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Grant steering wheel = Possible violent death.

tomseviltwin

tomseviltwin

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Had a very sobering moment in Moab last week. After running a bunny hill trail with the whole family in the truck, We drove into town and had decent lunch at Zax's Pizza. Upon returning to Blazer I grabbed the steering wheel to pull myself in and felt some play in it, so I gave it a gentle turn and it spun right on the steering shaft. When Iunbolted it from the steering column I came to learn that my properly installed adapter is butter soft and had stripped out all of the spines that engage the steering /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif For some lucky reason this gave way while parked, and not going 65 down a 2 lane freeway.

This Grant steering product is a dangerous piece of crap and I would like to pass along warning to all not to trust your life to it. I have reinstalled a stock steering wheel which not only benefits from hardened wheel splines, but also a pressed fit.

Thanks for reading my book. /forums/images/graemlins/waytogo.gif
 
First bad Grant product I've ever heard of.

BTW, stop hanging on your steering wheel to get in. That's a good way to make the roller bearings inside your column explode.
 
/forums/images/graemlins/thinking.gif I'm a hefty 225lb guy and have been useing my grant wheel to pull me up for about 5yrs now with no problems. /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif Hell you just don't know these days, could of been a flaw in the one you bought. Thanks for the heads up though. /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
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First bad Grant product I've ever heard of.

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Well you know best. I'll never use another one, but I'm not as hard core as you. I don't put much weight on it but just to balance myself getting in.

Go ahead and take a Grant adapter and scratch it with a key or something. The alloy is very soft.

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That's a good way to make the roller bearings inside your column explode.

[/ QUOTE ].

what? do they pack those babies with c4 /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
The Grant's steering whell been on my truck for a while now. Been through 2 columns and still have it. A whole lot better than the stock wheel. Could be the spacer, I am using an older model with no no spacer on it. Call them, alot of companies hate to her negative product response and will usually replace for free with no turn in.
 
a camaro wheel is a nice replacement
I havent looked at Grant stuff since early 90s, it was junk then
 
I have a Grant and I have never had a peoblem with it /forums/images/graemlins/dunno.gif
 
I had my old grant nearly come off in my hands going down the road in my old 77. Not really grants fault on mine.. the nut just got loose I guess. I noticed it loosen up but just a litte further down the road it got a lot worse, real fast. It was a pretty curvey road, so I'm sure that's why it got bad so quick. Pretty sickening feeling to say the least. I pulled over and got it tightened up, and never had any more trouble with it. But, I did leave the horn cover off after that... just encase. /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
Ran one on a 280Z for years and put it through a lot of punishment. Ran one on my Toyota and there is one on my 74 Blazer. My buddy has one on his 86 pickup with no issues. I was planning on getting a new one for my 76 Blazer. First time I've heard anything bad too, and no I'm not related to the company (I wish they'd give me a discount though). I guess every product can possibly fail at some point or another.
 
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I'm a hefty 225lb guy and have been useing my grant wheel to pull me up for about 5yrs now with no problems.

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Eventually, given you have a tilt column, you WILL loosen up or strip the 4 bolts or the plate they thread into, that holds the tilt setup together. 99% of tilt column problems are because people use them to pull themselves into the vehicle.

Exact same column was used in all the cars, tilt looseness was never an issue.
 
If you have a tilt column NEVER EVEN TOUCH IT WHEN GETTING INTO THE TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!

I have had problems with the tilt on both of my trucks (71k5 and 87s10). The bearings that are in there are very close together and very thin. It is a very bad design. If you have been doing this for years you have only gotten luckey that your bearings haven't shattered yet.

In my k5 when the bearing shattered there was nowhere I could get a new one. I could get the outter race and the balls but no one had the inner race. I ended up having to machine the column and the steering shaft and use a metric bearing that was smaller ID and bigger OD.

PUT IN A GRAB HANDLE IF YOU CAN'T GET INTO YOUR TRUCK!!! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

IF ANY OF YOU ARE SO THICK OF SKULL THAT YOU CAN'T LEARN FROM THE ADVICE OF OTHERS YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU GET /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

I have never seen a Grant product (of any kind) that hasen't sucked! I have one on my truck right now (was on it when I bought it /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif) and it is getting swapped out with a factory one from a late 80's truck.
 
Dan's post is dead on.

You simply can not haul yourself in, or for that matter, "help" youself in with the tilt column. They last for many years if used properly, but they won't last long with ANY lateral loads. It's not so much a bad design, but rather they were simply not designed for side loads in any way shape or form... I've not had one single problem in all my years of GM trucks since I learned that valuable lesson.
 
tilts come loose in cars all the time too, itsa not just form using the wheel to get in, they just work loose by nature, alot of GM tilts do this, not just trucks, look in the 80-up caprice impala cars for example, those tilts are wobbly loose very commonly,

just happens


i never use anything but stock steering wheels, i do not like how the aftermarket oens assemble i will not trust any, i dont know why ppl have to have such a tiny wheel, i cannot keep any vehicle straight thats got anything but stock wheel on it, larger diameter the better easier it is to drive,

i grew up on the 67-72 trucks though, all im used to are them, for a while i had a hard time keeping one of my 80s caprices straight after driving one of the 67-72 trucks i had, i just could not keep it where i wanted it i kep running one side of lane to the other it sucks, smaller wheels are a joke


good luck
 
I have a 4 spoke one in my truck now . And I have tilt . So far so good .

I also have an interesting story . When I was 17 I wrecked my first beater 69 Chevelle . I had a 2 spoke Grant wheel , chrome with black foam , unsure of the name for that style . Anyway when I hit the wheel ( 69 shoulder harnesses were optional ) it gave and bent enough for my to just split my lip and not break my jaw . NO BS /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Reading this post makes me think about when my rag joint failed on my 74 K20--having the steering wheel spin in circles with no resistance or movement of the front wheels is a dandy cure for constipation!. I had a custom steering wheel years ago on a VW beetle,and I'm not sure what brand it was,but the splined adapter thing was made of cast aluminum,very soft stuff--it got real sloppy on the collum and eventually I was afraid to trust it so loose--I tried tightening the nut more,it split the adapter right in half!!.I took a hacksaw to the OEM steering wheel and cut the splined center out of it,and drilled and tapped the holes to match my custom steering wheel-it wasnt as pretty,but I had a lot more faith in that than the cheesy aluminum die cast POS that came with the wheel--never have seen a stock steering wheel center ever screw up.They arent strict enough on some of theese critical parts quality standards--they should be made of steel,or at least some sort of billet aluminum,not die cast--I'd like to see the D.O.T. mandate that ALL metal brake and fuel lines be made of stainless steel--I see far too many accidents and vehicles burn to the ground due to rotted brake and fuel lines--seems the 90's GM and ford trucks are rusting faster underneath than the old ones ever did,at my friends shop this week alone he replaced the fuel lines on 3 trucks 1995 or newer--over 200 bucks for the fuel lines in each case,another 200 if the sending unit lines are rusted--nearly every truck I see at the junkyard has no useable sending unit or lines,they are most always rotted.He also gets about 4 vehicles a week with blown brake lines,due to rust--most of those vehicles have accident damage due to the faulty lines--I think it should be mandatory for car manufacturers to not be able to use regular steel lines anymore--they are recycled crap metal that dissolves in 5 years,and cost several hundred dollars to replace--in the case of the 3 trucks he fixed,2 of the owners considered scrapping the trucks,because the price of parts and labor nearly exceeded the value of the truck! /forums/images/graemlins/eek.gif. /forums/images/graemlins/screwy.gif
 
[ QUOTE ]
If you have a tilt column NEVER EVEN TOUCH IT WHEN GETTING INTO THE TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!

I have had problems with the tilt on both of my trucks (71k5 and 87s10). The bearings that are in there are very close together and very thin. It is a very bad design. If you have been doing this for years you have only gotten luckey that your bearings haven't shattered yet.

In my k5 when the bearing shattered there was nowhere I could get a new one. I could get the outter race and the balls but no one had the inner race. I ended up having to machine the column and the steering shaft and use a metric bearing that was smaller ID and bigger OD.

PUT IN A GRAB HANDLE IF YOU CAN'T GET INTO YOUR TRUCK!!! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

IF ANY OF YOU ARE SO THICK OF SKULL THAT YOU CAN'T LEARN FROM THE ADVICE OF OTHERS YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU GET /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

I have never seen a Grant product (of any kind) that hasen't sucked! I have one on my truck right now (was on it when I bought it /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif) and it is getting swapped out with a factory one from a late 80's truck.

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1985 chevy K5 steering wheel, no cracks, uber shiny/smooth. Working horn button, 0 cracks. $20.00 + ship. /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif
 
my favorite steering wheel is the late 80s early 90s steering wheel. The nice cushy black rubber one. I see no need for an aftermarket one but I can see where you might just like the way it looks.
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If you have a tilt column NEVER EVEN TOUCH IT WHEN GETTING INTO THE TRUCK!!!!!!!!!!

I have had problems with the tilt on both of my trucks (71k5 and 87s10). The bearings that are in there are very close together and very thin. It is a very bad design. If you have been doing this for years you have only gotten luckey that your bearings haven't shattered yet.

In my k5 when the bearing shattered there was nowhere I could get a new one. I could get the outter race and the balls but no one had the inner race. I ended up having to machine the column and the steering shaft and use a metric bearing that was smaller ID and bigger OD.

PUT IN A GRAB HANDLE IF YOU CAN'T GET INTO YOUR TRUCK!!! /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif

IF ANY OF YOU ARE SO THICK OF SKULL THAT YOU CAN'T LEARN FROM THE ADVICE OF OTHERS YOU DESERVE WHAT YOU GET /forums/images/graemlins/rolleyes.gif

I have never seen a Grant product (of any kind) that hasen't sucked! I have one on my truck right now (was on it when I bought it /forums/images/graemlins/doah.gif) and it is getting swapped out with a factory one from a late 80's truck.

[/ QUOTE ]

1985 chevy K5 steering wheel, no cracks, uber shiny/smooth. Working horn button, 0 cracks. $20.00 + ship. /forums/images/graemlins/deal.gif /forums/images/graemlins/whistling.gif

[/ QUOTE ]

/forums/images/graemlins/histerical.gif
I already bought the one that sled dog is talking about from the j/y...I just need to find a horn button for it (anybody have one).
 
I can't count how many A/G body cars I've driven (78-88 Monte, Cutlass, etc) or worked with and on, yet NONE have EVER had a problem with a loose tilt, and I don't think I've ever seen one without a tilt, to boot. Yet my '83 K5 was tight when I bought it...within 2 years it was loose, and it was because I had been hauling myself in and out of the truck with it. My Cutlaii, with a combined usage of about 6 years by me, are as tight as new.

So perhaps you might see them, but as stated, lateral loads are what destroy these things, not as-designed use. Trucks have this problem because many people can't just climb in without assistance.
 
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