<VV> Sport wheel option - Wheel replacement

[Sethracer at aol.com]

Someone on the "Corvair Forum" acquired a parts car with the GM Sport Wheel 
 option. This is the same "wood" wheel as used on most Telescoping 
installations,  but with a fixed hub. Like most "exposed" wheels - sitting outside 
through a few  summers and winters - there were cracks in the rim plastic. I 
don't know what he  is going to do with the wheel, fix or replace it, but I 
offered the following  advice if he decides to remove the wheel from the hub:
 
Remove the steering wheel assembly from the column. With the Sport wheel  
option, the wheel is riveted in place with two other parts, the actual  
splined hub portion and the outer cover. If you decide to replace the wheel  with 
another, you will have to drill out the rivets and replace them with  
tapered head screws and nuts. This is not fun! The nuts will be located deep  
down the underside of the adapter. The problem is trying to tighten these up,  
while maintaining the alignment of the outer cover. If you don't keep it  
centered on the adapter, it will rub on the column. I would try this method  
after removal from the car: Remove the rivets and disassemble the wheel. Bolt 
 the wheel down on the adapter -without the outer cover in place, using 
tapered  seat screws in the wheel and flanged nuts underneath. This will give 
you much  easier access to those nuts underneath. Tack weld a couple of spots 
on the  sides of each nut, where they contact the flange, to keep them in 
place. Now you  can re-assemble the wheel/cover/hub. The cover will slide 
around between the  wheel and the hub, allowing you to align it, without having 
to go underneath to  tighten it down. By the way, many aftermarket steering 
wheels will fit that hub.  Along with the Corvair-Corvette-specific wheels 
from Grant, MOMO wheels have the  same 6-bolt pattern. The horn button is 
available in Repro from Clarks. - Enjoy  - Seth Emerson