I need a new steering wheel. I have read online that a lot of people not being fans of Grant for various reasons. Does anyone have a recommendation for a steering wheel?
I have a black 3 spoke Grant for sale right now, along with the proper adapter kit. It has been in my Comet since 1992. Still very presentable. http://mmb.maverick.to/showthread.php?t=99253 The main complaint about this style of Grant wheel is that the way the car is originally wired, there is a lot of amperage going through that horn switch and if you aren't careful in the way you install it, the horn contact ring can shift a bit and arc. If you trigger the horn with a relay, that drops the amps down a great deal to a pretty benign level, where that shouldn't be a hazard. Part of the trick to installing it is the way that you press the horn button onto the contact ring. There a small indents that hold it on, but the act of pressing it into place marks up that ring a bit. If you give it a small turn (1/4" or so) after pressing it on, it makes that connection a lot more reliable, and the horn button stays in place quite well. That in turn, keeps the contact ring where it should be. I switched both of my Comets to this style of Grant wheel. I am 6' tall and was always banging my knee on the big stock steering wheel when sitting on a bench seat. I finally got my car switched to buckets and the lower LDO seat tracks. Just installed that factory Sport Wheel that I always wanted, too.
Melvin's has a new steering wheel for a non-locking 70 Maverick if you want to stay original. You can get it in black, blue, ivy or tan.
I like the factory Grant looking ones. This is just a picture for reference, they can be found for less. http://www.ebay.com/itm/1974-1975-1...Parts_Accessories&hash=item258fa01050&vxp=mtr
Sweet Day in the Morning!!!! That is awesome. I assume I just need the wheel and the rim blow ring? I will call them tomorrow. Thanks for the heads up.
I know this is a matter of personal preference, but I'll throw in my anyway. My first choice for these cars is the one shown on that eBay link. My 2nd choice is any black '75-'77 factory Maverick steering wheel; even better if it's leather-wrapped. In any case, anything smaller than 14-1/2" is too dang small. I prefer 14-3/4" to 15" diameter steering wheels. Most (not all) Grants are too small, and then there's the issue with the horn button shorting out, which is not only annoying, but also a potential fire hazard.
Grant wheels being smaller can be a benefit. I couldn't use the clutch pedal well in my first Comet until I got the smaller wheel. The manual steering in that car was so light and took so many turns that the smaller wheel helped get you through all that motion quicker. A smaller Grant wheel was fine when my current Comet had the power steering intact ... again, that was so overboosted anyway, you didn't need leverage. The wheel is 13 inches, and gave me some knee room. Fast forward to power steering box with no power assist.... going back to the 15 inch factory wheel will now be good for any low speed (under 10 mph) stuff. I will welcome the added leverage now. One aspect of old steering wheels that always bothered me were ones that had grips that were too thin, so that is something else you might want to consider. I was always putting a steering wheel wrap on my early cars. I still probably will with my Sport wheel, too. It is the foam version, and the grip is "almost there" size-wise, but I think a lace-on leather wrap will make this one really good.
But I can see the tach! Seriously, I took the pic from a different angle of what my regular driving position is, I can see everything on the cluster.
i have what i found was the largest plain grant wheel i could find, think it measured 1/4" under stock size. simple and feels great. my original wheel had literally disintegrated so i went this way, very happy with it. slightly thicker ring than stock too, easy to hang on to without fatigued fingers. BTW the horn wire on mine is fused, not sure about the fire hazard comment above? i think blew the fuse twice putting mine on. lol.
