New Steering Wheel

[Jone in Norway]

Hi folks

Im looking at the steering wheel they have on link_disallowed, part number FDS112

Have any of you bought it? How was the quality, and how was it compared to a original steering wheel?

I bought one from Sparex a while back, but was disappinted when i got it home, it was way too thick in the grip, compared to the original one, and that is not badly worn, just cracked.
And it was too big in the taper on to the shaft, so it is wobbly, cant tighten it anymore
It has a cheap china feeling to it, with bad plastick grip, no good in my opinion

Yes i can restore the old one, but if the one Steiner has is any good, why bother?
BTW I have A TEA-20, but the steering wheels should be the same on the early TE and TO series tractors

Regards
Jone

 

[Jeff-oh]

If yours is just cracked, repair it with auto body puddy. "Bondo". I"ve taken one that had chunks missing and built it back up. After an hour or so with a file its look pretty good.

Just paint black when done

 

[samn40]

Jone, I have fitted the Sparex type and find it to be a very good
copy. It is near identical to what was used originally.You might just
be able to see it in this photo.Sorry, I have no better pics and the
tractor is no longer at my place!

 

[Anonymous-0]

I ran around one with fibre glass and the gauze if need be.

 

[Bill Brox]

Hi Jone,

Some years ago the chrome cup under the steering wheel on the TE 20 series were not found. No one made it. At that time the Sparex steering wheel was flat under, and many people used the chrome cup for the FE 35.
At some point, I don't know when, when I ordered new steering wheels from Sparex the new steering wheels had the original recesss in the bottom to fit the original chrome cup. And, finaly the original style chrome cup came.

I am still restoring my 1948 TEA 20, and I have just today been in the garage looking at the steering wheel I use for this tractor. I am not sure I understand how you mean. Does your steering wheel have a too large hole so it sinks down too far on the shaft so the nut stops in "no more threads", or do you mean that the taper angle on the shaft and on the steering wheel is different ? Or, do you mean that the keyway for the woodroof key is too large ?

When it comes to the plastic around, it is larger than the original one, and the "gripping bumps" under it is not equal either.

Sparex does not have the steering wheel with chrome spokes. But some has those. I have one at home here, but not going to use it on my 1948 TEA 20 because mine is not a tractor with chrome steering wheel and chrome gear knob. But, my TED 20 from 1949 is, and will when time comes get that Steering wheel.

The chrome steering wheel I have has a bit larger diameter than the Sparex one, and a better grip. But, the hole in that is so small that it does not fit on the shaft.
And, it does not have the recess in the bottom of the hub as the Sparex one have.
I have to put that steering wheel in the lathe and turn a recess and enlarge the taper a bit to make it fot. I think it has the wrong taper too.
And the chrome is really "China", laying on the bench in the workshop and now starting to show some rust where the spokes are welded to the hub.
So, I will have to have the steering wheel rechromed to a good quality before I use it.

I have one more of the old Sparex steering wheels laying somewhere, just need to find it. I have to put that too in a lathe and turn a recess so it can be properly used. I will look at the hole and taper on that one too when I find it.

Sadly so many parts today come from that country in east where they produce nothing but garbage. It is my big sadness, but not much we can do about it, except stop buying their junk.
But, this does not count only for Sparex, it counts for all parts suppliers, and it counts for everyone else who sell consumer goods... made in that land with so many folks, just junk.

It is a reason why the rich west is not rich anymore, and it comes partly from cheap junk flooding our countries.


Bill

 

[Jone in Norway]

It has the recess at the bottom, and it has a too large hole, so i cant tighten the top nut anymore, it bottoms out, and the wheel is wobbly on the shaft.

It looks like i have to restore the old one to get it right, and have it re chromed, since mine had chromed steering wheel aswell

Thanks to all of you

Jone

 

[Bill Brox]

Can you please measure the diameter in the hole in the bottom of the hub, and the top of the hub, so we can compare with another steering wheel.


Bill

 

[samn40]

Jone and Bill, no fergie ever had chrome steering wheel spokes! and
all had a chrome gear lever knob. The Sparex steering wheels we
get are perfect even though they have a plastic outer rim. This is
easily overcome by spraying it with satin black 2 pack paint. Jone
why not weld the hub of your old wheel into the new one?
Sam

 

[Bill Brox]

Sam, are you saying that Ferguson used steering wheels with chrome on the spokes and then painted them satin black before they left the factory, so that when we many years later experience that the paint has worn off and we sit back with a chrome steering wheel ?


Bill

 

[2tractors]

Me too. I used fibre glass rosen and it worked well,I also had big chunks missing and cracks. I'm guessing he wants to keep his more perfect.