Sparco Steering Wheel
Often when you buy a used 4x4 the nastiest part of the vehicle isn't the floor or ashtray-it's the steering wheel! The original wheel on our K5 looked like someone tried to arc-weld on it. We knew we had to get rid of it. Having never pulled a steering wheel off before, we headed down to our local AutoZone, where they loaned us this steering wheel puller. For a $15 deposit you get to take the puller home and keep it for as long as you need. When you return it you get your money back. We made sure to clean it off when we were done in case you borrow it next.
SoffSeal Weatherstrip
Fall is almost here, and if you have a 4x4 with doors, you must also have an expectation of a dry and quiet interior regardless of what Mother Nature is up to. Soft, efficient weatherstripping is essential to keeping environmental nasties out, so when we needed to reseal the doors on our Blazer we went right to the SoffSeal (513/367-0028, www.soffseal.com) catalog.
If you are going to add an aftermarket steering wheel you will need some form of adapter. We got this MOMO unit from Sparco (800/224-RACE, www.sparcousa.com), splined it onto the GM steering shaft, and tightened it down with the original nut. The taped wire connection is for the horn, and the ring connector will provide the horn's ground when we bolt down the new steering wheel.
Stealing a page from the international world of racing, we went with this Flash 5 wheel from Sparco. The leather-wrapped wheel is Ferrari-quality in every way and will make you want to drive with two hands at all times. This wheel bolts to the adapter with six Allen-head screws and even has two buttons that can be used for electrical accessories such as a CB, a winch controller, air locker, or even something as boring as the horn.
SoffSeal offers just about every rubber detail item you could need for your off-road rig or tow vehicle. Replacing the door's weatherstripping as we did eliminated an annoying wind hiss and reduced the rattles. We just removed all the interior trim panels, pulled the old cracked seals from the body pinch seam, pressed the new door gaskets in place, and reinstalled the trim pieces. Simple.
While we were in the doorjambs, we added these new door bumpers too. If the old ones are still even on the truck (ours weren't) you can pull them out with a pair of pliers. Add a little soapy water to lubricate the barbed tip, and use a regular screwdriver to press in the new SoffSeal pieces.