6 replies to this topic

[Agus1601]

Hi Guys! Sorry for my english, live in Argentina. I am preparing a classic mini with a 1380cc engine (310 kent cam, wber 45 dcoe, aldon yellow, iridium spark plugs, etc) and had noticed, as I will take it only for racing, I needed a good steering wheel I could put in and out.

 

Does someone know a great wheel for no more than U$S200 with the mass? Also need it to travel to my country.

 

Thanks

Agustin

[Alex_B]

I cannot recommend a wheel, its down to personal preference but take a look at mini racing cars for an idea on what works.

but I can say don't get a cheap copy wheel of the likes of ebay for cheap, they are unsafe with regard to not bending and snapping. It's one item you don't want to fail so it would be worth you spending a little more I would say.

[dklawson]

+1 regarding do NOT buy an inexpensive wheel on eBay.  I bought one just to try it and found it to be very, very flimsy.  It was so weak that I considered it unsafe.  I removed it from the car and made a wall clock out of it.

 

For your budget of $200, consider used wheels from Momo, Sparco, Personal, or Nardi.  You are very unlikely to find a new, high-quality wheel within your budget.  Be aware that you will also need an adapter hub.  Hubs are sold separately from the wheel.  For racing, that will probably mean a quick-release hub.  To meet your budget you may want to consider getting a complete steering column from a donor Mini and welding a racing quick release hub to the shaft.  Weld-on quick release hubs are much less expensive than ones meant to bolt on and mate with the existing steering column splines and taper.

 

An additional point to make is that there are several standard bolt patterns to mount steering wheels.  The two most common patterns are the Momo pattern and the Nardi pattern.  Many brands of wheels use one of those two patterns.  I believe the Momo pattern has (6) M5 screws on a 70mm bolt circle while the Nardi pattern is (6) M6 screws on a 72mm bolt circle.  

[Dusky]

I have very good experiences with mountney steering wheels with leather and a 'grip' in them.

Used it on a slalom mini and it survived 15 years, so it's very strong ;) Still using it on my 'normal' mini now.

 

cheers

[Mini 360]

OMP will be bought within budget(ish).  Its what I have on mine.

[Ethel]

How about an original, factory fit, wheel? You won't need a hub and you can be sure of the quality - either a Mini or a Metro are potential donors. You can easily go too small for race tyres, -ve camber, LSD's etc. Whether a quick release wheel is worthwhile will depend on the car. Yes for a space frame or stage rallier with lots of cross bracing where it could obtruct your exit in a hurry.

[racingbob]

on my 1380 race mini with LSD had a 350mm it was a "personal" if I recall

 

but momo or similar be fine try keep to a 340 - 350 wheel