C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

[Dino L.]

I always have wondered are there differences in the C3 steering wheels over the years, are they all 15" diameter and 2 3/4" deep, do they have different characteristics? Anyways, I posted photos of a wheel I have, to see if anyone could point out what seperates a 68 from a 72 for example etc? I have no idea what year the wheel is below....I think a 69

[Wayne P.]

Re: C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

68 is like 67
76 is like Vega
77 up leather wrapped

[Warren F.]

Re: C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

'68 steering wheel is 16 inch diameter, '69 wheel is 15 inch.

[Joe L.]

Re: C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

I always have wondered are there differences in the C3 steering wheels over the years, are they all 15" diameter and 2 3/4" deep, do they have different characteristics? Anyways, I posted photos of a wheel I have, to see if anyone could point out what seperates a 68 from a 72 for example etc? I have no idea what year the wheel is below....I think a 69

Dino-----


The steering wheel pictured was not used on all C3 Corvettes-----just 1969-75. The 1969 to 1972 wheel was GM #3952700 and the 73-75 wheel was GM #333590. The 333590 became the SERVICE wheel for 1969-72 applications when the GM #3952700 was discontinued in July, 1973. So, what's the difference between the 2 wheels? Well, all I can tell you is this: I have NOS examples of both wheels (several of the 333590) and I haven't been able to discern any difference, at all, between them.

[Jim S.]

Re: C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

I thought that there were differences in the spokes. Early steering wheels had the three spokes and centeral part stamped from one piece of metal. Later wheels had the 6 o'clock spoke spot welded to the center part. I always figured that it was a cost saving move. There had to be a great amount of wasted metal in stamping out a one piece spoke unit.

The two piece spoke assembly required the die cast steering shaft hub to have a cutout at 6 o'clock because the center part had two metal thicknesses where the 6 o'clock spoke attached.

The thing that is confusing to me is that the same hub (3949110) is called out from 1969 through 1982. My 1977 AIM clearly shows the cutout in the hub, a matching indentation in the extension (458910) and I am very sure that the 1977 (and subsequent years) leather wrapped steering wheels had spot welded spokes at 6 0'clock.

I don't understand why the hub with a cutout is not a different part number from a hub without a cutout. The different part numbers should be required because an early hub without a cutout would cause a steering wheel with a spot welded spoke to not sit flush to the hub.

Early AIMs are notorious in not showing specific detail like a cutout in the die cast hub. Later AIM sheets (1977) show a lot more detail.

Jim

[Joe L.]

Re: C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

I thought that there were differences in the spokes. Early steering wheels had the three spokes and centeral part stamped from one piece of metal. Later wheels had the 6 o'clock spoke spot welded to the center part. I always figured that it was a cost saving move. There had to be a great amount of wasted metal in stamping out a one piece spoke unit.

The two piece spoke assembly required the die cast steering shaft hub to have a cutout at 6 o'clock because the center part had two metal thicknesses where the 6 o'clock spoke attached.

The thing that is confusing to me is that the same hub (3949110) is called out from 1969 through 1982. My 1977 AIM clearly shows the cutout in the hub, a matching indentation in the extension (458910) and I am very sure that the 1977 (and subsequent years) leather wrapped steering wheels had spot welded spokes at 6 0'clock.

I don't understand why the hub with a cutout is not a different part number from a hub without a cutout. The different part numbers should be required because an early hub without a cutout would cause a steering wheel with a spot welded spoke to not sit flush to the hub.

Early AIMs are notorious in not showing specific detail like a cutout in the die cast hub. Later AIM sheets (1977) show a lot more detail.

Jim

Jim------

The spot-welded-on "6 o'clock" spoke was the same for the 1969-72 wheel, GM #3952700, as for the 73-75 wheel, GM #333590. I used to think that spoke configuration was the difference, too, but I finally determined that feature was the same for both wheels. Still, there just has to be some difference between the wheels or the part number would not have changed. However, it's not necessarily a visually discernable difference.

The GM #3949110 hub was, apparently, used for all 1969-82 Corvettes with tilt-telescopic columns. However, the standard 69-75 column used hub GM #3937896. Interestingly, GM never cataloged a hub for 76-79 Corvettes with standard column. Although such columns were not common in those years, there were some. In any event, I'm pretty sure that the 3937896 was also used for 76-79 with standard columns, especially since the 3949110 was used throughout 1969-82 period for tilt-telescopic columns.

All examples of the 3937896 hub I have seen, including several NOS examples I have, have the relief for the "6 o'clock spoke". I can't say for sure regarding the 3949110, but I expect all have the relief, too.

[Jim S.]

Re: C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

Joe,
I can answer the die cast hub question. From 1969 through 1975 the standard (non-adjustable) columns had one type of hub (3937896). The T&T columns had another (3949110). Then in 1976 the steering wheels for both steering columns were unique because they had hubs molded into the steering wheels as integral units. The 1976 steering wheel for the non-adjustable column then carried through 1979 when T&T columns became standard. So there were no seperate hubs in 1976 and the non-adjustable columns from that time forward had a steering wheel with a hub molded into it.

Can you explain why the AIM calls the hub a HUB ASM? The AIM sheets consistantly from 1969 through 1982 always call it an assembly. I don't recall any seperate part in the die casting unless they are refering to the splined central section as being molded into the hub.
Jim

[Joe L.]

Re: C3 Steering wheels - What are the differences

Joe,
I can answer the die cast hub question. From 1969 through 1975 the standard (non-adjustable) columns had one type of hub (3937896). The T&T columns had another (3949110). Then in 1976 the steering wheels for both steering columns were unique because they had hubs molded into the steering wheels as integral units. The 1976 steering wheel for the non-adjustable column then carried through 1979 when T&T columns became standard. So there were no seperate hubs in 1976 and the non-adjustable columns from that time forward had a steering wheel with a hub molded into it.

Can you explain why the AIM calls the hub a HUB ASM? The AIM sheets consistantly from 1969 through 1982 always call it an assembly. I don't recall any seperate part in the die casting unless they are refering to the splined central section as being molded into the hub.
Jim

Jim-----


I should have checked one of the later AIM's. In fact, I kind of thought to myself maybe the later steering wheels had an integral hub? Then I though, nah, that couldn't be and without checking.

I feel very confident that the reason the hubs are referred to as an assembly is because of the cast-in, splined insert, as you mention. I have found that when a part contains more than 1 piece, regardless of how obscure or seemingly integral the additional pieces are, they almost always refer to it as an assembly.