MTFCA Forum

Hi All,
My name is Ken and I live in Ohio. I am north of 60 but still I can not walk past a dumpster without looking in. I joined specifically to identify this find. Google says it is a 1920's Model T steering wheel.
Can anyone confirm this or be more specific ? Does it have any value ? does anyone on here need one ? or know someone who does ?

A picture may be helpful

ironpony wrote: ↑

Fri Sep 23, 2022 10:24 pm

Hi All,
My name is Ken and I live in Ohio. I am north of 60 but still I can not walk past a dumpster without looking in. I joined specifically to identify this find. Google says it is a 1920's Model T steering wheel.
Can anyone confirm this or be more specific ? Does it have any value ? does anyone on here need one ? or know someone who does ?

There are several different ones the spoke part is called the spider (if its bronze/brass I'll buy it). The end the outside diameter. Andfimally the finish of the spider and rim. The picture shows the keyway (notch in hole) one or two
STEERING WHEEL
1909-1910
Bronze spider and nut. 14-1/4” O.D. (12-1/2” I.D., 1” thick) wood rim was painted black. Note: most recent data shows the wheel to be 13” O.D. but this is apparently the result of latter-day reproduction wheels. No original 13” wheels have been found on Ford cars.
1911-1912
Bronze spider. Redesigned wheel now 12-3/8” I.D. and 1-1/8” thick (14-3/4” O.D.) wood rim painted black. Bronze spider believed to have been painted black in later production.
1912-1920
Malleable iron spider, painted black. 12-1/4” I.D., 1-3/8” thick) 14.59” O.D. wood rim painted black until about 1919, then made of “Fordite” composition material. The malleable iron spider was changed to the pressed steel design late in the era (date unknown)
1920-1925
Pressed-steel spider, painted black. 16” O.D. wheel. (June 1920)
1925-1927
Similar to 1925 but now 17” O.D.
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It will not help ID it buy saying it "looks like" need a picture - here are examples

sorry for some reason the pics did not show up I am going to try again now. Also is a 16" dia. Looks like a 1920-1925 wheel. After looking in the classified ads and seeing the trucks for sale it jogged my memory. I pulled this out of the dumpster next to the FD and they have a 1920's firetruck they run around in parades. The FD recently changed jurisdictions and the current one is cleaning out all the misc. stuff lying around. So 1920 truck wheel ?

Definitely a Model T steering wheel of the 1920s. Good find ! Congratulations ! Probably worth $25-$50.

I am a car guy mostly classic muscle and have transitioned to modern muscle cars. Here are a few current ones. None in black. Now that I have a steering wheel for a 1920 Model T maybe I need to get the rest of the car. Semi retired contractor, got bored and went to work at a local manufacturer setting up and running CNC machines.
EDIT: after looking in the classifieds they seem reasonably priced. I seen a few trucks that were interesting. Might have a new Model T owner down the road.

The 1926 Fordite steering wheel with the Ford Script on the hub, was enlarged to 17”. Fordite is the name of the early plastic-like material the ring is made of. If I am not mistaken I think one of the main components was sawdust mixed with glue and compressed. I think the steel spider is about 16” dia. Prior to 1926, the steering wheels were smaller. Jim Patrick

Model T era, car and truck steering wheels were the same. I don't offhand know exactly when the dates of changes were, however, everything from the Ford factory was basically the same from 1920 into 1925.

The encyclopedia shows the change to 17 inch outside diameter rim in December 1925. The 16" O.D started in Dec '20 and the 15" started July '19. These are the dates for Fordite rims only.