Thanks, Geoffrey Clark, For Keeping Us Safe!
BurkeHudson6
Posts: 19Member
When I purchased my 1929 Hudson Super Six, the previous owner handed me a shiny, aluminum piece and said "If you value your life, you are well-advised to install this part..." The part he handed me became quickly obvious; it was the steering wheel hub. I put that task on my to-do list before ever setting down the road in my Hudson.
Yesterday I decided to get at the task of installing the piece, which really wasn't that difficult. The horn/spark advance/throttle mechanisms pulled out quite easily and the old, original hub came clearly into focus... it was well past its useable life, presenting a danger of the steering wheel breaking off completely. The thought of that possibility, at speed, brings an immediate chill.
The replacement part (see pics) was engineered and produced by Geoffrey Clark, of New Zealand. Placing the original part and his creation side-by-each clearly shows the improvements he made to the original design. The damage to the original hub occurred when I simply tapped the piece with a rubber mallet as I tried to remove it... it shattered into pieces. I noticed a network of spider-web cracking all over the piece, all poised to fail. Geoff's part is clearly designed to address these shortcomings and provide the Hudson owner with a sense of safety and security that the steering wheel won't simply detach, ever, from its hub.
A big shout out to Geoffrey and others who take safety seriously and provide such clever answers to allow us to enjoy our hobby to the fullest!
Yesterday I decided to get at the task of installing the piece, which really wasn't that difficult. The horn/spark advance/throttle mechanisms pulled out quite easily and the old, original hub came clearly into focus... it was well past its useable life, presenting a danger of the steering wheel breaking off completely. The thought of that possibility, at speed, brings an immediate chill.
The replacement part (see pics) was engineered and produced by Geoffrey Clark, of New Zealand. Placing the original part and his creation side-by-each clearly shows the improvements he made to the original design. The damage to the original hub occurred when I simply tapped the piece with a rubber mallet as I tried to remove it... it shattered into pieces. I noticed a network of spider-web cracking all over the piece, all poised to fail. Geoff's part is clearly designed to address these shortcomings and provide the Hudson owner with a sense of safety and security that the steering wheel won't simply detach, ever, from its hub.
A big shout out to Geoffrey and others who take safety seriously and provide such clever answers to allow us to enjoy our hobby to the fullest!
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Jay