teak wheel after 1966

[Randy S.]

1966 was the last year for teak steering wheels in Corvette. Was this a GM decision or goverment mandated safety concern?

Randy

[John H.]

Re: teak wheel after 1966

1966 was the last year for teak steering wheels in Corvette. Was this a GM decision or goverment mandated safety concern?

Randy

Randy -

There were MVSS concerns about the teak wheel splintering in a frontal impact and injuring the driver; same MVSS issue that radiused all the control knobs and the horn button in '67.

[Clark K.]

Re: teak wheel after 1966

I have been told, but cannot confirm, that Federal regulations in the late 60's ended the factory wooden steering wheels and Quick Take-Off (KO) wheels. The only thing that I could find on the steering wheels is this:

FEDERAL MOTOR VEHICLE SAFETY STANDARDS AND REGULATIONS
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION
NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC
SAFETY ADMINISTRATION
SAFETY ASSURANCE
OFFICE OF VEHICLE SAFETY COMPLIANCE

Part 571
Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards
CRASHWORTHINESS
Standard No. 203 - "Impact Protection for the Driver from the Steering Control System - Passenger Cars (Effective 1-1-68), Multipurpose Passenger Vehicles, Trucks, and Buses with a Gross Vehicle Weight Rating of 4,536 kg (10,000 lbs.) or less (Effective 9-1-81)
This standard specifies requirements for minimizing chest, neck, and facial injuries by providing steering systems that yield forward, cushioning the impact of the driver's chest by absorbing much of his or her impact energy in front-end crashes. Such systems are highly effective in reducing the likelihood of serious and fatal injuries."

Note that this standard took effect for passenger cars on January 1, '68. It is my guess that GM, knowing that this regulation was going to be law, redesigned the steering column at least two years before the regulation took effect. It was obvious to the engineers that a wooden wheel could never be made to be anything other than a spear in a car crash. I also guess that GM's lawyers had something to say about the lawsuits from such crashes of '65-'66 Sting Rays. That being written, I love my teak wheel and would not part with it until I am impaled upon it. -Clark

[Clark K.]

Re: teak wheel after 1966

On a humorous note:

You can have my teak wheel when you pry my cold dead fingers off the splintered remains.

[Peter J.]

Re: teak wheel after 1966

Now that is funny!

[Wayne M.]

Re: teak wheel after 1966

Randy -

There were MVSS concerns about the teak wheel splintering in a frontal impact and injuring the driver; same MVSS issue that radiused all the control knobs and the horn button in '67.

For a little more detail, I highly recommend the Vol 7, No 1 (Summer 1980 issue) of the RESTORER, a 3-page article by Joe Clark, in which a brief history, including the design and fabrication specs of the Teakwood Steering Wheel project are discussed.