Steering wheel and hub

[wayne_s]

1. My model of MX-5 is: NA 1.8
2. I’m based near: WEST MIDLANDS
3. I’m looking for technical help or recommendations on: STEERING WHEEL REPLACEMENT.

Hi guys,

In my quest to create more room for myself behind the wheel or just not to have the steering wheel up against my legs, I have decided that I need to replace my stock momo steering wheel.

From my limited research I have seen a 320mm wheel and also a 350mm wheel combined with a quick release kit.

Having never replaced a steering wheel before I presume I need a hub no matter what I decide?

I like the idea of a quick release as my car will sit outside and let’s face it the mk1 is not hard to break into! But equally I just want a solution so I can enjoy the car more.

I will of course keep the original wheel to put it back to standard at some point.

My problem is money, mainly that my wife will not let me get away with spending much !

Has anyone got any experience of doing this? I’m looking to spend as little as possible but also need it to look ok and work correctly.

When I get my seats re-trimed I will also be taking some foam out to give me a little more room as well.

[richardn]

A quick release will bring the wheel nearer to you! A D shaped wheel will give more room getting in and out. Buy Ebay at your risk, some wheels are very cheap and flimsy copies.

Yes you need a boss/hub

[ian.prossor]

@richardn

A quick release will bring the wheel nearer to you

I think that might be the intention, I seem remember reading that @wayne_s is somewhere around 6ft 4in.
Fitting a smaller wheel on a boss with quick release makes sense.
It accommodates for the fact that the NA (or any MX-5 that I can think of…) don’t have much in terms of steering wheel position adjustment.

I do agree with you though, eBay can be a minefield in terms of quality!

@wayne_s do you have an actual budget and where have you looked so far?

[wayne_s]

Yes Ian that’s it. By bringing the wheel nearer to me my knees can fit behind it rather than wedged at the side of it.

Its looking like a decent boss and quick release hub will be around £200 then I’d have the wheel to buy on top.

Sometimes there’s cheaper alternatives that I’d hoped someone could recommend ideally. I’ve seen some on ebay that like you say could be questionable quality for half that…

[wayne_s]

How to you quote a post on this forum ?..

[ian.prossor]

Highlight the text in the post you want to quote and:
"Quote
Should appear near it

[carl_s]

I managed to make a lot more room in my mk1 by replacing the wheel with a Momo prototipo and fitting a 20mm spacer. The combination worked very well, the wheel was smaller and the spacer meant my knees cleared it. The 20mm was enough to make a difference, If you go this route the spacer was about £40 and fitted on the existing hub, all I needed was 20mm longer captive bolts as replacing one Momo (the standard one) for another was a direct fit.

[ast]

The good news is that you have a very late Mk1 (Berkley).

The steering wheel you have was standard for ths model, but not specific to the Berkley. That sort of Momo was standard to the late iS cars (and most Eunos Roadsters of that age).

The late models with the bent stalks are setup to take an airbag.

Mazda first fitted airbags to US models in 89; these cars had bent stalks. From 1991, Mazda started to offer airbags in other markets, again, these cars had bent stalks, while non-airbagged cars kept with straight stalks.

In late 1995, Mazda simplified things by making all MX5s bent stalk. But that meant all cars got a spacer plate on the steering column Airbagged cars had a thick spacer, I suppose to do with making sure the airbag didn’t take your head off.

Non-airbagged cars, to compensate for this spacer, had an eccentiric hub; the centre is offset. So when people swap the steering wheel in these cars, they are surprised that the new wheel rubs on their legs.

You can remove the spacer, and get a few more mms, might be enough.

I removed the plate on my 96, when replacing the very same Momo with a Nardi Classico.

To start

If you decide to remove the wheel, the rubber cover unpeels from behind. Here you can see how much off centre is the boss

Removed

To get to the spacer, you need to removethe trim under the steering wheel (2 screws), and look up

On mine the spacer had blue wire wrapped around it.

Removed, steering column falls on your head (it doesn’t go far, as it snags on the loom), refit the bolts

Spacer

With the spacer in place, and a standard Nardi hub, wheel rubs on leg (I’m average height 5’11")

With the spacer removed

Another view of the spacer, or shim plate

In this photo of a LHD Miata, with the dash removed, you can see the shim/spacer plate

And on this early RHD car, no spacer

In the two steering columns, the “airbag” version has a pin that engages with the spacer. On non-air cars which have it, it has no function. I removed the shim about 10 years ago. No issues.

Should stay if you attach a standard hub, the factory version rubs against the plastic shroud, so you need to sand a bit of plastic off.

[wayne_s]

Saz that is absolutely brilliant

I will definitely do this, thank you very much

[wayne_s]

@carl_s

managed to make a lot more room in my mk1 by replacing the wheel with a Momo prototipo and fitting a 20mm spacer. The combination worked very well, the wheel was smaller and the spacer meant my knees cleared it. The 20mm was enough to make a difference, If you go this route the spacer was about £40 and fitted on the existing hub, all I needed was 20mm longer captive bolts as replacing one Momo (the standard one) for another was a direct fit.

Thanks Carl

Do you have a link to the soacer by any chance ?

[carl_s]

Wayne, this is for an early Momo wheel don’t forget: https://www.ebay.co.uk/i/282070937264?chn=ps&norover=1&mkevt=1&mkrid=710-134428-41853-0&mkcid=2&itemid=282070937264&targetid=1193857498952&device=c&mktype=pla&googleloc=9072510&poi=&campaignid=10199638282&mkgroupid=101938390277&rlsatarget=pla-1193857498952&abcId=1145987&merchantid=113800090&gclid=CjwKCAiA_eb-BRB2EiwAGBnXXkEaGfHv4qB4-RTLjtcgOnKR554N33zqcklAuWO9a2gf6zt2-n0ZyxoClpIQAvD_BwE

[wayne_s]

@carl_s

Wayne, this is for an early Momo wheel don’t forget:

Lovely, thank you.

I’ve just ordered it

[ast]

That won’t work with the factory Momo wheel fitted to the Berkley. You need to buy a boss, Momo wheel. The boss may rub on the steering column shroud, so that will need sanding down. And the shim needs removing.

[wayne_s]

@ast

to buy a boss, Momo wheel. The boss may rub on the steering column shroud, so that will need sanding down. And the shim needs

Thanks! I’ve just cancelled it just in case.

[wayne_s]

Just removed the steering wheel spacer and it has made a good difference so thanks again Saz

The steering wheel replacement has now been put on the back burner now with this mod.

1st up now will be a underbody check and if all is OK then it will be some coilovers.