2010 Steering Wheel Buyer’s Guide

Shedding a little more creative light on those custom steering wheel options

By Bruce W. Smith

Few items on a custom rig makes as much of a statement to the owner about their truck than the steering wheel. It’s what the owner hold’s on to day in and day out and casts an eye toward innumerable times during a driving stint. It’s also the one singular item that catches the attention of all those who peek inside the cab—even if for an instant.

What makes the choice of wheel so important is it serves multiple functions –especially in conjunction with working rigs.

This custom billet wheel goes perfect with this rig's brushed aluminum dash.

First it has to be comfortable to the touch. Nothing is more annoying than to have a steering wheel that feels awkward when you’ve got to keep your hands on it hours on end.

Then it has to make a statement, whether it’s subtle, in-your face, or somewhere in between. And lastly the steering wheel of any custom big rig has to be a compliment to the interior.

Finding exactly the right one for your truck probably isn’t going to be that easy. After all, there’s a wide selection of “traditional” styles from which to choose and the offerings are getting even wider as you’ll soon see. So to find the perfect custom steering wheel may require quite a lot of shopping.

The easiest way to go “custom” is to paint the wheel of you like to match or compliment your rig’s interior.

Wood and chrome are always a nice mix to carry the nostalgia look.

“ ‘Painted to match’ steering wheels is very popular right now,” says Bryan “Bossman” Martin of 4 State Trucks’ Chrome Shop Mafia fame.

“ What we do is take a wood steering wheel, sand it, prep it for paint, paint it with automotive-grade paint and clear coat it. This way a driver can keep his dashboard, door trim, floorboard and steering wheel all the same color, which really gives the interior a smooth ‘hot rod’ look.”

Another growing trend is to have metal steering wheels powder-coated or “chromed” in a variety of colors. A new chroming process a company in southern California offers allows you to “color” the wheel (and just about any other interior trim part) to suit a variety of color tastes and looks.

“We spent two years on research and development taking the best from modern chrome plating applications,” says Scott Oliver, one of the owners of Wheel Creations Plus Inc., in Fresno.

“This process utilizes a pure chrome that is a higher standard than can be used in traditional plating. We also utilize titanium and nickel for strength and adhesion, finished with a German basecoat and topped with clear developed for the space program and used by Mercedes-Benz.”

The result, according to Oliver, is show-quality, long-lasting plating with a deep clear coat to give the parts a color tint to match or compliment the vehicle.

Oliver says, “Our plating process is ideal for plating mirror brackets, air cans, air-intake tubes, radiator surrounds, headlight housings and other ‘common’ accessories found on big rigs.”

REALLY CUSTOM WHEELS

Such a process opens the door wide for doing some really cool custom touches with steering wheels. For example, you might find a billet-style wheel from the likes of Colorado Customs, True Customs, Details, or Billet Specialties and have it chromed with the new process to the color or look you really want.

Taking that a step further, have your own steering wheel designed and built to make your cab really special. Several of the custom steering wheel manufacturers offer such services.

The newest custom trend is designing your own wheel like this one from True Customs.

“Our specialty is building one-off steering wheels,” says Mike Miller, owner of M & M Machine, LLC, which is also the home of True Custom Steering Wheels located in Carriere, MS.

The company is very well-known among the classic and custom car crowd and has recently expanded to offer their creative talents to the custom rig audience.

“All our customer has to do is send is their design, even if it’s scratched out on a napkin, and we can build the steering wheel,” says Miller. All the customer has to do is supply us with the proper steering wheel adapter and the bolt pattern. We’ll do the rest.”

That brings up another important point about steering wheel upgrades as pointed out by Martin during a recent visit to their custom shop in Joplin.

“Steering wheels for big rigs are definitely not a ‘one style fits all’! Nearly every truck make and model takes a different wheel,” explains the Bossman.

“A wheel off of a tilt-column generally won’t fit a standard column; a wheel for a 1985 Peterbilt won’t fit a 2005 Pete; a steering wheel for a Columbia Freightliner won’t fit a Freightliner Classic, and so on and so on,” he says. “What that means for us as chrome shops is we have to keep about 100-150 steering wheels in stock to accommodate owners of all types of trucks.”

For the custom rig owner setting out to use a wheel of his own choice this means getting the right adapter.  There are at least two good sources: Grant Products and Details. Both offer adapters and installation kits to fit the batter part of rigs being customized today.

A quality steering wheel puller is a must-use tool.

INSTALLATION TIPS

As for the installation side, some caution there as well to make the swap/upgrade smooth and trouble-free.

“You need a good high-quality tee-bar-style puller to change-out a steering wheel,” says Joe “Lil’ Joe” Overfelt, the shop manager for 4 State Trucks and the Chrome Shop Mafia.

“Those cheap import tools can cause a mountain of headaches! You are dealing with a $600-$700 steering column and the last thing you want is to damage it by stripping out bolt holes, pulling threads, or damaging a steering shaft.”

“Another touchy issue on installation of a steering wheel is making sure you’ve got it ‘centered.’ Most times if you just guess at it’s position in relation to the front wheels you’ll realize a mile or so down the road the spokes are a spline or two off-center,” says Overfelt.

Making sure the wheel is centered and aligned with the front tires during installation saves both time and money.

“This means you have to do the complete R & R procedure all over, which is a big waste of time and money. What we generally do is make absolutely sure the wheels are perfectly straight before we pull the original steering wheel.”  (Check out or steering wheel how-to, “Get A Grip,” Summer 2009, for more tips.)

So there you have it. When you start thinking about interior customizing/personalizing, let your mind wander a little more than the steering wheel displays at the local chrome shop or e-store.

As you’ll see in our showcase below, you might be surprised at what you can find with a just a little more research and your own special creativeness. — The Editors

STEERING WHEEL SHOWCASE

Here’s a look at a just a few of the newest offerings in steering wheels for custom big rigs. Take the time to go to the manufacturer’s web sites to check out other wheels that are sure to turn your cab around. (Click on any image to enlarge.)

LOW LIFE

Colorado Customs’ Low Life ($500) custom wheel features a solid billet aluminum design and comes in a 14-inch to 18-inch size range. The Low Life is available in flat or gloss black powder coat versions with pin-stripe options and is clear-coated for durability. Fits most rigs with an optional adapter.  www.ColoradoCustom.com (714) 441-2498

TRUE CUSTOM WHEEL

M&M Machine can custom build any steering wheel design to fit your rig. The custom wheels ($469 for a 14-inch) are built from solid aluminum plates and come ready to bolt. Send M&M a sketch, and they will build the custom design to match the interior of your custom rig. www.truecustoms.com (601) 749-4325

VIP29

VIP WHEELS

As of late, Vehicle Improvement Products has been making steering wheels for the military. They do, however, still make steering wheels for trucks that will do any custom rig interior justice. For a more contemporary, flashy look, the 18-inch VIP49 might do the trick. It features four chrome-plated spokes and a flamed rim design. For a traditional, elegant style, the 20-inch VIP29 features two chrome-plated spokes and a top-grain leather rim.  www.vipwheels.com (847) 395-7250

BILLET STEERING WHEEL

Details Show Truck Acessories’ 16.5-inch three-piece wheel features an aluminum cast ring and a solid billet center. The back of the steering wheel is detailed the same as the front, so the the wheel’s custom look can be seen at any angle.  Details manufactures  all of its accessory products out of solid aluminum. The wheel is available at all of Detail’s distributors and comes with black or unfinished rings and ready to paint. www.bigironbling.com

GRANT DRIVER SERIES

Dress up your trucks interior with Grant’s new Driver Series Wood steering wheels. Hand finished mahogany wood accentuates a chrome steel spoke. For comfort, leather accents the spokes for a soft but firm grip where you need it most. Available in two and three spoke designs. www.grantproducts.com; (800) 952-6947