The Nut Behind the Wheel: Summer 1996

I’ve been wanting to replace my original 17-inch steering wheel with a wood-rimmed one for some time.

For those of us of ample build, or belonging to the “seismically stable” set, the additional clearance of a smaller wheel can make a lot of difference in driving pleasure. Yes, I know that there is just an additional inch or so more space between those thunder thighs and the wheel. But a bit more room in the pilot’s seat is always appreciated in a big Healey. So is having a very nice vintage steeling wheel that looks a lot like the 100-S original (the reproduction is just short one small hole to make the six that the real S wheel has).

I ordered a Moto-Lita fixed steering wheel hub from Moss and proceeded to install the wheel and hub assembly on my BN1 100-S in record time. Only after I was finished did it occur to me that others may not know how to tackle this job, as the shop manual assumes you know a few secrets that only trained British mechanics know.

What both the 100 and the six-cylinder shop manuals say is pretty much the same. As a refresher, you do remember that the first bunch of 100s had adjustable steering wheels? This had only to do with moving the wheel up and down the column or in and out. The travel was limited to an inch or so by a snap ring on the splined steering column to prevent you pulling the wheel off into your lap. If the snap ring is missing, you could be in for an interesting driving experience if you pull hard enough at full chat and get the whole mess plopped right into your lap. So the snap ring is important!

After the first bunch of cars had been built, the factory changed to fixed steering. Here the steering wheel is held tight on the steering shaft by a large nut you remember—the “nut behind the wheel.” With the introduction of the six-cylinder models, the adjustable wheel once again was made available, this time as an option with the fixed wheel carried forward as standard. This was the case to the end of production in 1967. When you are ordering a new wheel and hub combination, be sure to match the type of hub to your type of steering column: fixed steering hub for fixed steering, adjustable steering hub for adjustable steering. The hubs are not interchangeable.

Here’s what the six-cylinder shop manual says in quotes, along with my additional comments. First, and this applies to both fixed and adjustable steering: “Disconnect, at the nearest snap connections, the horn and Hasher light cables protruding from the end of the stator tube.” What’s a stator tube? It’s the piece of 3/8 inch steel tube that is inside the hollow steering shaft through which runs the horn and flasher light cables. Actually, these cables are all bundled together and wrapped in a very tight cloth covering so the cables will fit and pull through the stator tube easily. It is very nearly impossible to repair any problems in the running length of these cables, as wire thicker than the original simply will not go back down the stator lube! Let’s assume yours is still serviceable. Oh, and while you’re there unsnapping the wires, be sure to note the color code and/or mark them so you know how to put them back together later.

For those of you with adjustable steering, here are your specific instructions: tape a piece of string approximately seven or more feet long to the ends of the wires you just unsnapped and allow this pilot string to proceed up the stator tube for use later. With the pilot siring attached, “…remove the three grub screws in the steering wheel hub and withdraw the quadrant, together with the short stator tube and cables. The long part of the stator tube remains in the steering column. NOTE: The short stator tube has an indentation in it which fits in the slot in the long stator tube. The horn quadrant must be withdrawn without any twisting motion to avoid enlarging the slot in the long stator tube. Any enlargement of this slot will result in excessive movement of the horn quadrant after replacement.” As soon as you see the pilot string emerge from the steering column, stop and undo it and leave it dangling there for the re-assembly later. And now you know—adjustable steering has a two-piece stator tube.

Fine, you now have the “quadrant” (better known in the parts list as a trafficator, and known to us on this side of the pond as a turn signal switch) in your lap together with its wiring harness. At this point, you should be able to prize off the stop-the-steering-wheel-from-coming-off-in-your-lap snap ring/clip and remove the steering wheel. Then re-fit your new wheel and hub combination, taking care to locate them on the steering shaft splines in such a position that you can see all or most of your instruments with the steering wheel in the straight ahead position as if you were going straight down the road. Be sure to string the pilot string through the new hub and steering wheel. And don’t forget to replace the snap ring/clip!

Tie and/or tape the string to the end of your turn signal wiring harness, and, by pulling from the steering box end, re-insert the harness into the stator tube, pulling the switch along until it is once more seated in the steering wheel. To center the canceling mechanism, be sure the canceler ring rung is in the bottom position under the switches’ pawls. Now reset the grub screws that lock the canceling ring to the steering wheel and reconnect your wiring. Finally, stand back and admire your new steering wheel. Or better yet, take the beast for a drive!

For you fixed steering folks, your instructions are a little different because your turn signal switch and stator tube come out as a single unit. And as they do, be sure to catch the steering box oil as it is held inside the box by a nut and compression fitting, called an olive in U.K. English, on the stator tube. No pilot string needed here. So here’s what the shop manual says: “When a nonadjustable type column is filled, remove the nut and olive at the bottom end of the steering box. This will free the stator tube, which in this case is in one piece. The horn quadrant can then be with drawn into the interior of the car, complete with stator tube and cables. Plug the hole left in the bottom of the steering box to prevent the oil draining out.” Now you have access to the steering wheel nut, star-type lock washer, and canceling washer, if the original bits are still there. Use a 1 1/2-inch six point socket and an impact wrench to remove the nut if arm power alone isn’t enough.

If your original steering wheel has been on for a long time, you may need to use a puller. Be sure not to mess up any threads on the steering wheel shaft. Judicious use of heat, penetrating lubricants, and all the other tricks you know for loosening rusted parts will come into play here. Patience is always in season. Let the penetrating juice have a chance to work. If you are luckier than most, or your wheel has been off recently, then just yank it off the splines. Refit your new wheel and hub so you can read most or all of the instruments when the wheel is in the straight ahead position, and replace the steering wheel nut, lock washer, and canceling washer. The tang on the canceling washer needs to be at the bottom position of the steering wheel when the road wheels are straight ahead so canceling will occur correctly.

What I do now is to undo the three screws that hold the switch to the stator tube and pull the turn signal wiring harness up into the stator tube, so that just the last wire connector or two sticks out the end. This helps me pilot the tube back through the steering box. Once through, I pull the wiring back through the tube and refit the switch to the tube. Be sure to locate the turn signal’s canceling ring on the canceling washer’s tang as you pull the assembly into final position in the steering wheel hub. Refit the “olive” and the compression nut on the steering box stator tube end, and, while holding the turn signal switch with the lever in the 12:00 o’clock position, tighten the compression nut, which will hold the entire assembly in position. Refill the steering box as necessary with 90W. Now it’s your turn for a drive and some admiration time.