Steering Wheel - 300ZX / 240SX Wheel Into First Gen Z

[Captain Obvious]

The steering wheel on my 280 has seen better days. The foam along the top started to degrade like they all do, and the whole wheel was squishy, especially when hot. I looked into options and finally decided on a wheel from the 90 300ZX. This wheel was used on the first year 90-96 Z (the only year without an air bag) and also on a couple years of 240SX.

Why this wheel? Because I wanted something that "looks like it belongs". I didn't want a fancy multi-colored racing style wheel or a small quick turn go-kart wheel. I wanted something that looked "right". "Appropriate." Something that could be mistaken for factory. And as a bonus... It's still a Z wheel:

There were several hurdles in getting this thing to fit the old Z, but the biggest challenge is that the spline design is different and the new Z wheel doesn't fit the old Z steering column. I made new hub with correct splines, cut off the original 300ZX hub, and welded on my hub in it's place. Here's the hub I made. Aluminum test piece on left, steel real piece on right:

Back of 300ZX / 240 SX wheel:

Cut off original hub:

Welded my hub on. I'm no welder, but it's secure. Note the two prongs to cancel the turn signals:

Bottom line? The results are fantastic! Overall size is almost identical to stock as is the distance from the driver. The leather grip portion is firm and much thicker and meatier than stock which feels much better to me than any of the first gen wheels. Was a lot of work, but I'm very happy with the results.

[jfa.series1]

Outstanding bit of fabrication work and it looks good in the car. Most important - you like the results!!!

Good job, earns a bonus "attaboy".

[Captain Obvious]

Haha. Thanks! As projects go, this was a more complicated one.

Here's a couple more shots. The obligatory "close up":

One of the things that always seems to be a weakness with the aftermarket stuff is the way the adapters always look goofy. Accordion rubber bellows and all that stuff... I never liked that look at all. With that in mind, here's a side shot so you can see how the new wheel blends in with the stock column.

[Patcon]

Bruce,

How did you make the splines on the new adaptor?

[Captain Obvious]

I cut the splines in on a machine called a "metal shaper". When you mention shaper, most people picture a wood shaper, and it's nothing like that. It's a machine with a ram that moves fore and aft. Cuts a little bit on the forestroke and then drags (but doesn't cut) on the backstroke. Picture the motion of a hand held hacksaw. Vooopah - Voopah - Voopah...

 

You cut one groove to depth a little at a time, rotate the part the correct number of degrees and cut the next groove to depth. Once you have gone all the way around and cut each individual groove, you're done.

 

Shapers are the machines from a bygone era and have been mostly replaced by milling machines. The saying amongst the machinist community is "You can make anything you want on a shaper... Except money." However, there are some jobs like splines and slotting, there's nothing better. I just like watching it work. It's memorizing. Fore and aft. Clickety-clack. Fore and aft. Clickety-clack. A little wisp of smoke off the cutting oil...

 

Here's a couple pics of the setup. This is a pic of the cutting tool that gets rammed into and out of the blank workpiece. The shape of the small cutting tip has been ground to result in the proper groove shape to mate with the male spline on the steering column:

 

Here's the tool mid-stoke inserted into the blank. The round device with the holes in it is called a "collet spinner" or an "indexer". The holes provide the ability to rotate the blank an accurate number of degrees:

 

And here's a pic of the overall setup. Collet spinner on the left side clamped halfass in the shaper's vice, and the shaper on the right side with the ram at about mid-stroke:

 

 

[Captain Obvious]

Another shot of the finished product:

[Freez74]

Really nice work on that, glad you posted pictures of the machine you used, very interesting.

[Patcon]

Very cool. Love all the milling equipment. I would really have too many projects if I had tools like that...

[Mark Maras]

That is the first wheel change in a Z, that I've seen, that looks "right". Thanks for sharing the machining pics. Great job on both.