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Steering wheel and shifter swap. Opinions?


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My main truck that I drive everyday is a '96 RD with the black two spoke steering wheel. I'm hoping to do a little revamp on the whole truck this winter, including new paint and taking the interior apart and putting Dynamat everywhere I can put it. I was just thinking, I have a '74 Western F daycab that is currently awaiting a very distant restoration. It has a perfect white 3 spoke 20" wheel in it. I thought about swapping it on to the RD to maybe give it a "classic" appeal. The RD also has an 8LL, and I found out you can still buy the old school round 13 speed roadranger shift knobs on eBay. I was thinking I'd use the two position knob for my deep reduction, and put an old style metal splitter valve on the stick for high-low range. The only problem I can think of, is there won't be anything to stop you from accidentally bumping the deep reduction down while in high range. Does this just sound like a bad idea? Would the steering wheels interchange?

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Jake

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Hmmm, I always put a smaller wheel(18") in my trucks for a little more room and easier to spin but this seems like a sweet idea. I'm with superdog on the dash switch for deep reduction , then you can use the chrome knob for high low or the push pull and a sweet o.g. shifter top ball with a Mack emblem in it.

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Randy, the round knob used to split the top gears in a 13 is listed as: FULA-4491 Selector Valve 9 10 or 13 speed shift knob old style eaton fuller. The push-pull high/low range valve is listed as: eaton fuller style Hi/low shift range valve.

Jake

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Well, I got the splitter and knob in yesterday, so I slapped them on today. I may put the deep reduction on the dash eventually, but this was the least invasive option for now. I was worried about not having a lockout on the double low when in high range, but as it turns out, no air goes to the double low switch when you're in high range, so as far as I can tell, there's no danger of getting it in a gear it's not supposed to be in. I may do away with the colored air lines.

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Jake

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Jacob how many lines does the round knob have or are available? where do you guys get the top to put the grab handle and the shifter on top off on the sides. Don't know if I want to go that route or just spin the knob on top and put the pull tab on the side or mount it in the dash to screw every one up that thinks about driving the truck unauthourized

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I like close to stock height but shorter is ok also.

The ones I can't figure out are the sticks that go all the way to the headliner when the driver is sitting on the floor? Must be the trucker's version of ape hanger bars

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Jim

It doesn't cost anything to pay attention.

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Looks good! I like the high low range valves on the stick not in the knob well all mine have been 10spds but none the less to me its easier to do your pre selects just slide your hand down and pull or roll your hand to hit the knob into low side. Well and i like mine on the side at about the 2 oclock position. plus they look better than the all in one knobs

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  • 7 years later...

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