Steering column

drbill

Gold forum user
Messages
124
The steering wheel on my Tiger was in poor shape, so I decided to fit a Moto-Lita wood rim. The hub fits fine, but the threaded rod coming through the center doesn't allow the horn button on the new wheel to seat. I was messing about with it and it loosened up enough to slide back into the inner column. I realize that this is the tightener for the telescoping function. I guess it came loose back in there....:eek:
That solves the problem of fitting the new steering wheel, but now I've lost the telescoping function, at least the part that locks it in place. I'm thinking to just add a set screw along the inner column to hold it in a fixed position. Any other suggestions?
Thanks,
Bill
 

cobrakidz

Gold forum user
Messages
2,289
Bill,
Years ago I fitted a similar wheel to my Tiger and I too lost the ability to use the telescoping feature. I never found a cure, hope there is one as I would like to add a new wheel to my current Tiger.
 

michael-king

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
4,132
IIRC there are 2 types of boss for the later cars, one allows the adjustment one doesn't. Go to the Mota-lita site, they used to have the part# for each
 

drbill

Gold forum user
Messages
124
Bill,
Years ago I fitted a similar wheel to my Tiger and I too lost the ability to use the telescoping feature. I never found a cure, hope there is one as I would like to add a new wheel to my current Tiger.
I don't mind so much losing the telescopic feature, I just don't want it moving while driving. I may set it where I like it and use a set screw to hold it in place.
 

cadreamn67

Platinum Forum Member
Messages
608
Did you check the company site as Michael suggested?

What is the part number on the hub you have? I also have a MotoLita wheel but have not gotten around to installing it. I was just looking at the hub, which is supposed to be for the telescoping application. Mine is marked B30.

Gene
 

drbill

Gold forum user
Messages
124
Did you check the company site as Michael suggested?

What is the part number on the hub you have? I also have a MotoLita wheel but have not gotten around to installing it. I was just looking at the hub, which is supposed to be for the telescoping application. Mine is marked B30.

Gene
Mine is B30L. The Motolita site says should be B30H for adj column. So I must have the wrong hub. I probably wasn't too clear in my first post, but I actually have 2 problems.
1. wrong hub to begin with for the adjustable column
2. the mechanism itself which holds the column in the desired position is broken. In my playing around with it, I think the expander bolt shown in the diagram in the workshop manual has somehow come loose in the inner column and no longer engages the extension piece to hold it in place. So, even with the right hub, I believe I've broken it. The way I see it is I have 2 options: a) remove the column and repair the mechanism, then use the proper hub OR b) use what I have and somehow rig the column so it won't move in and out at all.
I hate it when I break stuff!! :(
 

XTIGERX

Gold forum user
Messages
501
I've installed a Lecarra steering wheel :). Lost the horn button but the lock on the adjustable column still works .... except ;).

On the way back home from a drive the 2 lane road narrowed down to one at the other side of an intersection with a stop sign. I thought I'd gas it across, to beat the guy in the other lane :rolleyes:, and stop at the edge of a drainage swale on the other side and ease my way thru.

When I hit the gas the wheel pulled out about 4" which was a surprise :eek: in itself but just that fast I was across and hit the brakes and the wheel went back in and jambed up against the top of my legs :mad:.

A bit unnerving when it pulled out and then I had to give it a good yank back to get it off my legs so I could steer a bit easier without all the friction. Not sure how/when the lock got loosened :confused:. No loss of control :p and I won my dash to the other side :cool:.
 

cadreamn67

Platinum Forum Member
Messages
608
That hub part number is interesting. Mine does not have a "H" or an "L" at the end. Maybe I have the wrong one as well. Is yours chromed or black? Mine is just the black version.

How deep is yours from the bottom of the cavity up to where the bottom of the horn cap would sit? The depth on mine is 1.75 inches.

Gene
 

drbill

Gold forum user
Messages
124
That hub part number is interesting. Mine does not have a "H" or an "L" at the end. Maybe I have the wrong one as well. Is yours chromed or black? Mine is just the black version.

How deep is yours from the bottom of the cavity up to where the bottom of the horn cap would sit? The depth on mine is 1.75 inches.

Gene

Hi Gene,
Mine is black. I'll measure it tonight and let you know. The depth is only one issue, though. There needs to be a way to tighten/loosen the adjuster in the inner column. The stock steering wheel has the center section which rotates. I wonder if the "adjustable hub" from Moto-Lita somehow allows you to do this.
Bill
 

venice532

Gold forum user
CAT Member
Messages
461
wheel hub

Hi Bill, I went through this a couple of years ago.
After getting the proper hub (B30h) and installing it when tightened the threaded rod was too far out to put the horn button on.
Also adding to the dilemma was the fact that the electrical connection for the horn was right in the middle of the back of the button so that made it even worse.
At this point people sometimes resort to lopping off an inch or so of the threaded rod and calling it good.
This will allow you to tighten the column so it doesn't move around but makes is impossible to ever go back to a stock wheel.
I asked a local restoration expert about it and he told me a trick that he uses.
If you take off the tightening nut and push the threaded piece all the way down and rotate it about 20 degrees or so it's possible to find a little ledge that holds the threaded rod further into the column. If you hold that spot and use a washer and nut you can tighten it to hold the hub where ever you want while the threaded rod stays close enough to the hub that it clears the horn button.
If you ever want to go back to the stock wheel it's easy to put it all back to original.
regards
Bob
 

drbill

Gold forum user
Messages
124
That hub part number is interesting. Mine does not have a "H" or an "L" at the end. Maybe I have the wrong one as well. Is yours chromed or black? Mine is just the black version.

How deep is yours from the bottom of the cavity up to where the bottom of the horn cap would sit? The depth on mine is 1.75 inches.

Gene

Okay, from the bottom to the back edge of where the horn cap goes is 9/16" and the total depth is 1+5/16"
 

drbill

Gold forum user
Messages
124
Hi Bill, I went through this a couple of years ago.
After getting the proper hub (B30h) and installing it when tightened the threaded rod was too far out to put the horn button on.
Also adding to the dilemma was the fact that the electrical connection for the horn was right in the middle of the back of the button so that made it even worse.
At this point people sometimes resort to lopping off an inch or so of the threaded rod and calling it good.
This will allow you to tighten the column so it doesn't move around but makes is impossible to ever go back to a stock wheel.
I asked a local restoration expert about it and he told me a trick that he uses.
If you take off the tightening nut and push the threaded piece all the way down and rotate it about 20 degrees or so it's possible to find a little ledge that holds the threaded rod further into the column. If you hold that spot and use a washer and nut you can tighten it to hold the hub where ever you want while the threaded rod stays close enough to the hub that it clears the horn button.
If you ever want to go back to the stock wheel it's easy to put it all back to original.
regards
Bob

Bob,
I essentially did what you describe to the threaded rod, but I man-handled it a bit too much (that sounds naughty!:D) and it won't tighten the column anymore. I've put a nut on the very end to keep it from falling way back into the column and it now clears the horn button, but I'll have to do something else to keep the column from sliding in and out.
Bill
 

cadreamn67

Platinum Forum Member
Messages
608
Bill,

Thanks for the measurements. It looks like my B30 (with no letters after it) is about 1 inch deeper than the B30L you have. Gives me hope that I will be able to make mine fit.

Bob,

Many thanks for passing the tech tip along to those of us looking to make this wheel installation. I am so glad I have not tried to attempt it yet!

Gene
 
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