The Wood Steering Wheel Guide

posted by Scott on Jun 13

These photos are before and after shots of a Subaru Forester that has had a new steering wheel fitted featuring mahogany highlights.

As you can see from the pictures, the mahogany sections really give the console a lift, and gives the interior a classy look.

Customised steering wheel…nice!

Check out the post and full size images here:
Subaru Forester Article

posted by Scott on Jun 13

Here is a 2006 BentleyContinental GT that comes with a wodgrain featured dashboard and wood steering wheel. This car boasts a 552 hp Twin Turbo 6.0L engine! 

So – when thinking of wood steering wheels don’t just think old classic or muscle cars, they are still making modern luxury and sports cars look good today.

posted by Scott on Jun 12

Here is an interesting blog from a guy with a worn walnut and leather steering wheel discussing methods of repairing it, and the steps he took.

He has bought this wood steering wheel from a wrecking yard cheaply, and he discusses repairing a chip in the laquer and restoring the look of the leather.

You will find some good tips in the article.

Read the blog here

posted by Scott on Jun 8

A steering wheel hub adapter  is used to adapt your factory steering column to an aftermarket steering wheel, and so will need to have the correct bolt pattern to fit your wheel and the correct centre-hole to fit the spline on the end of the steering column. These are also known as a steering wheel boss.

The bolt hole patterns for steering wheels and hubs differ between manufacturers, and you will usually need to purchase the same brand hub as the steering wheel. There are of course some exceptions – Momo, Sparco,and Mugen are generally be the same, while Nardi and Grant hubs are unique to their respective brand of steering wheel.

When selecting a steering wheel hub it is important to keep in mind that some hubs available will not allow for automatic turn signal cancelling without modification.

Once you have everything in front of you, this shouldn’t take more than an hour. It’s pretty easy and straightforward.

Read this excellent guide by Todd Marcucci on installing a steering wheel hub in a modern generation car :
NTPOG 4th/5th Gen Steering Hub Install

posted by Scott on Jun 8

If you are thinking about replacing or upgrading your car’s steering wheel, then here are a few points to consider before handing over your hard earned money.

Some cheaper aftermarket steering wheels are only made to fit a particular car, and can come with the bosss kit attached, and so will have a limited range of applications. Most aftermarket wood and leather steering wheels will be sold as a separate item to the boss kit. When deciding on a replacement steering wheel for your car it is essential to check some important things to ensure safety, legality, and not to invalidate your insurance.

•    The steering wheel must have a boss kit available that will fit the spline on the steering column of your car – fitting an incorrect boss may endanger your life, and those of other road users and pedestrians.

•    The steering wheel boss kit must have the correct fitting to mate with the turn signal canceling mechanism, and also the horn plate (a round flat disc that is part of the horn’s power circuit).

•    If the cars original steering wheel comes with an airbag, then according to law you must have a steering wheel that accommodates an airbag. You cannot simply replace an airbag-fitted wheel with a nice shiny spoked wood steering wheel with a metallic horn button in the centre.

•    There are laws regarding the minimum diameter of a cars steering wheel, and you should be aware of your local laws to avoid grief from an inspector or police officer!

•    Finally you need to consider your own driving comfort, such as position of the wheel (which can be changed depending on the dish of the wheel), and thickness of the rim.

Time for an upgrade?

posted by Scott on Jun 4

The term “dish’ refers to the distance between the hub of the wheel and a straight-edge placed across the rim of the wheel directly above the hub.

If you fit a deeply dished steering wheel instead of a flat one, the wheel’s rim will closer to the driver. And transversely a flat steering wheel will be further away.

There are many variances in the dish depth of aftermarket steering wheels, and you may find different hubs also offset the wheel different amounts.

This diagram shows the difference between a deeply dished steering wheel and a relatively flat wheel.

You might find that the original steering wheel does not sit at a comfortable distance form you when the seat is adjusted for your legs to reach the pedals, and so selecting the correct amount of dish can correct this making your driving experience more comfortable.

posted by Scott on Jun 4

The Allard Motor Works makes a modern hand-crafted version of the famed British competition roadster that stirred crowds in Europe and North America in the early 1950s.

They make a beautiful open wheeler roadster – the J2X MKII in limited numbers of 100 each year.

The J2X MkII has a choice of engines right up to the Chrysler Hemi 6.1-litre (600 bhp),  weighs in at 975kg, and can accelerate to 60mph in 4.6s – which equates to an amazing power to wieght ratio.

This car is classic in its style, and would be the ultimate possession of any motoring enthusiast. This vehicle has a sports dashboard steeped in motoring history, and of course features a mahogany wooden steering wheel which gives all that much more to the classic look of this car.

Source:
Allard Motor Works

posted by Scott on Jun 3

Buying an aftermarket steering wheel to suit your car is very much a matter of personal choice, and so you may choose a wood steering wheel, leather steering wheel, or maybe a combination of both depending upon your needs and desires.

If you live in a warm climate you might find that a wooden steering wheel becomes slippery with perspiration from your hands, and so may choose a leather steering wheel for comfort and grip. Similarly if you live somewhere cold and your desire is to install a wood steering wheel, then you may want to look at a heated steering wheel such as some models made by TRC – which are “activated by a switch which quickly heats the rim of the wheel to provide a pleasant level of warmth… and will not disturb the leather or wooden surfaces” (fernandez – TRC).

 Buying a steering wheel to suit your car can be an aesthetic choice, and if choosing a wood steering wheel you will generally have a choice of timbers such as mahogany, ash, walnut, or rosewood, and a range of light to dark stains. Some wood steering wheels also feature rivets set around the wheel (such as the Grant dark stained mahogany wheel), and can also have leather covering the joins between the spokes and the wheel rim – also known as “spats”. Spats can improve the appearance of a wheel and also make it more comfortable for the driver to hold.

Replacing the standard steering wheel is a matter of personal taste and function combined, and so every driver will have their own requirements. If you choose carefully, your steering wheel will improve the appearance of your car, and may help to improve your driving.