Opinions on repro rosewood steering wheel? - Page 3

**njsteve** · #21 12-24-2003, 04:57 PM

Does anyone have the offset dimensions between the two wheels so I can be an "educated consumer"?

JoeC · #22 12-24-2003, 05:10 PM

It is about 1 inch differance with rosewood about 3in and walnut about 4in

DjD · #23 12-24-2003, 08:22 PM

I lightened up your pic some Charlie...

**Charley Lillard** · #24 12-25-2003, 10:15 PM

Walnut 67-8 sitting on the NOS Rosewood

**Charley Lillard** · #25 12-25-2003, 10:17 PM

Rosewood

**Charley Lillard** · #26 12-25-2003, 10:20 PM

Walnut

**njsteve** · #27 12-26-2003, 04:24 AM

Wow, you guys are great. I managed to locate a wheel on X-mas eve, though it looks somewhat dark in the pictures I've seen, it has the proper 3" offset, it's not glossy and has no cracks. Hopefully it will look as good in person. Do the wheels have any part numbers stamped on them? The seller couldn't find one but he indicated that the horn button parts had the numbers 3901314 and 3874640 on them. Thanks again for all the help. If you need any 426 Hemi info, I'm here to help (that was my specialty in a previous career). -NJSteve

rpoz11 · #28 12-27-2003, 09:01 PM

Hi guys; I believe this image in this attatchment( the one Im responding on here) is missing the correct lighting but that one appears correct. The following attatchments Charlie provided show a much better example of the sun affected typical discoloration normally found on these. I have an orig uncracked Rosewood off my PaceCar, it has plenty of the correct grain left and compared to another one I have that is cracked, side by side you can definately see the diiference from the initial issue vs. the aged sun exposed wheels on used ones. I will attempt a pic but Im unsure my Camera images will fit these posts... I actually after shooting this pic didnt realize how close the coloring is on my 2 here; The one on the left up close is a small bit more redish and the one on the right,uncracked one, is a bit darker in person..That was my best attempt here. Hope this helps some[img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/beers.gif[/img]

NCGuy68 · #29 12-28-2003, 01:28 AM

I'am a big fan of the original Walnut and Rosewood wheels.
However, unless they are installed on a 'Trailer Queen' sitting in a climate controlled environmet, they will eventuality crack or warp.

Whats the solution?

camarojoe · #30 12-28-2003, 01:47 AM

I disagree with that, while I have heard that the new repros have had problems cracking as bad or worse than the originals did, i think any cracked original wheels you see have been cracked since they were nearly new. I have never had a perfect wheel develop a crack, nor have i ever had a wheel with a partial crack get any worse... I think all the cracks you see in old wheels happened back when the wheel was nearly new. I had a NOS shallow walnut wheel in cold storage last winter, and the temperature fluctuated between 70 degrees and -20 degrees, sometimes within days of each other...(one of those great PA winters! [img]/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif[/img]) I thought for sure the wheel would be cracked when i got it out in the spring, but it was still perfect. Maybe I just got lucky, but it seems that any cracked original wheels you see usually show evidence that the cracks have been there a LONG time. Has anyone else ever had a 30 year old steering wheel crack recently?

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