72 Challenger Steering Wheel Orientation

Just as the title says. I'm putting a 2 spoke wheel back into a 72 Challenger and it seems that the spokes go up; but I've seen a lot of folks with them down. After googling some of the promo material from 72, I see a lot of wheels with spokes up.

Anyone know whats correct?

The service manual will show how it goes.

The spokes go down. Actually, I believe that's the only way in can go, as there's a square register hole on the wheel that goes over a tab on the column.

If the steering coupler was put together backwards, the wheel will be upside down. The spokes should go DOWN.

Any reason why there is so much promotional material with them up?

Perhaps at photo time, wheels not straight ahead?

Even if you could mount it spokes up, all it would take is one drive with them that way. You'd see and feel real quick why the spokes go down.

Currently have it mounted spokes up, seems to drive and function fine. Thumbs have a nice place to rest while driving at 2 and 10. What am I missing? Your statement is a bit ambiguous.

"Spokes up" would be the wrong way , and it would look unnatural and just plain silly like that, even to Ray Charles.

Greg

The right way...

The wrong way...

Didn't mean to sound ambiguous. My 73 Challenger came with your wheel. I drove it that way for a few years, and found the spokes to be comfortable when they are in the correct position, which is down. Personally I never cared for the wheel as far as looks, the thin hard wheel itself, or the large OD of the wheel. Couldn't wait to replace it with a Tuff wheel, which has been on my car for 40 years now.

If it's comfortable to you, and you're happy with it spokes up, then by all means leave it that way. However, you asked a question as to the proper orientation of the spokes, and the correct answer is, spokes down. As Burdar mentioned above, your steering coupler is upside down, 180 degrees off. That's the only way it will install with the spokes up. unless you cut another square hole, which I doubt, or you cut the tab off. And as I mentioned above, because of the square hole fitting over the tab on the column collar, it will only fit one way if the coupler is correctly oriented. Spokes down...

Down is correct. Thanks to BigMoneyLewis for the pics.

improper installation or front suspension adjustments could turn the steering wheel 180 also

Won't be hard to flip it back over. I just rebuilt the Pot Connector and I didn't think of it much when I was putting the column back in and put it in spokes up. I looked at it and thought it looked funny, so I googled and found pictures of it both ways. The ones that really threw me off were these...



I assume they may not have straightened the wheel in between shots; but then there is this one as well...



Both of these challengers seems to have their wheels pointing ahead and spokes are up as well?

http://www.junkyardlife.com/2011/03/1972-dodge-challenger-till-death-do-us.html

So that led me to my asking here and my light resistance. We all know how cars can come one way and folks over time change them because something the factory did really didn't make a whole lot of sense and folks have just corrected it over the last 50 years. I'm not saying that is the case in this instance; but I figured this would be the place to ask.

In the top picture we have no idea which way that lady's wheels and tires are pointing . In the pic just under it, shes not in the car anymore, someone else is, and the tires are clearly turned to the left about 20 degrees . In the bottom pic, that's just a dash cluster not attached to anything . It is kind of odd they would show it like that however.
But, the fact is, their is a keyway on that steering shaft so the can only goes on one way , and the three nuts that hold the steering wheel to the can are oriented in such a way that it is impossible to put the steering wheel on the can upside down .

Greg

Lay odds that if you install with spokes up because you installed coupler upside down, that automatic turn signal cancellation will not function properly.