15" Steering Wheel - Vs. - 13" Steering Wheel ?

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RPMagoo

RPMagoo

Just An Old Motorhead
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With a manual steering box, in a 65 Valiant, or similar, tight turning with a 13" steering wheel is difficult. -- Has anyone switched from a 13" wheel to a 15" wheel, and if so, what has been you experience, as to feel, to turn, in tight situations - parallel parking etc. ? -- It seems that the extra leverage, with a 15" wheel, would help.
 
Time for one of these?

Screen Shot 2017-05-11 at 6.17.43 AM.png
 
With Armstrong Steering the further out you go the easier to turn.
IMO, I wouldn't use the bolt on knob. If you need assist put the power to it.
 
The factory wheels were 15 and 16 inch. That might be a clue.
 
RustyRatRod said:
The factory wheels were 15 and 16 inch. That might be a clue.
Click to expand...

And with PS they should have used a smaller wheel but when the steering wheel that's offered is one size fits everything, that's the way it was.
 
RPMagoo said:
With a manual steering box, in a 65 Valiant, or similar, tight turning with a 13" steering wheel is difficult. -- Has anyone switched from a 13" wheel to a 15" wheel, and if so, what has been you experience, as to feel, to turn, in tight situations - parallel parking etc. ? -- It seems that the extra leverage, with a 15" wheel, would help.
Click to expand...

Approximately 15% less effort with a 15" wheel vs. a 13".

I find the effort on manual steering isn't bad but it's slow! A 13" would quicken the steering somewhat over a 15.

I have 16:1 manual on my small block 68 cuda and 24:1 (?) manual on my /6 64 Valiant. I like the 16:1 but the effort is high at low speeds and I imagine it would be tough to throw around an autocross track. I have an old NOS 20:1 worm and sector but have not swapped it into a box yet. Could be a good compromise on effort.
 
I use the 13" and just live with it. Makes for a great arm work out at low speed. going to mock up some electric steering on a column and see how that goes. Have seen some done around youtube for cheap. Might make a good option.
 
I had a 12 inch wheel in my '66 Valiant for 5 years, until I pulled the 340 out of the Valiant and put it in my '65 Barracuda--along with the 12 inch wheel, which remained in that car for almost 40 years. Low-speed steering was not a strong point.
 
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