After Market Steering Wheels

[aZa]

No improvement in steering feel, its for pure aesthetic value only.

[Rudra Sen]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Hi guys , can someone explaing what the steering hub is.And if i was to go for a after market steering for my m-800 will i need to purchase this "hub" thing separately
thanks

It's the block in between steering wheel and steering column.
And yes, you may have to buy that separately.

[manson]

Originally Posted by Rudra Sen

It's the block in between steering wheel and steering column.
And yes, you may have to buy that separately.

To add to rudra's post, a hub would cost you rs. 500 for one of the aftermarket steering wheels.

manson.

[Ram]

Originally Posted by sumeethaldankar

Hi guys , can someone explaing what the steering hub is.And if i was to go for a after market steering for my m-800 will i need to purchase this "hub" thing separately
thanks

As steering wheel manufacturers can't be making a different wheel for each different make, model and year of car, they effect a compromise.

The compromise is to modularly separate the
car interface: the hub that splines onto the steering rod,
from the user interface: the fancy spoked wheel itself.

Typical aftermarket brands of steering wheel are:
Momo, Sparco, Nardi, Volante, etc...

The upside:
One of many fancy shaped/colored spoked wheels can be fitted to any car.

The downside:
You need an additional hub adapter, that increases the distance between the splined rod and the wheel itself. This can sometimes compromise the looks of the whole contraption and IMHO will feel different from the custom steering wheel optimized by the manufacturer for the specific car.

The airbag in the steering wheel, like that on the dash, is fired by an explosive squib (like a Diwali firecracker) triggered by electronics.
Both:

1. The embedded computing control system for this, and
2. the car-model-specific 3D safety geometry,

takes a lot of engineering and testing (as in R&D expenses), which may be beyond the interests and competence of the aftermarket industry.

Additionally, in the USA, it is violation of federal law for any manufacturer, distributor, dealer or motor-vehicle repair-business to remove an air bag or otherwise render it inoperative. I suspect it is the same in most of the developed world including Europe, Japan and Australia.

Ergo, we have not heard of chaaluu aftermarket safety technology: Airbags, ABS, ESP.

Ram

[noidaboy]

if some one is lookin for such steering wheel cheap and fake one's are available easily at rs1200 onwards and some of the new modifier's in Delhi are selling wheel's like elevo @ 2500rs onwards hub costs around 500-600 more

[harry15]

wat kind ?? as in fake momo`s or just some other company ????

[gigy]

i used one of them for 6 months. my experience
effort to turn is increased, noticeable in my hydraulic powered steering. the turn gets sharper for same hand movement, be careful while driving fast,after change. get used to it for some days before trying stunts on road.
they deform when force is applied(cheaper ones). mine used to get loose after a few weeks, tried to lighten as much as possible and also used a lock nut but didnt succeed.
finally went back to the default one but with quite an amount of struggle since the boss refused to come out, had tightened it so much that after removing the nuts it stayed fused to the shaft assembly. had to hammer it out and use the steering wheel to pull it out. damaged the steering.
so i will say try at your risk!!!

[harmon_bro]

you should be able to see some of the option that are available here in India. Not sure if their online ordering system works. But I guess yous should be able to call them up and get details and have it delivered to your door.
http://www.cardecorindia.com:8080/ca...?pid=11&cid=32

[evolve]

my 2 cents..... the correct steering wheels with the right diameter and grip thickness makes a car give out much more accurate feedback on your steering. Many race and rally cars actually fit LARGER steering wheels (but increase the steering ratios) so that the driver gets better road surface and tyre grip feedback.

Most professional racing wheels are designed in a light ally alloy which means less muscle is required to twist the steering. Deep dish wheels and 'low cut' wheels also help in getting the perfect seating position for any serious / professional driver.

For a true enthusiast - it is crucial to have the right wheel for the car. Some do it plainly for cosmetics - but others for simple performance enhancement!

[manveet]

I am using Aftermarket Steering Wheels on both my non-airbag fitted Cars - the OHC (http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/indiancarpicture-454.html) and Mom's Getz.

OHC

The Steering wheel was a Elevo Ducaro R with the Horn buttons on the steering circumference and NOT in the centre. I am very satisfied with it's quality as it's made of good quality material.

http://www.elevopst.com/steeringwheels10.htm

Although I was skeptical intitially and had initially installed it on aesthetic grounds, it has changed driving dynamics for the better. My experience has been that once you get used to it, stock sized steering wheels will NEVER feel as much fun esp. if you're the kind of person who drives with only one hand on the wheel.

Getz
My Mom was so impressed with the steering on my OHC that she wanted me to buy her something similar for her car. So a couple of weeks back when I was in Bombay, I bought her a Momo replica steering wheel from Milan Subway. Must say the quality is FAR inferior to the Elevo steering. It's made of some sort of molded rubber which feels like it will melt in Delhi's superheat. Although it looks much sexier than my Elevo, it's softness does suggest that deformation is likely.

[manveet]

Just ran into a related Thread.

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modifi...g-wheel-2.html (Aftermarket Steering Wheel)

@ Mods - probably you can merge these

[CARtik]

Originally Posted by manveet

OHC

The Steering wheel was a Elevo Ducaro R with the Horn buttons on the steering circumference and NOT in the centre. I am very satisfied with it's quality as it's made of good quality material.

: : E L E V O : :

good looking stuff, these..how much did you pay for them..

[manveet]

Originally Posted by CARtik

good looking stuff, these..how much did you pay for them..

Picked it up from Driven, but he doesn't operate anymore.

Don't really remember, but I think it was in the sub-5k range.

[autopsyche]

Im using the Sparco Trium in my car, it has a very good feel to it and just the right grip that i wanted. The main reason why i wanted a good aftermarket wheel was to reduce the diameter a little bit to give more space to my manouver since my thighs were always pretty close to the steering. This one has soft touch horn buttons on both the sides, and honestly speaking, its the best quality aftermarket wheel ive ever comes across. Price? Almost Rs.20,000.

[Ricky_63]

Originally Posted by reignofchaos

If the current steering wheel has an airbag in it, is there any chance to get it fitted into an aftermarket wheel too?

Don't even think about it IMHO Airbag fitted steerings should not be played around with.

Cheers