steering wheel hub?!

[shane_lxi]

Anybody know of a steering wheel hub that works with the 521 pickup? I've been looking for a 6 hole pattern hub, and so far have found nothing that I know will fit so far :(.

[mklotz70]

The shafts were pretty much the same in all the datos. A hub adapter for the 620 will mount the steering wheel to the shaft, but there's about a 1.5" space behind it that keeps the blinker canceller from working......not to mention it's an ugly hole. I cut up a crappy stock wheel and mounted it to the back of the adapter to fill the hole and make the canceller work. From there it's cosmetics. You could have the steering shaft shortened 1.5"(you'd have to measure to get the exact dimension), then it would be perfect. :)

[mklotz70]

Here's Brian's version.

 

http://www.nwde.org/extras/forum/main.htm

 

see.....NWDE still has more info :)

[mklotz70]

..and more

 

 

http://www.nwde.org/extras/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=4571&KW=

[tnip]

http://www.nwde.org/extras/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3073&KW=steering

 

that is the first link mike meant to include, i assume.

 

that looks like it works pretty damn well.

[mklotz70]

yep, thanks. I caught it on the second one and forgot to fix the first one :)

 

....read the siggy :)

[shane_lxi]

Thanks, very much appreciated :D. I am 6'3" so I wouldnt mind shortening the column anyway :P, lol. Especially with the buckets in there instead of the bench. (anybody local want to trade a decent bench for some decent 240sx buckets and sliders?)

[mklotz70]

I shortened my wife's 521 column 3.5". If I were you, I'd shorten the outer tube 3.5" and the shaft the extra 1.5"(approx) to make the hub work. Double check the wheel isn't going to be too close to the dash at that point. 3.5" worked great for us.

[tnip]

how hard was that exactly mike? i understand the outer tube doesn't need rewelding (or, i assume it doesn't) and i would assume the actual steering shaft would need to be rewelded so as to get the splines back on there rather than recutting them (too much work).

[mklotz70]

Here's a bit a found on nwde....still not sure where the rest of the info went.....

 

"I've been trying to remember which forum I put the info on. Try searching this one and also ClassicDatsunPickups and 521pickups on the yahoo groups....it's already up somewhere.

 

One thing I figured out after the fact, was to shorten the shaft the additional amount to make the Grant steering wheel adapter work correctly. You may not need to take out a full 3" on the outer tube if you do that. I think if I went back and shortened my center shaft now, it would put the wheel too close to the dash.

 

Basically, we did all the cutting on a lathe. Cut the outer tube at the weld that holds the flange on....then when it's welded back up, it looks stock. We made a butt connector to reinforce the shaft when it was cut and put back together. I plan on doing another and taking pics when I do it...I forgot the camera when I had the last one done.

 

Also....if you ever wanted to go back to a stock wheel....you can, but it puts the wheel down on you thighs so tightly that you have to drive with you legs spread around the wheel.....in other words...you pretty much have to plan on always using a small wheel."

 

I think the lathe I have now is big enough to do it myself next time.

 

When you pull it apart, leave the cage with the bearings on the worm gear. We sectioned the shaft up near the steering wheel because of how it fit in the lathe. If you're going to switch to rack and pinion or a different box, shorten the other end and mod it to work with the new stuff.

[shane_lxi]

I dont know if I would want to shorten it that much because the new wheel is only about an 1" 1/2 smaller then the stock wheel :(.

 

Also, it looks like the blinker canceler would still work with this mod? (http://www.nwde.org/extras/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3073&KW=steering). Am I mistaken?!

[mklotz70]

Yep....canceller should still work....but there is no provision for the horn.

[shane_lxi]

That's okay, I have a middle finger and tourettes :P, lol. *cock!balls!!!shhheit!*