Quick detachable steering wheel

[patrickt]

Alright, we'll throw in a joy buzzer and a pair of X-ray Glasses.

[Michael C Henry]

I have what I assume is an old school OEM British steering wheel and column. It has a small 1 1/2"OD tubular column coming through the dash low and extends out 3 3/4" to the base of the steering wheel, is has a larger plastic housing at the top for the turn signal and head lamp dimmer switch levers. I have a flat ,no off set in or outward, 14" steering wheel with chrome spokes , nice wood outer ring all covered in leather for griping. There is a raised area above the steering wheel that houses the horn button (COBRA emblem) of coarse. Never had cruise control, air bag, or any of the modern convinces.
I plan on converting to a quick release steering wheel. One of those spline conversions. I have not seen any conversions on a column like mine. The current placement of the steering wheel is optimal for me. I'll try to get some photos later. With the top on , my age and belly, and my right knee, hip and now my right shoulder, hopefully temporary. it is more than an obvious next step.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

... my age and belly, and my right knee, hip and now my right shoulder, hopefully temporary.

In the long run, all your aches and pains are temporary.

[1SwtRide]

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

Any one used a quick detachable steering wheel. I'm getting fat and the legs do not bend as they used to. Me getting in and out of the car especially with the new soft top on is a source of entertainment for anybody watching. How did it work or not work for you? Which one's to stay away from? Recommendations? Oh to be young and thin again.

I have one for my Backdraft Racing Cobra. The combo is Nrg quick release with a Sparco steering wheel. It was installed by Vintage Motorsports. I'm happy to snap some pictures if you'd like. Just let me know.

John

[Michael C Henry]

I've been on line today spinning my wheels. I have decided I did not like the Sweet MFG as they are not timed with any sort of dead spline to make them clock in correctly. I'm getting tired convincing websites I'm not a robot. I like the Iidiit but the local dealer isn't any help so I feel no obligation to buy through him. I have identified that I have a 72-76 Triumph Spitfire steering column curtesy of Brooklands, and Moss Motors had an exploded parts diagram. That only took two says and a short drive. If I could get the male spline adapter to fit my steering shaft all would be great.

[Michael C Henry]

My desire is to get a spline drive quick detach steering wheel conversion. With the knowledge of my steering column If I could get a male spline adapter that did or could be made to fit the steering column shafts original spline. I'd have a bolt on system using the retaining nut. I could remove the original steering wheel hub and install the QR hub, keeping the steering wheel at or close to the original distance from the me and the cowl. No welding but no horn either. Ididit responded that they are working on the QR horn issue. the wireless horn is looking more likely. I really do not want to weld the QR conversion on.

[eschaider]

This might be helpful for those who want to have a quick release (QR) steering wheel capability and are stymied by the complexity challenge or like me, love the ERA approach Patrick selected but aren't up to swapping steering columns or writing the $850 check for what is one of the nicest implementations I have seen.

At the front of the conversion parade we are met with a steering wheel attachment bolt circle problem. Virtually all of the steering wheels and QR systems today use either a 6 bolt 70mm or a 75 mm bolt circle for steering wheel attachment. My SPF appears to use a 6 bolt x 64 or 65mm bolt circle. My inquiries to MotoLita indicated that their original (and current) Cobra steering wheels use a 6 bolt x 62mm bolt circle with unequally spaced bolt holes! As luck would have it, either one is an attachment problem.

My requirement for the QR system on my car was to be as close to invisible as possible, the same steering wheel position if at all possible, no detectable play in the attachment between the steering wheel and the steering column shaft while driving and easy of use. Reasonable pricing was an unspoken but intuitively sought after additional goal.

I think I have found a reasonable compromise that might work for other folks also. This is how it is done.

The QR adapter I found most attractive was the low profile NRG SRK-400BK unit because of its low height (24mm) and its tight (locked up) condition when the wheel and column are coupled up. The actual unit is available in black, silver and a bunch of other colors. Once installed the black and silver color options nicely hide the presence of the QR system, making it look like either a part of the steering column or the steering wheel. It is easily missed / invisible unless you deliberately look for it.

This is what the actual QR coupler looks like with both pieces, assembled. This is the steering wheel side. It is drilled for both a 70mm and a 75mm steering wheel attachment bolt circle.



And this is the steering column side;



The unit supports a center horn button and while I suspect you could wire it up with sufficient motivation it might be easier if you don't — as you'll see later.

We are still plagued by the wrong steering wheel bolt circle problem but fortunately there is an easy fix. It involves modifying the steering column hub the original wheel bolted to.

The pic below is what our steering column hub looks like. The picture is actually a hub off the Branda site that is not painted or anodized black yet. But it illustrates the geometry which is what is important.



Notice the convenient recess the spline register and attaching nut are sunk down into. To get the steering wheel into the original position you will machine off 24mm of aluminum and redrill the hub, but this time for a 70mm bolt circle, I believe. I need to measure my QR adapter when it arrives. That will place the top of the QR adapter at the same level as the original steering column hub attachment surface was at. That is the good news.

The bad news is the QR adapter steering wheel mounting surface is drilled for a 70 or 75mm attaching bolt circle. You have two choices. The least expensive (but a little more work) is to redrill your original wheel for the new bolt circle. This will probably work but requires a little reindexing of the QR mechanism to get the wheel straight up again.

The other choice is to just buy a suitably good looking replacement steering wheel for the finished job. I went the later route. If you are into more closely approximating the original appearance of the wheel, this particular wheel is available off Amazon as either a 14 inch or 15 inch variety;



It is not exact, but it is close ~ $150.

If you have big hands, prefer a thicker wheel rim to hold on to and want a wood appearance this wheel is a ~$63 item that will nicely fit the bill. It is also the wheel I chose;



I prefer a cushioned leather wrap as opposed to the, harder to the touch, wood finish and I prefer the larger diameter rim grip on this wheel compared to the more original looking alternatives above. For about $10 more you can buy a genuine leather cushioned wrap, which you will get to personally stitch up (stitching holes are already punched out).

This route takes a little more effort (especially if you decide to go the leather wrap route) but saves a whole bunch of money. BTW while searching for a replacement steering wheel online, I found an unbranded version of the NRG QR adapter on eBay, The cost is ~$30. Here is the link, click here => QR Hub. The black adapters are currently out of stock, so if you want black there will be some sort of restocking wait — other colors are in abundant supply.

Almost forgot, my comments about the horn button wiring;

If your steering column hub does not have a deep enough well to machine off 24mm of aluminum and still clear the steering column shaft and nut, you can still use this system by unscrewing the horn wiring pcb and allowing the nut and steering column shaft to rise slightly up into the center of the QR assembly.


Ed

[Michael C Henry]

Until a few hours ago I thought I had it almost planed out. I had not taken anything apart yet. The steering wheel has three flat chromed spokes coming in from the outer rim. those three spokes each have two screws connecting them to the black plastic hub The six screws and an empty hole at the top form an almost equidistance pattern for seven. The hub, steering wheel , horn button and black foam rubber surround all have to go to continue this phantasy of mine. I was sure I had a fancy wooden rimmed steering wheel but no one ever saw it with the leather cover. It is or was a 15"OD steering wheel so now I'm looking for 15" OD steering wheel with no off set, six bolt pattern with no off set, horn button or emblem center. A Cobra center emblem would be a find. But I did find that the Triumph column has a 3/4" OD shaft and a 48 spline held on with washer a nd nut.. The bit and pieces of information come from unusual places. I found that bit when checking the steering wheel hub specs. No off set now has the back of the steering wheel clearing the cowl by 1 3/4". The 15" OD fits with my door. So now I've changed directions an have to acquire a new steering wheel (and horn) to continue.

[patrickt]

You know, when you tally up the cost for a nice Moto-Lita, then tack on the QR hub, and don't forget the center cap, and a turn signal that works reliably, you're starting to get pricey....

[Michael C Henry]

The turn signals work in the original column It's the horn that is the issue, if I mount a quick release. Ididit, which is where I'm leaning, said they were working on a horn upgrade for their QR.. I'll be shopping for a 15" OD steering wheel with no off set and a six bolt pattern. A center horn button preferably a Cobra emblem.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

... It is or was a 15"OD steering wheel so now I'm looking for 15" OD steering wheel with no off set, six bolt pattern with no off set, horn button or emblem center. A Cobra center emblem would be a find. ...

Mike, you can easily make one of the Cobra steering column top rings to match a 70 or 75mm bolt circle. Bore the center hole to match the original Cobra center holes. The finished piece will look like this;

Replace the horn ring / center button with your newly fabricated top ring.

Next step, go to Finishline, Branda or any number of other providers and get a center cap for the original top ring (which your manufactured one duplicates the center hole dimensins of).

This is what the Cobra cap looks like from Finishline;

Push it into the center hole of your new top ring and you are done. Voila!

If you like the AC center cap then buy this one from the same guys;




Ed

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by patrickt

You know, when you tally up the cost for a nice Moto-Lita, then tack on the QR hub, and don't forget the center cap, and a turn signal that works reliably, you're starting to get pricey....

Truer words ... Patrick. I am head over heels in love with the ERA solution you have. My issue is the effort and cost to do the conversion. From a visually correct and functional perspective the ERA elves hit the ball out of the ball park on that one!

The NRG / Kyocera alternative I cobbled together will require a bit of effort but is a less than a $100 fix for the modestly competent enthusiast — which in the bigger picture is a fairly low buck fix for one of these cars.

In the FWIW bucket for anyone considering the NRG style fix, your original turn signals are unmodified and still work as delivered with your car.


Ed

[Michael C Henry]

Now looking for a good 15" OD steering wheel . 6 hole center with little or no off set= dish. The adds do not say much about the dish if at all. And as usual I want a horn kit with a Cobra logo button Cobra traditional look is desired but then again ? The Old steering wheel was leather covered, I may do that again. But this quest must go on, I need the access that the quick release hub will afford. I really feel that should have been done a long time ago.
Now an old plastic lawn chair has broken and dumped me on the cement I thought my right shoulder was going to be the big issue but it seems my right hip wants sympathy. I have a full tank of gas an can hardly get in the car. I do not want the gas to go bad.

[patrickt]

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

Now an old plastic lawn chair has broken and dumped me on the cement I thought my right shoulder was going to be the big issue but it seems my right hip wants sympathy. I have a full tank of gas an can hardly get in the car. I do not want the gas to go bad.

Hmmm, it might be time to take you out behind the barn and shoot you.

[eschaider]

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

Now looking for a good 15" OD steering wheel . 6 hole center with little or no off set= dish.

If you ignore the drifting wheel offsets which are over 3" (and small diameter) you will come down to a choice between two offsets neither of which is zero. Most manufacturers offer a 2.5"/ 2.75" offset which is their deep offering. The second offset is a 1.5" / 1.75" (or so, they seem to move around a bit) which approximates our original steering wheels. I have yet to find a zero offset wheel with the Moto Lita look our cars came with

The two Cobra look similar wheels In my post #27 above are likely the closest you are going to get to your desired wheel geometry. That said, other than the time consumed, there is always the chance additional searching could turn up something for you.

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

... And as usual I want a horn kit with a Cobra logo button Cobra traditional look is desired but then again ?

This does not exist. If you want it you will either have to make it yourself or pay someone to make it for you.

Originally Posted by Michael C Henry

The Old steering wheel was leather covered, I may do that again. But this quest must go on, I need the access that the quick release hub will afford. ...

The other guaranteed it works fix is to buy the entire steering column, QR and wheel from the ERA elves. It is by far the most elegant of the solutions. It is also the priciest — but very high quality.

If you do not use the ERA solution, it is not clear another off the shelf alternative exists which will bring you back to the fabrication table or paying someone else to do the fabrication work for you. Franky I don't think you can improve upon the ERA solution — at least today.


Ed

[Michael C Henry]

I still have not spent any money on the steering yet. My computer crashed and had to buy another CPU. My situation is the Triumph steering column and steering wheel have the turn signal and head lamp dimmer switches. The steering wheel is flat (no dish) the wheel has three spokes that bolt to the black plastic splined hub. They go together. The present steering wheel is about 15" across with the padded leather cover. The back of the steering wheel misses the cowl by 1 3/4" which works out for me. I'm shopping for replacement steering wheels most racing leather covered wheel are 14" or smaller the "Flash Power" steering wheels are the pretty wooden riveted to aluminum wheels the flat (no dish) wheels are for Triumph and Jag are all 9 bolt centers. I can buy an adapter that the 9 bolt wheel blots to and then will bolt to the 6 bolt pattern I need for the Quick Release Hub. The spacer adds a 1/2" height to the wheel, I can live with that. The " Flash Power" wheel and adapter are about half what the 13 7/8" OMP leather covered racing steering wheel cost. The "Flash Power" riveted wooden wheels I'm concerned with are the 14" and 15 " still not padded or leather covered. Thoughts?

[RD31]

If a wood wheel works best for your needs, you can always go here and get a custom leather cover made. https://www.redlinegoods.com/SteeringWheelCover.php
I had a custom shift boot, e-brake boot, and harness covers made and really like them. You can pick your color, multiple colors, details, and stitching that you want. You can install it yourself or send your wheel to them and they will install it.

[eschaider]

It may well be easier and less expensive to replace your entire steering column with one that is more 'friendly' to work with. While anything can be made to do almost anything, the time, effort and cost can frequently argue against the adventure, There are any number of columns that could be more friendly / easier to use including the excellent ERA product like Patrick has, that comes with the QR already installed.

I am not familiar with the EM hub that your steering wheel bolts to so that hub may not provide you the clearance you need to machine for using the NRG style short adapter. If it does, then the least expensive route is the explanation I gave earlier in this thread.

To the extent you have the room available machine the hub to allow the use of a shallow dish wheel. They are much more common than the flat wheels (and some say look better).

The FlashPower original appearance wheels and to my knowledge other available original appearance wheels will all come with the skinny grip because that is what the original wheels had. Fat grip wheels are fairly common in 14" diameters and possibly 15" diameters, although I can not recall seeing the 15 inch variety — but that doesn't mean they don't exist.


Ed

[Michael C Henry]

I'm getting tired of it all now. I'm not about to start another build. The car is a 1984 Everett-Morrison kit . The original builder used this steering column and wheel which I have identified as a 62-76 Triumph It started out as a flat (no dish) 14 1/2" wheel and grew to 15" with the leather cover. The whole car works as it is, I just can't get in and out like I once did. I'm starting with the Quick Release Hub. I know it will end up with a 6 bolt pattern for the wheel side. I'm trying to identify what the spline under the steering wheel and hub is before I order anything right now the car is whole and has some moves scheduled, so taking the steering apart isn't going to happen for a while. I was just talking to the wife and am now thinking the 15" flat 9 bolt wooden wheel and their adapter to go from 9 to 6 bolt from "Flash Power" with their horn kit. I'll wait till this winter and then take the steering apart to determine the size and spline count for the hub center piece. I plan having a bolt together Quick Release Hub and no welding stuff on.
My CPU shot craps mother board went , no blue screen or anything so I had to get another CPU, new hard drive and have it modified to create a CPU that I can live with for years to come with better hard drive and more memory added./ Then the Club Cobra sign on saga started. Now I have become used to using the computer it's a problem when you can't check things out or complain.

[the shadow]

its a 1984 built car, just buy a newer column with the QR already on it and move on problem solved... or sell it, you call just saying?