CCKW Steering Wheels

James G. Davis · Post by **James G. Davis** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 3:47 pm

Can anyone tell me when the CCKWs started using wooden steering wheels and when their use was discontinued?

Thanks.

42cckw · Post by **42cckw** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 11:38 pm

James
According to the book GMC CCKW-352/353 by Emile Becker , the 3 spoke bakelite wheel was on 1940/1941 production trucks and replaced by the 4 spoke wood wheel sometime in 1942, but does not give a month. I assume the wood wheel went to the end of GMC production in 1945. There were different types of wood wheels made by several makers. Thats all I know maybe someone else has more information

Good luck if your looking for one it took me more than 4 years to find the beauty I have on my truck now

they are hard to get and command a good price.

JIM 42CCKW

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 9:09 am

Did the CCKW ever use the black three spoked hard rubber steering wheel or was that just on Chevy? The 45 CCKW I have has this type of steering wheel on it as did old Betty Boop when I found her, except most of the covering was gone and just the steel inner part was there. I finally found a wooden wheel.

James G. Davis · Post by **James G. Davis** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:56 pm

Hello Jim,
Thanks. Helps me date a LWB CCKW cab and chassis bought by the Navy in WW II and built up as fire truck.
Had little to do with CCKWs in WW II, but did drive a number of CCKs (6x4s) in basic training. Great highway rigs.
My vehicles were the military Chevrolet 1-1/2 ton 4x4 cab and chassis configured as fire trucks.
Jim, Member and Historian
1204th Army Engineer Fire Fighting Platoon
World War II

Kees51 · Post by **Kees51** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 2:13 pm

The three-spoke hard rubber steering wheel was used by GMC until approximately september 1942, at approximately serial number 125000. After that it was the four-spoked wood steering wheel. The rubber steering wheel was also used for the Chevvy. During the first four months of the wood steering wheel a much nicer model was used than for the rest. The nice wheel had a thicker wood rim and a one-piece cast hub/spoke assembly. The later, much cheaper wood steering wheel had a thinner rim and the spokes were steel stampings riveted to the hub. The Dutch return CCKWs have a four spoke plastic steering wheel, because their wood steering wheels had not survived the long years of storage.

KEVINABR · Post by **KEVINABR** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 4:34 pm

i believe the date to be the same for early cckw,s had the bakerlite then the switch to wooden in about mid 42

armydriver · Post by **armydriver** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 5:31 pm

Therefore, If I am reading this right the early three spoked hard rubber steering wheels found on later trucks must have been replacements, either by the military or post military use.

thierryb · Post by **thierryb** » Fri Feb 09, 2007 5:32 am

Hello,

If the truck was rebuilt by the French army it may use a after war French made 3 spokes bakelite wheel. It is a bit different from the early US wheel: spokes are not symmetrical on the French one but symmetrical on the US one.
Here is a picture of the early bakelite wheel on my 1941 cckw352 :

And this is the first type of Wooden wheel on my 1942 cck353 :

On my trucks I have 5 different types of wheels :

1) early bakelite wheel
2) first type wooden wheel (one-piece cast hub/spoke assembly + elliptic rivets)
3) second type wooden wheel (one-piece cast hub/spoke assembly + round rivets)
4) third type wooden wheel (steel stampings spokes riveted to the hub + round rivets)
5) French bakelite wheel

I also saw some a probably german after war made wheel that is totally different (tubular spokes)

Thierry