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Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:06 am

I need to replace my steering wheel...I found a 10 inch 5.5 inch deep dish that I want to use, But can"t find an adapter kit for my 69 westy. :(
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for all the help in the past. You guys (and gals) are a wealth of knowledge!

John

Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:02 am

Haiblehaus wrote: I need to replace my steering wheel...I found a 10 inch 5.5 inch deep dish that I want to use, But can"t find an adapter kit for my 69 westy. :(
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks for all the help in the past. You guys (and gals) are a wealth of knowledge!

John

I would think that a 10 inch steering wheel, would be rather too small, for a 1968~79 VW Type 2.

I think there are 14 or 15 inch steering wheels and adapter bosses, available from Just Kampers. They certainly have been available in the past.

http://www.justkampers.co.uk

Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:11 am

Not recommended unless you have arms like Popeye.

Thu Mar 06, 2008 9:43 am

indeed. the stock wheel is 17" or so. you need a big wheel to steer the bus, especially parking. maybe a 15" wheel would work OK, but too small a wheel and it would be impossible to park the bus. not to mention how stupid it would look.

Thu Mar 06, 2008 12:22 pm

I am using a 14" wooden indy 500 steering wheel .

For the steering wheel adapter go to you local speed shop GRANT still stock the adapter( the split windsheild vans are no longer made).

if you can't find one and really desperate I can get one and ship it from HAWAII shipping should cost not more the $9 to anywhere in the USA
I think the adapters go for $25-$30

Thu Mar 06, 2008 1:32 pm

With so many buses, was there ever a 17" aftermarket wheel made?
I'd wouldn't mind updating the stocky in our bus.

Fri Mar 07, 2008 12:02 am

In September's Volksworld there was a peice (p65) on a guy making 17.5" steering wheels for a bus. Wood & aluminium. GBP145.

Contact details: Laurence Peters, lozman@sixtytwosplitscreen.wanadoo.co.uk

Fri Mar 07, 2008 5:17 am

kokomo808 wrote: ...

For the steering wheel adapter go to you local speed shop GRANT still stock the adapter( the split windsheild vans are no longer made).

...

Can you post the Grant number here? I work in auto parts and we've never had a part # for bay window buses in any Grant catalog. I just looked in our latest catalog and the only listing was for 80-83 Vanagon. It even had a footnote "no coverage for '79 and prior".

Also, there are two different spline/shaft sizes in bay buses. I believe it's '68 to '74 then '75 to '79. Correct me if I'm wrong. So if anyone has found Grant numbers that work for the early and late models...PLEASE post them here. Peace!

Fri Mar 07, 2008 6:02 am

LaCarrera lists an adaptor for VW's.
Bus/ Type II 75-79 F110 #1110
Bus/ Type II 68-74 F4 #10400
Bus/ Type II Thru 67 F3 #10300
They have some really nice wheels up to 15.5" diameter.

Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:23 am

mywifesghia wrote: LaCarrera lists an adaptor for VW's.
Bus/ Type II 75-79 F110 #1110
Bus/ Type II 68-74 F4 #10400
Bus/ Type II Thru 67 F3 #10300
They have some really nice wheels up to 15.5" diameter.

Do they have a website? I can't find 'em. Peace!

Fri Mar 07, 2008 9:39 am

http://www.lecarra.com/

Nice stuff, lots of choices for looks and styles. Not the cheapest but not the most expensive. They are well built I had one years ago in my Blazer.

Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:16 am

I e-mailed Grant, and this was there reply :(
We wish we could help, but we do not have a kitfor this vehicle. Our tooling broke way back in the late '80's and we just could not justify replacing the die as we could never recoup the tooling cost so we were forced to discontinue the kit, unfortunately.

](*,)

Fri Mar 07, 2008 10:38 am

Empi part # 79-4017-0 vw 75-88 (it is in a grant box #3568) ,I have to call my friends shop to check on the earlier kits

Fri Mar 07, 2008 2:14 pm

as promised

[b]grant part #3507 68-74 type 2[/b]

[b]grant part # 3585 type 2 up to 67[/b]

Fri Mar 07, 2008 4:46 pm

The PO installed a 14" Billet Colorado Custom steering wheel in my bus.

I by no means have "popeye arms" and I have no trouble at all driving it. I prefer the smaller wheel. :D

Fri Mar 07, 2008 5:03 pm

http://www.brasilienbus.de/bilder/brasilienbus024.jpg
i want 1 there sweet looking

Sat Mar 08, 2008 5:20 am

kokomo808 wrote: as promised

[b]grant part #3507 68-74 type 2[/b]

[b]grant part # 3585 type 2 up to 67[/b]

Thank you! Now I can start digging ;).

Haiblehaus wrote: I e-mailed Grant, and this was there reply
We wish we could help, but we do not have a kitfor this vehicle. Our tooling broke way back in the late '80's and we just could not justify replacing the die as we could never recoup the tooling cost so we were forced to discontinue the kit, unfortunately.

Anyone who's interested should email Grant about this. Peace!

Sun Mar 09, 2008 7:02 pm

Sunshine_the_bus wrote: kokomo808 wrote: as promised

[b]grant part #3507 68-74 type 2[/b]

[b]grant part # 3585 type 2 up to 67[/b]

Thank you! Now I can start digging ;).

Haiblehaus wrote: I e-mailed Grant, and this was there reply
We wish we could help, but we do not have a kitfor this vehicle. Our tooling broke way back in the late '80's and we just could not justify replacing the die as we could never recoup the tooling cost so we were forced to discontinue the kit, unfortunately.

Anyone who's interested should email Grant about this. Peace!

Oh well, here's the response I received from Grant;

Quote: Actually we don't receive hardly any requests for these kits. And making them again is literally out of the question. They were entirely different kits that we no longer even have the tooling for and even if we did, the foundry minimum run is 1,000 pieces of each hub. That size of run would last until the next century.

Sorry, but I looked into possibly resurrecting these hubs a couple of years ago, but the cost to rebuild the tooling alone would run well over $10,000 dollars then there is the matter of having to make 1,000 units of each and that just is not feasible

Peace!

Mon Mar 10, 2008 3:55 am

I have one kit each of the steering wheel adapters that are no longer made (NO THEY ARE NOT FOR SALE OR TRADE) waiting for a friend to go back to Thailand to see if they can make some adapter kits

Mon Mar 10, 2008 4:07 am

kokomo808 wrote: I have one kit each of the steering wheel adapters that are no longer made (NO THEY ARE NOT FOR SALE OR TRADE) waiting for a friend to go back to Thailand to see if they can make some adapter kits

Keep us informed please. Peace!