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Here's some background on steering wheels...done from reading, and studying a lot of old 9N photos from lot's of sources. And of course my standard disclaimer is there is no exact date when parts started to appear on tractors, although design changes can be traced. Very early 9N's had two four spoke rubber/composite steering wheels. One type was very similar or identical to the Model A steering wheel, and I supsect that those were left overs or ol' Henry used the same design for the first production runs and early test 9N's. Same keyway mounting system as later steering shaft and steering wheels. Approximately, 194o-41 another 4 spoke wheel appeared, and it was from the Ford 1.5 or 1 ton trucks. These steering wheel were used on the Ford trucks from 1942 through 1947. The wheel diamater was 16" as above, and keyway type mount on the steering shaft. Tyman has a nice photo of that type of steering wheel. That type seems to be a little more sought after, and the center section was designed to be more "ball" or bulbous shaped than the Model A wheel, although very close in outward appearance. Both the Model A and Ford truck type, had a 2 to 2-1/2 inch polished steel center that covered the mounting screw and shaft, because on the Model A and trucks, that center had a hole for the horn assembly not needed on the tractor steering wheels. In 1942+ or later, a third rubber/composite wheel appeared and this had three spokes, and that sounds to me like the one in your manual. It had a smaller polished center center, or larger polished acorn nut. Those seemed to last for a little while, and I am curious when the steel three spoke wheels showed. I've seen them on 2N's and I suspect they started to show during the height of the war when rubber was sought after by the US government war effort. But there seems to be some overlap with the 3 steel spoked wheels and the rubber ones too. And I am also curious if the rubber three spoker was an option, or used for a short period and then finally replaced for the cheaper and easier to manufacture steel spoked wheels. Those of course, lasted through the 8N as the steering shaft changed from a keyway type to the splined mount on the steering shaft...8N through 100-1,000 Series.
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