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The CCKW Wood Steering Wheel was developed to replace rubber, a critical material in vehicle production. Other vehicles that used rubber steering wheels substituted plastic, Jeep, for example, changed over to plastic.
An interesting fact for all you M-1 Carbine lovers is that Inland division of General Motors, produced many of the Wood Steering Wheels.

Be cautious when grabbing up the wood steering wheels that do show up. as they may be the smaller chev Bomb service type and considerably more effort is required to turn the smaller diameter wheel.

Hi Ranger
thanks for the wood wheel info

Not so fast on the motive for big bucks for the smaller steering wheel, there is a customer for everything, this is not a cheap hobby by any means. Cosmetics for WWII trucks are expensive and to not realize that is unrealistic. If you note the pictures of CCKWs in the hands of European collectors you will see that the small steering wheel is quite numerous over there. Parts are expensive over there also.

NOTE:
42 CCKW was able to obtain a beautiful wood steering wheel on eBay that had come unglued at the two fingerjoints. He was able to accomplish a near flawless repair with some hi tech wood glue and clever woodworking technique. It now has several coats of raw linseed oil and is proudly installed on his super (Manny Rogers select grade) CCKW If I remember correctly, his bid was in the neighborhood of $100.00, one helluva bargain, not without stress.
I am envious as I would have paid twice that amount.

Hi Ranger,

A friend has an 18 inch wood steering wheel which he bought at a swap meet - it looks exactly like the 20 inch GMC wheel but possibly has a slightly fatter rim. I have been trying to work out it's origins and recall some discussion on the other GMC forum which suggested that similar wheels might be from a CMP Chev truck. This doesn't sound right as the subject wheel doesn't look like the CMP wheels I am familiar with.

Can you confirm that the smaller 18 inch wheel came out on the US built Chev K6. It makes sense that they did use a smaller wheel.

It was the M-6 Bomb srvice Truck, due to the configuration of the dashboard of the M-6 variation, the smaller steering wheel was required.

Thanks Ranger.

I meant M6 - the only K6 was I think an English Austin truck,

I guessing from what you say that the M6 steering column was at a more acute angle necessitating the smaller wheel.

If you have an M-6 TM, it is quite evident that the steering wheel is smaller. I have a used M-6 hard rubber steering wheel stored with my GMC spares.

It wasn't too many years ago that the pundits claimed the small diameter Wood steering wheels were DUKW wheels.
It was a good example of how many who are so eager to learn, are lead astray.

DUKW wooden wheels are supposed to differ from truck wheels with small brass pins in the rim to indicate the wheels straight ahead position when exiting the water.

Ranger,

If your spare M6 wheel is easliy accessible, could you perhaps measure it to confirm it is 18 inches diameter. No hurry though.