Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

I recently purchased a right hand drive 32 steering column and box from a guy in the USA - it came out of a rhd racecar originally built in England.

I went to fit a 38 banjo steering wheel to it in order to check the condition of the steering box, and the taper of the 32 shaft is considerably smaller than that of the 38 wheel - I have a few other banjo wheels, and they are all the same size.

My question is - is the taper of the 32 steering shaft smaller than those of later years?

If so It looks like I will not be able to use the banjo wheel on it.

Is the steering shaft of a 34 steering box of a larger diameter, and if so, what do I have to do to swap the internals of the 34 box into the 32?

Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me.

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

Hi Mark The 32 steering shaft & taper should be the same as the later steering boxes. I have fitted a 39 banjo onto a 32 shaft & it went straight on. The 34 internals are a straight swap into the 32 housing.
Phil.

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

Thanks for your reply Phil.

I thought the taper would be to the same too, but in this case it isn't.

maybe Its an "English" thing ;)

I do have a 34 box that I was considering changing the chassis mount and column and its mount - I just have to get the steering wheel off it to try that idea.

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

I have a 37 banjo in my 5w coupe, no issues. I suspect either your shaft or wheel is different due to coming from the UK. Maybe one is from a model Y?

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

Thanks for your reply @Deuce Roadster

The steering box is definitely a gemmer, full sized steering box. The Y models are tiny by comparison.

Hhhmmmm , the plot thickens

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

If it is not from a Model Y, then its origin would have been Canada as Ford Australia was a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford of Canada at that time.

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

English, Canadian, American steering shaft tapers are all the same. If yours isn't correct, it was probably the result of something done by a previous owner.

The larger truck steering wheels and shafts have a bigger taper, but that is not what you are talking about. I don't know why your wheels won't interchange.

More than once I have used the top part of one shaft grafted onto the bottom half of another to use a particular wheel on the box of choice.

Mart.

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

Thanks Mart

I will pull it down and see if the shaft has been turned down beyond what I can see
Maybe it was turned down to suit a Y model wheel, like others have suggested.

Stay tuned

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

I pulled the outer tube off the column, and it seems as the end of the shaft has been turned down.

Re: Confusion reigns - 32 and 38 steering wheel interchangeability
 

This is an easy fix as Mart has indicated. I've grafted tops to bottoms before to get good threads and keyway on an otherwise throwaway shaft. Use a drilled sleeve to run your wires thru.