the steering wheel nut had been working loose for some time now and this "looseness" has caused a grinding down of the groves inside the steering wheel. Except for the top 1/8", the grooves are pretty well worn smooth. The teeth on the steering shaft are in good shape, however.

At first glance, it appears that the damaged part is not replaceable/removable from the steering wheel. Therefore, I have:

-wirebrushed all the loose dust from what's left of the groves inside the wheel,

-placed the wheel back on the shaft,

-tapped it down as far as it would go so that the remaining 1/8" of groove would be grabbed by the shaft's teeth,

-twisted out the teeth of the lock washer and.

-torqued the steering nut down to about 5,000 lbs.

So far, it's holding OK, but this is not the permanent nor the safe solution. I'm afraid that it might break loose again and start spinning at an unfavorable time.

Has anyone else been faced with this problem? Short of buying a new steering wheel, do I have any other options? Can these groves be recut with some sort of carbide tool, similar to the way that the groves on the face of a golf club can be recut?

Any suggestions welcome. Feel free to contact me direct at the addresss below.

Many thanks for any suggestion you may offer,

Jon,

a/k/a exbeachboy@comcast.net

'72 240Z White w/ black vinyl top--looking better, but has a long way to go.

[sblake01]

Buy a new wheel! Yours probably became loose over time, as they will, allowing movement and eventually wore away the splines. When it strips the remaining 1/8", you'll have no control of your steering. If you re-spline it, the the diameter of the splines will be larger than the diameter of the steering shaft, not good.

[Mr Camouflage]

I guess another alternative would be machining a keyway type grove in it and putting a key in it. (like how the pully slots onto the crank - arent they called gudgeon pins or something silly).

But if you are goingt to go to all that trouble, it would be cheaper to get another wheel.

[TomoHawk]

The easiest thing you might do is to see if you can swap the center part of the steering wheel with a (new) one?

Otherwise, I'd say you need to haver a machinist make you a(steel?) insert with splines on it and then cut it into the steering wheel.

I have a removeable wheel using a Grant adapter, and you can bolt on a new hub if you ever need to.

It would still be important to see why it wore away in the first place, so you don't have the same problem again.

[Bambikiller240]

I guess another alternative would be machining a keyway type grove in it and putting a key in it. (like how the pully slots onto the crank - arent they called gudgeon pins or something silly).

Woodruff Keys.

[EScanlon]

The cheapest and easiest solution is to find another steering wheel.

Trying to grind in a woodruff key groove into both the wheel and the spline will surely cost more than the replacement, and having an insert machined ..... Well, if you go that route, I have some beach front property in New Mexico.

Enrique

[tehghey]

please post more info about the NM property. thx

MIchael

[ChrisA]

Chris

[Jon]

Thanks all for your suggestions. I will look at eBay for a "new" wheel.

JW

[biddljj]

If "new" doesn't cut it....... Find a replacement in the land of Auto Recycling.

zdisease

[sblake01]

If "new" doesn't cut it....... Find a replacement in the land of Auto Recycling.

zdisease

I hope he did something. It's been 3 1/2 years!

[beandip]

If "new" doesn't cut it....... Find a replacement in the land of Auto Recycling.

zdisease

This is a vary old thread. 2004 !