Installing a new steering wheel

   

This article will give you step-by-step instructions for installing a Grant steering wheel into your IROC.  This procedure may vary slightly depending on the brand of steering wheel you choose.  This article also applies to most other GM vehicles.

 

Tools needed:

1       GM steering wheel puller

2       Needle Nose Pliers

3       Wire Cutters (Dykes)

4       7/16 Socket

5       Socket for Steering wheel nut (I forget the size)

6       4mm Allen socket or Allen wrench

7       Ratchet for sockets

8       Wrench or socket for the steering wheel puller

 

Installing the Grant wheel:

1       Disconnect your battery or pull the horn fuse out of the fuse box.


2       Remove the horn by pulling gently. Sometimes the horn pad can be fragile, and to avoid breaking it, get a screwdriver or thin blade behind it and pry gently as you pull.(Figure 1)


3       Unplug the wire from the horn pad.


4       Use the needle nose pliers to spread the locking ring that’s on the steering column stud. (Figure 2)


5       Once the ring is off, attach the GM steering wheel puller.  The center rod should rest on the indentation in the steering column stud, and the two bolts should thread into the 3/8 18 holes in the steering wheel. (Figure 3)


6       Slowly turn the center stud of the steering wheel puller.  After a few tight turns, it’ll loosen up and you’re done.  Remove the wheel puller and the wheel.


7       The black plastic thingie around the horn wire can be removed by turning it counter-clockwise a ¼ turn.  The plastic piece, the wire, and a spring will come out together.  (Figure 4)


8       Use the wire cutters to cut the stock horn wire so that you can remove it from the plastic piece.  Cut it in a spot where you’ll be able to easily re-connect this wire incase you decide to re-install the stock wheel in the future.


9       Put the new wire through the spring and the plastic piece so that it looks the same as the OEM setup.  The only difference here is that the new wire will properly plug into the pin on the back of the horn (Figure 5). Try to install it into the steering column to see if the spring will compress enough.  If not, disassemble the horn wire so that you can cut 1/3 of the spring.  Reassemble and try it again.  This should be enough so that the spring will compress properly and allow the plastic piece to spin and lock into place.


10  You can now slide your fully assembled Grant mounting kit onto the steering column and tighten it down with the factory column nut.  Once it’s tight, reinstall the safety locking ring. (Figure 6)


11  Depending on what model steering wheel you have, your horn installation will vary slightly. 


A.   If you’ve got a standard Grant wheel, and if the metal grounding ring on the horn firmly contacts the horn body, you can just attach the wheel to the mounting kit with the allen screws, connect the horn wire and snap the horn button into place. 


B.   If you’ve got one of the premium grant wheels with the billet horn button and ring, your installation will be a bit more complicated.  Instead of simply snapping into place, Grant decided to make it more complicated. 


1       Use the supplied double-backed tape to attach the billet horn button right on top of the standard plastic button.  Make sure it’s centered well.


2       Remove one of the 7/16 bolts holding the wheel mounting kit together, slip the ring terminal side of the supplied horn ground wire around it, and reinstall.  The way the horn works with the billet kit requires the use of this ground wire. (Figure 7)


3       Set the wheel in place without the billet horn ring, and thread the top allen bolt in a couple threads to hold the wheel in place.


4       Pull the horn power and horn ground wires through the center of the wheel and hook them to the proper terminals on the back of the horn.


5       Position the horn in place, remove the one allen bolt holding the wheel up, position the horn ring around the horn, and get that top allen bolt threaded back in.  Install the rest of the allen bolts loosely, and as you snug them down, make sure that the horn is seated properly. (Figure 8)  If it’s not, you’ll get a surprise when you reinstall the horn fuse.


12  Reinstall your horn fuse carefully.  If the horn isn’t seated properly, the horn may blow. 


13  Test the horn.  If it doesn’t work properly, pull the horn button out and see what’s wrong.

 

Removing a Grant wheel:

The process for removing the Grant wheel is a bit different because they weren’t thoughtful enough to incorporate a couple threaded holes so that the GM wheel puller would work.  Way to go Grant.  Use a 3 pronged puller, or…


1.     Remove the horn and the wheel.  I’m assuming that since you installed it, you’re now smart enough to succeed with this step on your own without additional instruction.


2.     Remove the retaining ring and the big nut holding the Grant adapter on.


3.     Remove the 3 7/16 bolts and the rest of the associated hardware. 


4.     Partially reinstall the steering column nut, then slide the rounded metal piece back over that originally went under the nut. 


5.     Reinstall the three 7/16 bolts.  If the nut is adjusted properly, you can evenly tighten the 7/16 bolts, which will force the splined cast piece to come up.  If it doesn’t come completely loose on the first try, remove, readjust the big nut, then do some more.  This will get the splined piece off the stud.


 

Hope this helps.

 

 

Article and pictures by Jim Irace (Jim85IROC)

 

 

 

 

Figure 1

Figure 1

 

Figure 2

Figure 2

 

Figure 3

Figure 3

 

Figure 4

Figure 4

 

Figure 5

Figure 5

 

Figure 6

Figure 6

 

Figure 7

Figure 7

 

Figure 8

Figure 8

 

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