Lets Discuss Steering: Wheels, Hubs, Quick release, ect... Also a race wheel DIY.
 

As the title states lets talk about Wheels.
Please share your wheel setups, tell us what you like, don't like, and ask if you have any questions.


The DIY
I personally learned the hard lesson of why you shouldn't do the "weld on" quick release hubs. I did a swap from a "weld on" to a Sparco hub and Momo Quick release. For anyone interested these are items needed to add a aftermarket wheel with a quick release.



momo bolt on quick release
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...5%5B1%5D-M.jpg

sparco hub: miata-to- sparco and momo bolt pattern.
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...7%5B1%5D-M.jpg

I removed the column to paint it and remove any surface rust.
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...MG_0330-X2.jpg


Why you dont go cheap and buy a weld on, and then weld it on to your column. When the splines wear out you need to replace the column too. *little bit of advice For anyone interested. Quick releases last only so long. After a while they develop play. You can use the "hammer" technique and tighten them up again, but after awhile they need to be replaced.
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...1%5B1%5D-M.jpg

Installing the Sparco hub. All mazdas the TQ spec for a sparco hub is 33ft lbs. sparco provides the Tq specs with their hubs.
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...IMG_0331-M.jpg

After that Tighten up the momo Quick release to the sparco hub. I use german specs for this. AKA gut-in`taught
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...IMG_0332-M.jpg

Wheel distance is a personal preference. I like a very close wheel. If you like a close wheel too use a collapsible equipment. On my equipment the Sparco hub and steering column are both collapsible.
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...IMG_0334-M.jpg

Got everything installed.
http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...IMG_0340-M.jpg

http://begoodphotography.smugmug.com...IMG_0339-M.jpg

Miata Hubs

Quick releases - bolt on

@ OG racing we have hundreds of wheels in stock.

Daikei Hub + NRG 2.5 QR + Momo Tornado. Keeps the horn so you can drive on the street occasionally. No airbag light on OEM cluster.

NRG Slim hub + NRG 2.5 QR + custom momo to 3 bolt adapter + joes racing wheel with tennis grip wrap + 19mm momentary switch for horn

NRG slim hub is great, its nice and short, and heavy duty, I wish it had lightening holes in it because its just a block

NRG QR is nice, its cheap, has zero play, everyone and their brother uses them (so if you want to try a different wheel someone will have it already mounted to a qr that fits your car), and the wheel only goes on one way.

Joe racing wheel blows, I wish mine was dished, I with it had a better grip, I wish it was smaller than 13", I wish the spokes didnt like eating fingers. Whenever I co drive with someone I take advantage of the NRG hub standard and use their wheel.

ebay hub. Cracked mine in 2 weeks, $12 was too good to be true
Ebay NRG knockoff, its too sloppy for a racer, leave them for honda ricer boyz

Same here except I use a Momo Competition. I don't have a horn though because the clock spring broke long ago and I don't use the horn much anyway.

so you mean you only need a quick release and a hub to install a quick release in my car?!? I DID NOT KNOW.
https://i.chzbgr.com/maxW500/5886646784/hA2F016BA/

Sorry, I coudln't help it....

I have a 330mm sparco of some type. bought it used. it works.

Any time, i'm here to help citizens!

OMP quick release and OMP superquadro here. Almost a year in, so far so good.

Daikei adapter, NRG 2.5 QR, Sparco 383 350mm.

I hate splined QRs with a passion.

I have a NRG 2.0 QR and NRG flat bottomed wheel. Both came with the car. Love the wheel but the QR I don't love. Pressing the little button seems fiddly and it really needs paddles for the unlatching (which they fixed in later models). I can get out of the car pretty easily without removing the wheel but if I got a full cage I'd go to another release.

Why?

FYI, that little button can be removed by removing a set screw behind it (inside the QR) and taking the spring and button out from the backside. I've done this to both of mine. I agree that the version 2.5 with the wings is easier to use, but I've gotten used to the 1.0 in Rover so I don't notice it as much.

I've never felt one that didn't have a small amount of play when engaged, and they do not release and attach as smoothly as an NRG (Works Bell knockoff), to the point where I think I'd fear not being able to easily remove the wheel in the event of a fire.

If you align the QR just right when you pull it with some force it also pushes the pin down.

Momo hub is a POS. You shouldn't have to re-engineer a part that's plug-and-play.

It's JDM as fuck, but at least the Daikei is plug-and-play with the Miata.

+1. I think this is a required safety measure for a track car. You've got to be able to get the wheel off easily with gloves on.

Perfect timing as I just bought a wheel and have been looking at hubs and QR.

For those that have it, how does the NRG slim + NRG QR + no dish wheel stack height compare to the stock wheel?

close enough to the stock position to not really notice. depending on if its a true flat wheel like the joes racing or a "flat" wheel which actually has like a 1" dish like most other wheels.

Derp. Daikei is what I used, not Momo. I bought it so long ago that I couldn't remember, and the Momo looked familiar.

no pictures yet?

+1 . . . again. Looked again and I've got the Daikei too, with that little resistor thingy that keeps the airbag light in the OEM cluster turned off.

Can anyone comment on the nrg 2.0 vs the 2.5 or 3.0. It looks like the 2.0 is longer length than the others. Is the tabs on the newer models worth the easy of removal for a quicker fire escape?

I've got the 2.5. Very easy to use with gloves on. Can't speak to the others.

i took the car out for a drive around the block today. love the QR and the new closer position. much tighter then the Joes racing one i had before.

I have the NRG 3.0 with a Momo Competition. It looks ridiculous, but I have zero issues getting leverage on the bat wings to GTFO if I have to.

The one thing that is nice about moving the steering wheel closer to you is that you'll never look like a dunce hitting the turn signal/flash to pass/windshield wipers when you get sideways.

My issues is not having knee space to heel toe. I'm 6'2" and my knee is against the wheel in my current set up. I'm hoping the addition of a QR will space out the wheel enough.

IMO the 2.5 wings are nice. The 3.0 just seems silly. And if you're that hard up for knee room then you're probably also at risk to turning the car off. I had an instructor drive my car last weekend, he through he broke everything because the car died, but I knew that when the power steering also cutout that he probably just kneed the key (which has no key ring on it).

haha, you must have been watching my videos recently...

I use a Snap-Off quick release. I love it, no slop, goes on one way only, and is easy to get on and off the car.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1405559051

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1405559051

^ do they have a fail safe? if the spring mechanism fails, is there any way to keep control of the car?

This.
Not sure if the answer is flat bottom wheel or spacing the wheel closer to me. Or both.
This thread needs more pics

It's annoying as hell. I don't want to spend money on something that might work and find out I still have an issue.

Right now I have a 350mm wheel spaced out very far to a slightly uncomfortable driving position to barely get enough clearance to heel toe.

I want to try this wheel which is 320mm flat bottom and measures 290mm top to bottom which should free about about an inch of space bellow the bottom of the wheel. I hope I can use this and move the wheel back some.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422465537

Yup, for shoving a bunch of leg under the dash, a flat bottom is nice. Hasn't been entirely necessary yet, but it's nice.

Another vote for the NRG setup here. Although I probably won't buy another wheel from them as they're a little flexy. If you do use an NRG wheel (or any really) Loctite your hardware in place. A buddy had a good time driving with a loose wheel.

Thanks for the heads up on removing the locking pin, I've been concerned about that being an issue in an emergency. Any reason to believe there's a need for it to be there?

The locking pin would be to prevent unnecessary removal of the quick disconnect. the reason i don't like NR-g is that it's made with ball bearings. once that collar is removed there is no fail safe. if the internal spring failed you could lose all control. With a standard Splined Quick release you won't have that problem.

that's why i was asking about the snap off hub. if it does have a fail safe it might be a better option.

No, there does not appear to be a fail safe other than the 2 locking pins, if 1 spring fails the other is still in place, the wheel can't be removed with 1 pin engaged. I have never given it a second thought, and won't start now. May not be the flavor that some like but I am comfortable with it.

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1422549825

I only ask because if the spring of the nrg hub fails you lose all steering. literally no control. a very frighting thought at 100mph. also a terrible way to wright off a chassis, because of a $.05 spring.

I'm looking at the "snap off" and i see two tabs on the hub. if the spring fails could you still have some control with the tabs? i'm not saying it's junk, i'm genuinely curious.

The likelihood that the spring fails in the NRG is extremely small. The possibility that it would fail in a static state (IE just sitting connected on the car, not being taken off or put on) is astronomically small. And even if it were to fail the design requires an external force to pull up on the ring for it to move off, the force of the balls pushing out cannot push the ring off and even if it could the locking pin would keep it from coming off enough for you to loose steering.

I've got a Sparco Snap Off ,Momo Hub and a Cheap Ebay deep dish Steering Wheel at the Moment
Nothing to complain about this Combi so far, except the Steering Wheel which bends easily
I like the closer Position ;)

I have the snap off hub. There are 3 dowels on the face that slide into corresponding holes in the back of the "hub" much the same way a pressure plate aligns to a flywheel. The 2 pins then secure the 2 pieces together. If the 2 retaining pins fail then just keep the hub pushed forward and it will ride on the 3 dowel pins. This is the same hub used on some factory Lambo race car and also Lotus Exige Cup factory race cars. The use by OEMs of that stature kind of sold me. The only issue I have found is the use of the hub on very cold days there is a very small bit of play due to the dowels being steel and the hub being aluminum. I have the street version of it and was able to use a common horn push with the contact bent out a little and the horn works as well. I also "lubed" the retaining pins with key cylinder graphite dry lube and it works incredibly smooth.

The answer for me was a 280mm MOMO wheel. I had a 350 flat bottom and that didn't help, well, because you turn the wheel and then it hits your leg lol.

With the 280mm I have plenty of leg room. No more leg / hand interference in autox or at the track. Oh and it adds some nice weight to the steering effort, which I prefer.

There is a grant wheel on ebay that I like but it needs a 1/2" grant to momo adapter plus a momo hub to fit in my miata. It also has a 3.75" dish. Would that make it too close to me? Im 6' long arms and using a sparco sprint all the way towards to fuel tank.

Stock steering wheel is almost exactly 5" from clock spring to wheel face. No idea how deep the Momo hub is, but the NRG short hub (which uses the same bolt pattern) is 1.25". Using that and your numbers, that setup would sit about half an inch closer to you than stock. Probably a hair more than that since I'm guessing the wheel's dish is measured to the centerline and not the face.

Sounds like you're sitting really far back though, so you'll probably be fine unless your name is Phelps.

Sounds good. I think I'll buy that grand wheel with a grant mazda adapter (about 1" long) and a 1.5 or 2" extension. I want the wheel 1 inch closer to me than stock.

excellent information. i might pick one up when my momo qr wears out.


all,
Word of warning on those ebay wheels. They are generally made from steel. the spokes have a tendency to snap off. causing a knife like object in a crash. The guys at mazmart can vouch. one of their employees was in a wreck. the ebay nardi knockoff wheel broke and stabbed him twice. He lost a lot of blood. i want to say 2 qt's, but don't quote me on the exact amount. he did almost die but they where able to get him to the hospital fast enough.
Aluminum wheel is a safer option as they will bend out of the way. Aluminum wheels are the only ones we carry because of that reason.


Danny George shared this on fb. Thought it was funny and on topic.



http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http...zA&h=CAQF0jo8F

I always thought that steel has a higher tensile strength than aluminum. What I mean is that steel will bend more than aluminum before snapping. Now, the steel from eBay wheels may be a garbage alloy with low tensile strength.

Correct. Typically steel will bend into a pretzel without breaking but most aluminum will crack and/or tear at the bend. Some aluminum alloys are much better at this than others. The problem I normally have with ebay wheels is that it feels like there is no metal core in the rim of the wheel, that its solely the injection molded foam rubber with no metal core like the name brand wheels. I've never cut one up to see, but I have folded one in half (by accident) and had it spring back to shape before.

In reality, tensile strength is not an indicator of how much something bends before it breaks.

A good indicator of that is ductility. The property to look for is the % elongation, or elongation before break. This will be expressed as a %.

Steel and aluminum both have alloys that are very ductile, or quite brittle, so a blanket statement that steel will bend more before breaking isn't exactly accurate. Kinda like 10psi ≠ 10psi when comparing different turbos. For example, 1050-O aluminum will elongate about 40% before breaking, most steels will be below half that number.

The eBay wheels are probably some ultra-cheap steel with nonuniform properties, and probably has porosity or is full of contaminates.

I agree but what I was trying to say is that most inexpensive mild steel is more ductile than cheap aluminum. Either way, Ebay "steel" is probably not really ductile steel but a bunch of scrap metals blended together and lots of contaminates.

Want to know for sure, bust out the geiger counter. The cheapest of the cheap china steel will sometimes have some radioactive medical waste mixed in. Steel mills have geiger counters in their receiving offices for a reason. (For sure as in, if it is noticeably radioactive its the cheapest of the cheap, not being radioactive doesnt vindicate.)

Ok, onto the next item for spring. I need to get rid of my 91' air bag of death and swap out wheels. Does anyone here own, or have hands on experiance with the Momo Nero? I would love an all Alcantara wheel, but I know it will just turn to crap after a summer of use so I am trying to stick with something mostly leather.

http://www.928motorsports.com/parts/.../momo_nero.jpg

Call our warehouse. we have those in stock, and can aswer your questions. If your worried about quality you don't need to. Momo has very good quality or we wouldn't sell them. this wheel will give you a long service life.

1800-934-9112

Yeah no worries about that. I already spoke to you about this wheel. Just seeing if anyone else has actually run it in their Miata or had used a Nero before. There is actually very little in any forum about this wheel. I did some google searching this weekend and didn't come up with much besides, "looks nice".

So I am still wheel shopping, hope to be picking something soon. Anyone run any of these MOMO wheels?

Jet
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1425579799

Trek Black or Trek R
https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1425579799

Also I am planning on picking up a Nero QR 2.8 or 3.0 to keep my horn. Anyone have any likes or dislikes about either. (besides the crazy wings on the 3.0).

ofspunk7 those are straight rice.

My setup. Momo Competition, Works Bell Hub, NRG 2.5 QR. I like the perforated leather for a dual use car and this wheel has a very thick rim which I also like. Combined with A* tech 1zx gloves the grip is excellent and the perforated leather helps with sweaty hands in socal heat on the street.

Once the car goes trailer queen i'll get a momo mod 78

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...1&d=1425615415

All of those wheels are dumb garbage. If you're looking at Momo, look at the Competition, Monte Carlo, or Mod 78 (or 80).

Why doesn't anyone use a Grant QR and wheel? I get that Grant makes some low quality stuff, but their price is pretty competitive and some of their more expensive wheels look to be decent quality.

Grant Quick release

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1425659787

Decent Grant wheel

https://www.miataturbo.net/attachmen...ine=1425659787

Right at $230 doesn't seem crazy for this setup.

1, splined quick releases suck
2. no direct adapter from miata steering column to grant 5 bolt
3- I used a grant wheel for a bit, it was heavy as fuck and their 3 bolt pattern has an annoying angular offset so my custom adapter was off
D: fuck

I currently have this Grant wheel in my car, and my only complaint is that at 5* of caster it is a bit small for autocross. I don't know anything about their 3 bolt wheels, but this one was substantially lighter than the stock wheel and is fairly robust in build. The grip material doesn't do well with sweaty palms though.
Attachment 238171


I would have thought a splined QR would provide a very solid connection with the steering column and the QR. I have been in a car with an NRG 2.0 and that thing had about a 1/4 inch side to side play in the wheel. It completely ruined the steering feel for me and didn't exactly inspire confidence.

You must have gotten a defective NGR QR. We've got a lot of them locally and none of them have any play.

just need more gym time. :giggle:

Right in the feels. :cry:

The question and the answer. :)

Depends on the brand. the sparco, Momo, and woodward splineed QR are very tight.
the Longacre, Joes's and anything from speedway motors does suck.